Fellow party member will try to unseat Zimbabwe's longtime president

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (CNN) - Zimbabwe's former finance minister
Simba Makoni announced Tuesday he will try to unseat President Robert Mugabe in
next month's election.

Makoni is a member of Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party and his announcement
to run in the March 29 election presents a serious challenge to the longtime
president. Mugabe, who turns 84 this month, has been Zimbabwe's only ruler since it
achieved independence from Britain 28 years ago.

Makoni made his announcement Tuesday in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, to
"clear the air of speculation and rumor," he told CNN.