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[webfact]

Soldiers on Harare streets as ruling party accuses Zimbabwe army chief of treason

By MacDonald Dzirutwe

 

Soldiers stand beside military vehicles just outside Harare, Zimbabwe, November 14, 2017. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo

 

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's ruling party accused the head of the armed forces of treason on Tuesday as troops took up positions around the capital in an escalation of a dispute with 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe over political succession.

 

Just 24 hours after military chief General Constantino Chiwenga threatened to intervene to end a purge in the ruling party, a Reuters reporter saw six armoured personnel carriers on major thoroughfares on the outskirts of the capital.

 

Aggressive soldiers directing traffic told passing cars to keep moving through the darkness.

 

"Don't try anything funny. Just go," one soldier said on Harare Drive.

 

The presence of troops, including the movement of at least six armoured personnel carriers from a barracks northwest of Harare, sparked rumours of coup against Mugabe, although there was no evidence to suggest Zimbabwe's leader of the last 37 years had been toppled.

 

The lead item on the ZBC state broadcaster's evening news bulletin was an anti-military rally by the youth wing of Mugabe's ZANU-PF party.

 

The Southern African nation has been on edge since Monday when Chiwenga, Commander of Zimbabwe Defence Forces, said he was prepared to "step in" to end a purge of supporters of a sacked vice president.

 

The unprecedented statement represents an escalation of a rumbling political struggle over who will succeed Mugabe, who has been in power since the country gained independence from Britain in 1980.

 

Mugabe chaired a weekly cabinet meeting in the capital on Tuesday. Afterwards, ZANU-PF said it stood by the "primacy of politics over the gun" and accused Chiwenga of "treasonable conduct... meant to incite insurrection."

 

Mugabe fired Vice President Emerson Mnangagwa last week. The veteran of the 1970s liberation war was popular with the military and had been seen as a likely successor to Mugabe.

 

The army views his removal as part of a purge of independence-era figures to pave the way for Mugabe to hand power to his wife Grace Mugabe.

 

A Reuters witness saw two armoured vehicles parked beside the main road from Harare to Chinhoyi, about 20 km (14 miles) from the city. One, which was pointed in the direction of the capital, had come off its tracks.

 

Witnesses said they saw four armoured vehicles turn before reaching Harare and head towards the Presidential Guard compound in a suburb on the outskirts of Harare.

 

"There were about four tanks and they turned right here, you can see markings on the road," one witness on the Chinhoyi highway said, referring to the armoured vehicles. He pointed to a road that links to the guard compound.

 

The troop movements raise tension on a continent where for decades armies regularly overthrew civilian governments.

 

"DEFENDING OUR REVOLUTION"

 

Neither the president nor his wife responded in public to the general's remarks and state media did not publish Chiwenga's statement. The Herald newspaper posted some of the comments on its Twitter page but deleted them.

 

The head of ZANU-PF's youth wing accused the army chief of subverting the constitution. Grace Mugabe has developed a strong following in the powerful youth wing.

 

"Defending the revolution and our leader and president is an ideal we live for and if need be it is a principle we are prepared to die for," Kudzai Chipanga, who leads the ZANU-PF Youth League, said at the party's headquarters in Harare.

 

Grace Mugabe's rise has brought her into conflict with the independence-era war veterans, who once enjoyed a privileged role in the ruling party under Mugabe, but who have in recent years been banished from senior government and party roles.

 

Decades ago, Zimbabwe had one of Africa's promising economies due in part to its agricultural exports.

 

The country is currently struggling to pay for imports due to a dollar crunch, which is also sparking rampant inflation only 10 years after it suffered a financial implosion caused when the central bank began to print money.

 

Martin Rupiya, an expert on Zimbabwe military affairs at the University of South Africa in Pretoria, said the army appeared to be putting the squeeze on Mugabe.

 

"There's a rupture between the executive and the armed forces," Rupiya said.

 

Alex Magaisa, a British-based Zimbabwean academic said it was premature to talk about a coup.

