For the first time in 37 years, ever since Zimbabwe realised its hard-won independence, generations of that nation’s citizens are coming to grips with the realisation that they may, sooner rather than later, have a new president to lead them. While the exact chronology and methodology of the military’s bloodless takeover has yet to be fully understood, what is clear is that the era of 93-year-old Robert Mugabe is ending or is at least entering its final chapter.

Over the past four decades, Zimbabwe has oscillated between chaos and violence, an economic basket case and an agricultural backwater, a broken society and one where Mugabe’s family treated it as their own personal kleptocracy. Its hyperinflation made a mockery of any sensible economic system, its land reforms had the effect of driving productive holdings into bankruptcy, its once cherished resource sector is now broken on heels of devastating sanctions imposed by the global community on foot of Mugabe’s policies, and its democracy eviscerated to ensure the Mugabe’s reign and regime would continue.

While ordinary Zimbabweans lived on a nation with one of the highest poverty and child-death rates in the world, Mugabe family lived a life of luxury in Hong Kong, Singapore, in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

While the army is now in control, it looks as if the former vice-president, Emmerson Mnangagwa is the power broker, having returned from recent exile in South Africa. It also appears as if Mugabe’s 53-year-old wife, Grace, is also under house detention and any ambitions she and her husband courted of retaining the presidency in the family’s name has now dissipated.

If indeed the Mugabe regime has reached a meaningful end, that would be a big development. For too long, in too many ways, Mugabe has been a thorn in the side of a nation that seemed to have so much potential, and an adverse symbol to the international community of the problems of governance, leadership and corruption that seemed to stain the African continent.

While the change is welcome, it will take many years and hard work to try and mend that nation. There is also a caution in that Mnangagwa, before he fell out with Mugabe, was his right-hand man, and was a big cog in the official machinery. Military intervention, anywhere in the world is not desired, but there is hope that events in the last two days could bring about a positive change in Zimbabwe.