Army says it has taken power to target ‘criminals’ around the President; It views the sacking of the Vice-President as part of a purge; South Africa to send envoys to meet with Mugabe.
Zimbabwe’s military said it had seized power in a targeted assault on “criminals” around Presidenrt Robert Mugabe, who were causing social and economic suffering, but came out with an assurance that the 93-year-old leader and his family were “safe and sound".
In a statement, the South African presidency said President Jacob Zuma spoke to Mr. Mugabe on November 15, and the latter told the former that he was confined to his home but he was fine. Mr. Zuma, in his capacity as chair of the Southern African Development Community, was sending special envoys to Zimbabwe to meet with Mr. Mugabe and the Zimbabwean Defence Force, which has seized power in Harare.
Zimbabwean soldiers and armoured vehicles blocked roads to the main government offices, Parliament and the courts in central Harare, a witness told Reuters on November 15.
“We are only targeting criminals around him [Mr. Mugabe], who are committing crimes that are causing social and economic suffering in the country in order to bring them to justice,” Zimbabwe Major General S.B. Moyo, Chief of Staff Logistics, said on national television on November 15. “As soon as we have accomplished our mission, we expect that the situation will return to normalcy.”
The military detained Finance Minister Ignatius Chombo on November 15, a government source said. Mr. Chombo was a leading member of the so-called ‘G40’ faction of the ruling ZANU-PF party, led by Mr. Mugabe’s wife Grace, that had been vying to succeed Mr. Mugabe.
Soldiers were deployed across Harare on November 14 and they seized the state broadcaster after the ZANU-PF party accused the head of the military of treason, prompting frenzied speculation of a coup.
Armed Zimbabwean soldiers sit on top of a military tank in Harare, on Wednesday. At least three explosions were heard in Zimbabwe's capital early Wednesday and military vehicles were seen in the streets after the army commander threatened to "step in" to calm political tensions over 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe's possible successor. The ruling party accused the commander of "treasonable conduct." | Photo Credit: AP
Just 24 hours after military chief, General Constantino Chiwenga, threatened to intervene to end a purge of his allies in the ZANU-PF, a Reuters reporter saw armoured personnel carriers on main roads around the capital.
Two hours later, soldiers overran the headquarters of the ZBC, Zimbabwe’s state broadcaster and a principal Mugabe mouthpiece, and ordered the staff to leave. Several ZBC workers were manhandled, two members of staff and a human rights activist said.
Shortly afterwards, three explosions rocked the centre of the southern African nation’s capital, witnesses told Reuters.
