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Zimbabwe army denies coup against Mugabe as it takes control of Harare – live
Zimbabwe army denies coup against Mugabe as it takes control of Harare – live
(35 minutes later)
In the hours before army spokesman Major General SB Moyo took to the state broadcaster to deliver the message, gunshots and explosions were heard in the streets of Harare. Some were heard close to the presidential residence in the north of the city:
@AFP Close-up map of Harare showing the area where gunshots were heard near the presidential residence in the early hours of November 15.Military takes to streets in Zimbabwe but denies coup https://t.co/7yQGTSja8u pic.twitter.com/u0h9L0aqqT
Zimbabwe army spokesman Major General SB Moyo has addressed the nation after taking control of the state broadcaster. Moyo said President Mugabe was “safe and sound” and insisted the army was only targeting “criminals” around him.
The Canadian embassy in Zimbabwe has also advised people in the capital to “remain indoors” amid “increased military activity”, echoing guidance from the US and UK embassies.
There is increased military activity in Harare and the situation is tense. If you are in Harare, remain indoors and monitor the media. The Embassy will be closed November 15th.
Associated Press reports that veterans of the country’s liberation wars have backed the military action:
The Zimbabwe army’s takeover of the state broadcaster and action against some members of President Robert Mugabe’s government has been praised by the chairman of the Liberation War Veterans’ Association.
Chris Mutsvangwa, head of the war veterans’ group, issued a statement from Johannesburg praising army General Constantino Chiwenga for carrying out “a bloodless correction of gross abuse of power”.
The statement said the army will return Zimbabwe to “genuine democracy”.
Mutsvangwa and the war veterans’ group are staunch allies of Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was fired from his post of vice president by Mugabe last week.
Mnangagwa, nicknamed “the Crocodile”, himself fought in the liberation wars, and had been considered the mostly likely candidate to succeed Mugabe before his sacking last week.
The Guardian’s Africa correspondent Jason Burke says the night’s events indicate moves are underway to block Grace Mugabe and the G40 faction:
The Guardian’s Africa correspondent Jason Burke says the night’s events indicate moves are underway to block Grace Mugabe and the G40 faction:
once you get the guy in uniform on the TV then its a coup. especially when he says the president is “safe and sound”. #Zimbabwehttps://t.co/7olxG9DdLU
once you get the guy in uniform on the TV then its a coup. especially when he says the president is “safe and sound”. #Zimbabwehttps://t.co/7olxG9DdLU
v clear that army in #zimbabwe moved to stop Grace and her clique. question is what happens once they’ve done that …. https://t.co/CBzYYmH5fI
v clear that army in #zimbabwe moved to stop Grace and her clique. question is what happens once they’ve done that …. https://t.co/CBzYYmH5fI
Reuters reports from Harare that soldiers and armoured vehicles have blocked access to government offices, the parliament building and the courts.
Reuters reports from Harare that soldiers and armoured vehicles have blocked access to government offices, the parliament building and the courts.
The Guardian has not yet been able to independently verify this.
The Guardian has not yet been able to independently verify this.
As Dewa Mavhinga, Southern Africa director of Human Rights Watch, notes, Wednesday morning’s Zimbabwean newspapers are already out of date:
As Dewa Mavhinga, Southern Africa director of Human Rights Watch, notes, Wednesday morning’s Zimbabwean newspapers are already out of date:
#Zimbabwe state paper @HeraldZimbabwe headline this morning quickly overtaken by events in last few hours pic.twitter.com/NQweSJqzCe
#Zimbabwe state paper @HeraldZimbabwe headline this morning quickly overtaken by events in last few hours pic.twitter.com/NQweSJqzCe
He adds:
He adds:
Quiet on the streets, business as usual, but all ZBC TV programming is military - Chiwenga statement on repeat
Quiet on the streets, business as usual, but all ZBC TV programming is military - Chiwenga statement on repeat
“Chiwenga statement” would appear to refer to the warning issued by army chief Constantino Chiwenga on Monday – which was not carried by ZBC, the state broadcaster at the time – that troops would intervene if the purge of Zanu-PF officials did not halt.
