Zimbabwe’s army yesterday said it has Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his wife in custody, and was securing government offices and patrolling the capital’s streets following a night of unrest that included a military takeover of the state broadcaster.
The night’s action triggered speculation of a coup, but the military’s supporters praised it as a “bloodless correction.”
South African President Jacob Zuma said he spoke with Mugabe, who was “fine,” but confined to his home.
Photo: AFP
For the first time, the southern African nation is seeing the military oppose the 93-year-old Mugabe, the world’s oldest head of state and one of the longest-serving authoritarian rulers.
Mugabe has been in power since Zimbabwe’s independence from white minority rule in 1980.
The whiplash developments followed Mugabe’s firing of his deputy, which had appeared to position the first lady, Grace Mugabe, to replace Emmerson Mnangagwa as one of the nation’s two vice presidents at a party conference next month, but the first lady has proved unpopular among some Zimbabweans and Mnangagwa had significant support from the military.
It was not clear where Mnangagwa was, as he fled the nation last week, citing threats to him and his family.
Armed soldiers in armored personnel carriers stationed themselves at key points in Harare, while Zimbabweans formed long lines at banks to draw out the limited cash available, a routine chore in the nation’s ongoing financial crisis.
People looked at their smartphones to read about the army takeover, and others went to work or to shops.
In an address to the nation after taking control of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corp, Major General Sibusiso Moyo early yesterday said the military is targeting “criminals” around Mugabe and sought to reassure the nation that order would be restored.
Mugabe and his wife appeared to be in the custody of the military.
“Their security is guaranteed,” Moyo said. “We wish to make it abundantly clear that this is not a military takeover. We are only targeting criminals around [Mugabe] 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,” he added.
The army spokesman called on churches to pray for the nation.
He urged other security forces to “cooperate for the good of our country,” warning that “any provocation will be met with an appropriate response.”
All troops were ordered to return to barracks immediately, with all leave canceled, Moyo said.
Zuma said he was sending his ministers of defense and state security to Zimbabwe to meet with Mugabe and the military.
He said he hopes Zimbabwe’s army would respect the constitution and that the situation “is going to be controlled.”
The military actions appear to put Zimbabwe’s army in control.
The US embassy yesterday closed to the public and encouraged citizens to shelter in place, citing “the ongoing political uncertainty through the night.”
The British embassy issued a similar warning, citing “reports of unusual military activity.”
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
LANDSLIDES POSSIBLE: The agency advised the public to avoid visiting mountainous regions due to more expected aftershocks and rainfall from a series of weather fronts A series of earthquakes over the past few days were likely aftershocks of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien County, with further aftershocks to be expected for up to a year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Based on the nation’s experience after the quake on Sept. 21, 1999, more aftershocks are possible over the next six months to a year, the agency said. A total of 103 earthquakes of magnitude 4 on the local magnitude scale or higher hit Hualien County from 5:08pm on Monday to 10:27am yesterday, with 27 of them exceeding magnitude 5. They included two, of magnitude
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique