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| Zimbabwe military chief Chiwenga in Zanu-PF purge warning | Zimbabwe military chief Chiwenga in Zanu-PF purge warning |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Zimbabwe's army chief has warned those responsible for "purging" the country's ruling Zanu-PF party to stop, or the military will step in. | Zimbabwe's army chief has warned those responsible for "purging" the country's ruling Zanu-PF party to stop, or the military will step in. |
| The rare intervention comes just a week after President Robert Mugabe sacked his deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa. | The rare intervention comes just a week after President Robert Mugabe sacked his deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa. |
| General Constantino Chiwenga, who appeared at a news conference with another 90 senior army officers, did not refer to anyone by name. | General Constantino Chiwenga, who appeared at a news conference with another 90 senior army officers, did not refer to anyone by name. |
| Mr Mnangagwa, once seen as a successor to Mr Mugabe, has fled into exile. | Mr Mnangagwa, once seen as a successor to Mr Mugabe, has fled into exile. |
| Mr Mugabe's wife Grace, who is now the favourite to succeed her husband, referred to Mr Mnangagwa as a snake which "must be hit on the head". | Mr Mugabe's wife Grace, who is now the favourite to succeed her husband, referred to Mr Mnangagwa as a snake which "must be hit on the head". |
| Mr Mnangagwa, nicknamed the "crocodile" because of his perceived shrewdness, has rebuked Mr Mugabe, saying Zanu-PF is "not personal property for you and your wife to do as you | |
| please". | |
| Speaking at the army's headquarters, General Chiwenga said the removal of people who were involved in the independence struggle, like Mr Mnangagwa, would not be tolerated. | Speaking at the army's headquarters, General Chiwenga said the removal of people who were involved in the independence struggle, like Mr Mnangagwa, would not be tolerated. |
| "The current purging, which is clearly targeting members of the party with a liberation background, must stop forthwith," he told those gathered for the news conference. | |
| "We must remind those behind the current treacherous shenanigans that when it comes to matters of protecting our revolution, the military will not hesitate to step in." | "We must remind those behind the current treacherous shenanigans that when it comes to matters of protecting our revolution, the military will not hesitate to step in." |
| Mr Mnangagwa previously served as defence and state security minister. | |
| Mrs Mugabe, meanwhile, has the support of the younger "Generation 40" or "G40" group of Zimbabwe politicians. | |
| General Chiwenga also hit out at the "squabbling" between politicians, saying it had led to "no meaningful development in the country for the past five years". | General Chiwenga also hit out at the "squabbling" between politicians, saying it had led to "no meaningful development in the country for the past five years". |
| The crisis, he concluded, meant Zimbabwe was struggling with "cash shortages and rising commodity prices". | The crisis, he concluded, meant Zimbabwe was struggling with "cash shortages and rising commodity prices". |