“Chiwenga statement” would appear to refer to the warning issued by army chief Constantino Chiwenga on Monday – which was not carried by ZBC, the state broadcaster at the time – that troops would intervene if the purge of Zanu-PF officials did not halt.
Ignatius Chombo, the finance minister reportedly detained by the army overnight, is a prominent member of the G40 faction within the ruling Zanu-PF party. This faction, fronted by Grace Mugabe, wife of the president, opposed Emmerson Mnangagwa, the vice-president sacked by Robert Mugabe last week.
Ignatius Chombo, the finance minister reportedly detained by the army overnight, is a prominent member of the G40 faction within the ruling Zanu-PF party. This faction, fronted by Grace Mugabe, wife of the president, opposed Emmerson Mnangagwa, the vice-president sacked by Robert Mugabe last week.
Some observers say this action by the military could be an attempt to curb the influence of the G40 and particularly of Grace Mugabe and her ambitions for the presidency.
Some observers say this action by the military could be an attempt to curb the influence of the G40 and particularly of Grace Mugabe and her ambitions for the presidency.
Reuters reports, citing an unnamed government source, that finance minister Ignatius Chombo is among those detained by the army.
Reuters reports, citing an unnamed government source, that finance minister Ignatius Chombo is among those detained by the army.
Chombo, formerly home affairs minister, was moved to the finance role in October.
Chombo, formerly home affairs minister, was moved to the finance role in October.
You can read the full statement from the military – issued after troops took over state broadcaster ZBC – here:
You can read the full statement from the military – issued after troops took over state broadcaster ZBC – here:
There has so far been no statement or appearance from Robert Mugabe – it’s currently just after 6am in Harare.
The military spokesman who read the statement has been identified as Major General SB Moyo.
The military broadcast instructed all members of the defence forces that “all leave is cancelled” and they are to “return to … barracks with immediate effect”:
We call upon all the war veterans to play a positive role in ensuring peace, stability and unity in the country.
To members of the Zimbabwe defence forces, all leave is cancelled and you are all to return to your barracks with immediate effect.
To the other security forces we urge you to cooperate for the good of our country.
Let it be clear we intend to address the human security threats in our country. Therefore any provocation will be met with an appropriate response.
‘Statement from the Zimbabwe Defence Forces’: https://t.co/Gzcz54NEwY pic.twitter.com/DKJIqmCRrk
We have more of the statement from the military spokesman that was put out via the state broadcaster earlier on Wednesday, which insisted steps were being taken to target “criminals” around Mugabe:
To the judiciary, the measures underway are intended to ensure that as an independent arm of the state you are able to exercise your independent authority without fear of being obstructed, as has been the case with this group of individuals.
To our members of parliament, your legislative role is of paramount importance, of peace and stability in this country, and it is our desire that a dispensation is created that allows you to serve your respective political constituencies according to democratic tenets.
To the generality of the people of Zimbabwe, we urge you to remain calm and limit unnecessary movement.
However, we encourage those who are employed and those with essential business in the city to continue their normal activities as usual. Our wish is that you will enjoy your rights and freedoms and that we return our country to a dispensation that allows for investment, development and prosperity that we all fought for and for which many of our citizens paid the supreme sacrifice.
To political parties, we urge you to discourage your members from engaging in violent behaviour. To the youth, we call upon you to realise that the future of this country is yours. Do not be enticed with the dirty coins of silver, be disciplined and remain committed to the efforts and values of this great nation.
To all churches and religious organisations in Zimbabwe we call upon your congregations to pray for our country and preach the gospel of love, peace and unity and development.
To both our people and the world beyond our borders, we wish to make this abundantly clear this is not a military takeover of government.
What Zimbabwe defence forces is doing is to pacify a degenerating political, social and economic situation in our country.
