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Zimbabwean
army chief Constantino Chinwenga Photo credit: PressTV
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Zimbabwe’s military has
taken power in the southern African nation, detaining top officials in an
apparent coup.
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Robert
Mugabe, 93, and his family have been detained after Zimbabwe's military staged
'bloodless transition'. Ruling party's Twitter account said today 'elderly'
Mugabe had been 'taken advantage of by his wife', Grace. First Lady: Grace
Mugabe, 52, pictured with her husband, has been seen as being a successor to
her husband after her opponent was fired.
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But
the military denied it was a coup, instead saying it was targeting “criminals”
around long-ruling President Robert Mugabe.
The
military said 93-year-old Mr. Mugabe, the world’s oldest leader, was “safe and
sound”, alongside is family, Reuters news agency reported Wednesday.
The
army had on Monday warned it could “step in” and would not tolerate purges in
the ruling ZANU-PF that had seen Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa fired.
The
party responded on Tuesday by accusing army chief Constantino Chinwenga, a
general, of “treasonable conduct” and vowing not to succumb to military
threats.
Late
Tuesday, armoured tanks took position in the capital, and there were sounds of
gunfire in the capital Harare early Wednesday but the military asked residents
to be calm.
Soldiers
quickly seized the state broadcaster, ZBC, manhandled its staff and read out a
statement announcing its plans, Reuters reported.
The
statement, read by Sibusiso Moyo, a major general and Chief of Staff Logistics,
denied the action was a “military takeover of government” and assured “the
nation that his excellency the president… 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. As soon as we have
accomplished our mission, we expect that the situation will return to
normalcy,” the military said.
Reports
say senior government officials, which the military referred to as “criminals”,
were detained, and Reuters quoted a source as confirming Finance Minister
Ignatius Chombo was among those taken into custody.
Mr.
Chombo is a prominent member of a faction of the ZANU-PF party supporting Mr.
Mugabe’s wife, Grace’s bid to succeed her husband.
The
statement ordered all military personnel on leave to return to barracks
immediately, and advised all security services to cooperate, threatening any
provocation with “appropriate response”.
It
assured the Zimbabwean judiciary that its independence.
The
unprecedented move has thrown the struggling nation into political uncertainty
as the global community monitors for clarity.
The
United States embassy in Harare said it would not open on Wednesday “due to
uncertainty” and urged its citizens to “shelter in place”.
Mr.
Mugabe took power in 1980, leading what was then a promising African nation
away from white colonial power.
His
prolonged stay has seen the country’s economy collapse after he chased out
white farmers and lost economic ties with most western powers and institutions
such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
The
recent crisis is centred on Mr. Mugabe’ wife’s bid to succeed her husband, and
began after the ruling party fired prominent members — a move seen as meant to
clear Mrs. Mugabe’s succession path.
The
dismissal of Vice President Mnangagwa, a former defence minister and a
favourite to succeed Mr. Mugabe, appears to be the tipping point.
The army said on Monday it would not tolerate the removal of veterans who fought for the country’s independence.
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