 

"A military coup is the nuclear option. A coup would be a very hard sell at home and in the international community. They will want to avoid that," Magaisa said.

 

(Additional reporting by Ed Cropley, James Macharia and Joe Brock in Johannesburg; Writing by James Macharia; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-11-15

[observer90210]

There we go again !....in fact it was a bit strange that there were no coups lately reported in the Continent !.....the dealers in military toys should start to line up !!

Edited November 15, 2017 by observer90210

[webfact]

Tanks seen near Zimbabwe capital but streets calm as political tensions rise

By MacDonald Dzirutwe

 

Soldiers stand beside military vehicles just outside Harare, Zimbabwe November 14, 2017. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo

 

HARARE (Reuters) - Armoured vehicles were seen heading towards Harare but the streets of the Zimbabwe capital remained calm, a day after the armed forces chief said he was prepared to "step in" to end a purge of supporters of a vice president sacked last week.

 

A Reuters witness saw two tanks parked beside the main road from Harare to Chinhoyi, about 20 km (14 miles) from the city. One, which was pointed in the direction of the capital, had come off its tracks.

 

Business continued normally inside the capital and there was no sign of a major military presence on the streets. Hours after the tanks were spotted, state media carried no extraordinary reports. Government officials could not be reached for comment.

 

Witnesses said they saw four armoured vehicles turn before reaching Harare, heading towards the Presidential Guard compound in a suburb called Dzivarasekwa on the outskirts of Harare.

 

"There were about four tanks and they turned right here, you can see markings on the road," one witness on the Chinhoyi highway said pointing to a road that links up to the Presidential Guard compound that houses the battalion that protects President Robert Mugabe.

 

Mugabe, the only leader Zimbabwe has known in 37 years of independence, chaired a weekly cabinet meeting in the capital.

 

In an unprecedented step, the head of the armed forces, Constantino Chiwenga, openly threatened to intervene in politics on Monday, a week after Mugabe fired Vice President Emerson Mnangagwa, long seen as 93-year-old Mugabe's likely successor.

 

Mnangagwa, a veteran of Zimbabwe's 1970s liberation wars, was popular with the military, which viewed his removal as part of a purge of independence-era figures to pave the way for Mugabe to hand power to his wife Grace, 52.

 

"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," Chiwenga said in a statement read to reporters at a news conference packed with top brass on Monday.

 

Grace Mugabe has developed a strong following in the powerful youth wing of the ruling party. Her rise has brought her into conflict with the independence-era war veterans, who once enjoyed a privileged role in the ruling party under Mugabe, but who have increasingly been banished from senior government and party roles in recent years.

 

Neither the president nor his wife responded immediately to the general's remarks, but on Tuesday the head of ZANU-PF's youth wing accused the army chief of subverting the constitution.

 

"Defending the revolution and our leader and president is an ideal we live for and if need be it is a principle we are prepared to die for," Kudzai Chipanga, who leads the ZANU-PF Youth League, said at the party's headquarters in Harare.

 

RISING TENSION

 

The rising political tension in the southern African country comes at a time when it is struggling to pay for imports due to a dollar crunch, which has also caused acute cash shortages.

 

Zimbabwe's state media refrained from publishing Chiwenga's statement. The Herald newspaper, which had initially posted some of Chiwenga's comments on its official Twitter page on Monday, deleted the posts without explanation.

 

A senior South African diplomat said Pretoria had scrambled its officials in Harare to try to find out what was going on, but at the moment they had little conclusive information.

 

Martin Rupiya, an expert on Zimbabwe military affairs at the University of South Africa in Pretoria, said the army appeared to be putting the squeeze on Mugabe.

 

"There’s a rupture between the executive and the armed forces," Rupiya said.

 

Alex Magaisa, a British-based Zimbabwean academic said it was premature to talk about a coup.

 

"A military coup is the nuclear option. A coup would be a very hard sell at home and in the international community. They will want to avoid that," Magaisa said.

