Zimbabwe News: Coup Rumors Against Robert Mugabe Swirl As Military Enters Capital

In the early hours on Wednesday, Zimbabwe was in high tension as soldiers marched into the capital Harare and took control of the state broadcaster, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC). This incident took place after President Robert Mugabe’s ruling party ZANU-PF accused the chief of military, General Constantino Chiwenga, of treason.

Two ZBC staff members and a human rights worker witnessed army personnel take over ZBC early on Wednesday, Reuters reported. Some staff members were also manhandled but they were told that they “should not worry” by the soldiers, and that the military had arrived to protect the building. Shortly afterwards, soldiers told the staff to leave. Three massive explosions were heard in the capital soon after, the report said.

However, Zimbabwe’s spokesperson to South Africa, Isaac Moyo, denied the fact there was a possible coup attempt and said the government was “intact.”

Trouble in the south African country began when Chiwenga confronted Mugabe over the latter's dismissal of Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The general reportedly said the army would be prepared to end purges within the ruling party.

Mnangagwa — who was considered the frontrunner to succeed Mugabe as president — was fired by Mugabe under the accusation of disloyalty. With Mnangagwa out of the way, it was presumed that Mugabe’s 52-year-old wife Grace would succeed him.

“The current purging which is clearly targeting members of the party with a liberation background must stop forthwith,” Chiwenga said on Monday at a media conference which was attended by 90 army officials. “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,” he added.

However, on Tuesday, President Mugabe held a weekly cabinet meeting and the ruling party announced it believed in the “primacy of politics over a gun” and accused General Chiwenga of having a “treasonable conduct… which was meant to incite insurrection.”

“It is our country and future at stake and we will not let any individual military man interfere with the leader of the party and legitimately voted President of this country,” Kudzai Chipanga, leader of the Zanu-PF’s youth wing said on Tuesday, BBC reported.

In wake of the ongoing developments in the country, the United States embassy in Zimbabwe instructed its employees to stay in their homes till tomorrow. However, it also said in a tweet it will be monitoring the “situation closely.”

Similarly, the United Kingdom Foreign Office advised Britons in the Zimbabwean capital to remain in their homes until the situation stabilizes.