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Zimbabwe on knife's edge after military seizes power

By Cris Chinaka

 

Military vehicles and soldiers patrol the streets in Harare, Zimbabwe. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo

 

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe was on a knife's edge on Thursday after the military seized power in what it dubbed a targeted operation against "criminals" in the entourage of President Robert Mugabe, who has ruled the southern African nation for almost four decades.

 

It was not clear whether the apparent military coup would bring a formal end to the 93-year-old Mugabe's rule. The main goal of the generals appeared to be preventing Mugabe's wife Grace, 41 years his junior, from succeeding him.

 

Local media reported South Africa's defence and state security ministers, dispatched by President Jacob Zuma as regional envoys, arrived in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, on Wednesday night and were expected to meet both Mugabe and the military. Their ultimate goal was not clear.

 

Zuma earlier called for "calm and restraint" and asked the defence forces "to ensure that peace and stability are not undermined in Zimbabwe," South Africa's neighbour, which has lurched from crisis to crisis over the past two decades.

 

The South African presidency said Mugabe had told Zuma over the phone that he was confined to his home but was otherwise fine and the military said it was keeping him and his family safe.

 

Mugabe, still seen by many Africans as a liberation hero, is reviled in the West as a despot whose disastrous handling of the economy and willingness to resort to violence to maintain power destroyed one of Africa's most promising states.

 

He plunged Zimbabwe into a fresh political crisis last week by firing his vice president and presumed successor, Emmerson Mnangagwa, 75 - known as the "crocodile" - for showing "traits of disloyalty".

 

The generals believed that move was aimed at clearing a path for Grace Mugabe to take over and said on Monday they were prepared to "step in" if purges of their allies did not end.

 

Tanks blocked roads after dark and soldiers with automatic weapons kept up their patrols, but the situation appeared calm.

 

Whatever the final outcome, the events could signal a once-in-a-generation change for the former British colony, a regional breadbasket reduced to destitution by economic policies Mugabe's critics have long blamed on him.

 

(Reporting by Cris Chinaka; Writing by Ed Stoddard; Editing by Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-11-16

[worgeordie]

About time to remove the old bastard,who has caused so much suffering to Zimbabwe people, just hope he's not replaced with a  more evil bastard.

regards worgeordie

[Grouse]

The WHO must be devastated 

[arithai12]

5 hours ago, worgeordie said:

About time to remove the old bastard,who has caused so much suffering

to Zimbabwe people,just hope he's not replaced with a more evil bastard.

regards worgeordie

If the intention had been to remove Mugabe, it comes certainly very very late, the guy has ruined the country for 35+ years and will go back to his maker very soon anyway. The point was to stop the wife from becoming the next president, and I am surely glad if she doesn't.

Sorry to ruin your hopes, but this means that the Crocodile will be the next in charge as originally planned and seeing as he was a close associate of Mugabe for decades I am not sure that this bodes much improvement for the country.

[Anythingleft?]

Going off the information around about the new guy "crocodile" it may not be much of a step in the right direction for the country.
Just another bank account to fill up and bleed everything out of the nation that they can. His previous tactics seem pretty brutal to say the least

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

[the guest]

Should have removed this Baboon years ago. 

[craigt3365]

He's gone!!!!

 

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/16/africa/zimbabwe-unrest/index.html

Mugabe's exit is 'a done deal' but Zimbabwe is still in limbo

[Baerboxer]

9 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

He's gone!!!!

 

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/16/africa/zimbabwe-unrest/index.html

Mugabe's exit is 'a done deal' but Zimbabwe is still in limbo

 

And not a day too soon! If anything Madam Grace would've been worse! Nasty piece of work by the look of it.

[Morch]

7 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

And not a day too soon! If anything Madam Grace would've been worse! Nasty piece of work by the look of it.

 

"... 'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear..."

[ubonjoe]

A off topic post meant to derail the topic and the expected replies to it have been removed.

[wabothai]

7 hours ago, worgeordie said:

About time to remove the old bastard,who has caused so much suffering

to Zimbabwe people,just hope he's not replaced with a more evil bastard.

regards worgeordie

Ceausescu .......?

[metisdead]

Some more off topic posts and replies have been removed.