 

(Additional reporting by Ed Cropley and Joe Brock in Johannesburg; Writing by James Macharia; Editing by Peter Graff)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-11-15

[Baerboxer]

Should've let the South Africans prosecute Grace Mugabe for the serious assault she allegedly carried out whilst on a private visit.

 

Another example of a corrupt family trying to create their own personal fiefdom and plunder a nation.

[webfact]

Zimbabwe army says takes power, Mugabe "safe and sound"

 

Soldiers stand beside military vehicles just outside Harare,Zimbabwe,November 14,2017. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo

 

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's military on Wednesday confirmed that it had seized power in a targeted assault on "criminals" around President Robert Mugabe, but gave assurances that the 93-year-old leader and his family were "safe and sound".

 

In a short broadcast on national television, which was seized overnight by soldiers, a spokesman for the military said it expected "normalcy" to return as soon as it had completed its "mission".

 

(Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Writing by Ed Cropley; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-11-15

[craigt3365]

4 hours ago, observer90210 said:

There we go again !....in fact it was a bit strange that there were no coups lately reported in the Continent !.....the dealers in military toys should start to line up !!

Nice conspiracy theory.  How about show some concern for the innocent civilians caught up in this.

 

Time for the dictator Mugabe to go.

[Enoon]

 

 

4 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

Nice conspiracy theory.  How about show some concern for the innocent civilians caught up in this.

 

Time for the dictator Mugabe to go.

 

Only to be replaced by a new name to join this list?:

http://www.conservapedia.com/List_of_dictators#Africa

 

 

Edited November 15, 2017 by Enoon

[dexterm]

Good news if it is the beginning of the end of the Mugabe dictatorship.

 

Hope it isn't a case of out of the frying pan into the fire for the long suffering people of Zimbabwe.

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

4 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

Should've let the South Africans prosecute Grace Mugabe for the serious assault she allegedly carried out whilst on a private visit.

 

Another example of a corrupt family trying to create their own personal fiefdom and plunder a nation.

Go back a little bit to the 200 000 plus people he murdered just after he came into power. The west and the rest ignored this genocide. Karma.

[Basil B]

Unfortunately I do not see this as the end Zimbabwe's problems, this will be a fight among the corrupt for power, no chance for real democracy with too many corrupt snouts in the trough. 

[craigt3365]

http://money.cnn.com/2017/11/15/news/economy/zimbabwe-economy-robert-mugabe-history/index.html

 

Quote

 

How Robert Mugabe killed one of Africa's richest economies

 

Zimbabwe was once the bread basket of Africa. But it's been slammed by industrial mismanagement, food shortages, a collapsed currency and rampant corruption.

Military leaders have seized control of the country in an apparent coup, deploying tanks in the capital city of Harare and placing 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe under house arrest.

 

Amazing some on this forum actually like this guy!  And used his picture for their avatar. LOL

[Stargeezr]

I guess Bob will be one of the oldest dictators to be retired without losing his life in the process.    It would be nice to see Miss Grace do jail time, but shes likely flew the coup. or escaped to places unknown.

Geezer

[wakeupplease]

35 minutes ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

I guess Bob will be one of the oldest dictators to be retired without losing his life in the process.    It would be nice to see Miss Grace do jail time, but shes likely flew the coup. or escaped to places unknown.

Geezer

The latest report puts her there in the compound alongside the evil. I remember those meeting in the early days and he came across as a right thug with some of the met boys who had to guard him.

[steven100]

This guy was a vile dictator ..... the sooner they assasinate him the better .....

[nausea]

2 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

Amazing some on this forum actually like this guy!  And used his picture for their avatar. LOL

At 90+ I suppose he represents a certain attitude or role model for older guys; and he was, until recently, thriving; age gets to us all. I wonder what the younger revolutionary Mugabe would think of the Mugabe today.

Edited November 17, 2017 by nausea
More info.

[Rimmer]

Multiple off topic posts and replies about Burma? Have been removed