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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) | |
| The military in Zimbabwe appears to have taken control of the country’s airwaves amid high tension in the capital and reports of explosions and gunfire. | |
| After securing control of the state broadcaster, a military spokesman, Major General SB Moyo made a televised announcement early on Wednesday saying President Robert Mugabe and his family were “safe and sound and their security is guaranteed”. | |
| He said the army was targeting “criminals around” Mugabe, who were “committing crimes that are causing social and economic suffering in order to bring them to justice”. | |
| Insisting this was not a military takeover, Moyo said “as soon as they are done the situation will come to normalcy”. | |
| “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,” he said. | |
| Moyo said the army had acted because the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation had been ordered not to broadcast a statement from the military on Monday and “the situation in our country has moved to another level”. | |
| Cancelling all leave for members of the military, he urged the security forces to “cooperate for the good of our country”. He warned “any provocation will be met with an appropriate response”. | |
| Following the speech, Zimbabwe’s military detained finance minister Ignatius Chombo. Chombo was a leading member of the so-called ‘G40’ faction of the ruling Zanu-PF party, led by Mugabe’s wife Grace, that had been vying to succeed the 93-year-old president. | |
| The military statement followed hours of chaos in Harare, with witnesses reporting a number of loud explosions and armed forces assaulting passers-by. | |
| Read the full report here: | |
| Images from central Harare as morning breaks show tanks and troops on the streets around government buildings and the presidential residence. | |
| Jolyon Ford, a Zimbabwean law academic at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, tells the Guardian: | |
| There’s going to be people who say the generals have been wielding power since at least 2008 and now they are just overtly doing it. | |
| I would say that is wrong: they were loyal to the president and he was their protector. So this is a very significant change. | |
| To come in in this way, if they are united, is something quite new. | |
| The military has no loyalty to Grace Mugabe at all and is threatened by her because her influence comes from a younger generation of Zanu party politicians who were not involved in the liberation struggle and have a different set of networks. | |
| They are intervening because they fear another faction of the party – the wife and younger generation – is in the ascendancy. The senior-most military became very rich and they have a lot to lose if the regime changes. | |
| 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: | 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 | @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. | 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. | 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. | 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: | 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. | 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”. | 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”. | 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. | 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. | 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: |