Who is Grace Mugabe and why is she controversial?
Grace Mugabe is the 52-year-old first lady of Zimbabwe. Born in South Africa, she married Robert Mugabe, 40 years her senior, in 1996. Initially struggling to emerge from the shadows of the president’s popular first wife, Sally, who died in 1992, Mugabe appeared by her husband’s side for official functions but rarely got involved in politics herself, focusing publicly on her charity work while gaining a reputation for legendary shopping expeditions.
In 2009 a British photographer alleged that she punched him repeatedly in the face when he tried to take a picture of her in Hong Kong. She has since been implicated in several incidents outside Zimbabwe: in Singapore, in Malaysia and most recently in South Africa, where she allegedly assaulted a model in August.
The unveiling of Grace Mugabe as a potential successor to her husband began in 2014, when she became head of the ruling party’s women’s league and the state propaganda machine began talking up her political acumen.
Her path to power received an enormous boost on 6 November when her main rival, the vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa, was fired. The feud between Mugabe and Mnangagwa had been bitter – in October she publicly denied poisoning him after he fell ill at a rally in August.
The military statement issued via state broadcaster Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) in the early hours of Wednesday began:
Good morning Zimbabwe.
Fellow Zimbabweans, following the address we made on 13 November 2017, which we believe our main broadcaster Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation and the Herald were directed not to publicise, the situation in our country has moved to another level.
Firstly we wish to assure our nation, His Excellency the president of the republic of Zimbabwe and commander-in-chief of the 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.
Tension has been building within Zimbabwe since Mugabe last week fired Emmerson Mnangagwa as vice-president, accusing him of plotting to take power from the 93-year-old president.
But Mugabe’s critics saw the sacking as part of a plan to ensure that Grace Mugabe, the president’s wife, could become vice-president and, ultimately, succeed her husband as ruler.
Mnangagwa, who has now fled Zimbabwe, was backed by the military, and on Monday army commander Constantino Chiwenga condemned the ongoing purges of senior officials within the ruling Zanu-PF party, saying they must end “forthwith”:
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.”
That statement on Monday was not reported on by the state-run broadcaster.
A military spokesman, appearing on ZBC some hours after reports that troops had taken control of the state broadcaster, insisted the safety of Mugabe and his family was “guaranteed”:
We are only targeting criminals around who him who are committing crimes that are causing social and economic suffering in the country in order to bring them to justice.
The spokesman said the army had intervened
to pacify a destabilising situation, to remedy the country’s suffering.
Once this was achieved, he said, the “situation will return to normalcy”.
He insisted “this is not a military takeover”, but it remains unclear what action troops are taken and whether “normalcy” includes Mugabe retaining his long grip on power.
Earlier there were reports of multiple explosions in Harare, and news that military personnel had seized control of state broadcaster and principal Mugabe mouthpiece ZBC.
Amid mounting uncertainty about whether a coup was about to take place, the US and UK embassies in Zimbabwe advised their citizens to shelter at home:
Due to the uncertain situation in Harare, incl. reports of unusual military activity, we advise British nationals in the city to stay safely at home/indoors until the situation becomes clearer. Monitor this account for updates.
After a day in which military vehicles were witnessed rolling into the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, an army spokesman has appeared on state broadcaster ZBC in the early hours of Wednesday morning to declare it had taken charge.
The statement denied a coup had taken place:
This is not a military takeover.
The spokesman said President Robert Mugabe and his family were “safe and sound” and that their safety would be guaranteed.
The army was, he added, “targeting criminals around him”.
Mugabe, the only leader Zimbabwe has known in 37 years of independence, shocked the country earlier this month when he sacked powerful vice-president, Emmerson Mnangagwa.
On Monday, Gen Constantine Chiwenga, the head of Zimbabwe’s military, called a press conference to warn that troops could intervene if long-term political allies continued to suffer.
We will have all the latest developments here as they happen.
