Zimbabwe's military stormed the country's national broadcaster's studios last night to declare there was no coup after explosions and gunfire were heard in the capital
First Lady: Grace Mugabe, 52, pictured with her husband, has been seen as being a successor to her husband after her opponent was fired
In a move seen by many as the end of the road for the ageless tyrant, Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe has been detained by the military in a 'bloodless correction' of power amid claims his wife has fled to Namibia.
Mugabe's decades-long grip on power appeared to be over this morning after military vehicles blocked roads outside the parliament in Harare and senior soldiers delivered a late-night television address to the nation.
Deposed vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa, 75, a veteran of Zimbabwe's 1970s liberation wars who was sacked by Mugabe earlier this month, is believed to have returned from exile. His dismissal had left Mugabe's wife Grace, 52, in prime position to succeed her husband as the next president - a succession strongly opposed by senior ranks in the military.
South African president Jacob Zuma said this morning he had spoken to Mugabe and that the 93-year-old leader is 'confined to his home' but 'fine'.
Derek Matyszak, an analyst at the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies, said he believes the army will now be in negotiations with both Mugabe and Mnangagwa.
'The easiest way to present a veneer of legality is that Mugabe reappoints Mnangagwa as vice president, briefly - Mugabe then retires.' Under Zimbabwe's constitution, the first vice president would automatically become acting president for 90 days.
Advertisement 0:14
Deposed vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa (in the dark blue suit) has been pictured after returning from exile
Soldiers and an armoured vehicle are pictured on patrol on a street in Harare, Zimbabwe today. The Zimbabwean military appeared to have taken control of state institutions, saying that it was 'targeting criminals' in the government
A military tank is seen with armed soldiers on the road leading to President Robert Mugabe's office in Harare, Zimbabwe
The army was praised today by the nation's influential war veterans for carrying out 'a bloodless correction of gross abuse of power.' The military will return Zimbabwe to 'genuine democracy' and make the country a 'modern model nation,' said Chris Mutsvangwa, chairman of the war veterans' association.
Last night, the military read a statement on live TV claiming this is not 'a military takeover of government' and said Mugabe was safe.
Finance Minister Ignatius Chombo, a leading member of the so-called 'G40' faction of the ruling ZANU-PF party led by Mugabe's wife Grace, had also been detained by the military, a government source said.
The EU this morning called for a 'peaceful resolution' and described the crisis 'a matter of concern' for the bloc. Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson appealed for 'everybody to refrain from violence'.
A picture taken by lawyer Fadzayi Mahere appeared to show a line of police officers sitting on the ground in the capital being watched by soldiers. Mahere, who aims to be an MP in the city, took the picture from the window of her office. It is not known what happened to the men
This was the scene in the centre of Harare in Zimbabwe this morning as soldiers patrolled the streets after a 'bloodless correction' of power
Checkpoint: Tanks were scene on the streets of Harare this morning after it emerged that the president, Robert Mugabe, had been detained
Zimbabwe military's statement in full after seizing power
Zimbabwe Major General SB Moyo, Chief of Staff Logistics, said on national television:
'We wish to assure the nation that His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, and commander in chief of Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Comrade RG Mugabe, and his family are safe and sound and their security is guaranteed.
'We are only targeting criminals around him who are committing crimes that are causing social and economic suffering in the country in order to bring them to justice.
'As soon as we have accomplished our mission, we expect that the situation will return to normalcy. To the civil servants, as you are aware, there is a plan by the same people to influence the current purging that is taking place in the political sphere to the civil service. We are against that act of injustice and we intend to protect every one of you against that.
'To the judiciary, the measures underway are intended to assure that as an independent arm of the state you are able to exercise your independent authority without fear of being obstructed.'
No comments:
Post a Comment