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Zimbabwe Situation Unclear After Military Seizes Control

The situation on Thursday morning in Zimbabwe was still uncertain after Wednesday’s surprise move by the army to place President Robert Mugabe and his wife, Grace, under house arrest, triggering speculation of a military coup.

This comes after the Zimbabwean military seized power and took control of the state-controlled TV station in what the army called a targeted operation against “criminals” in the entourage of Mugabe, who has ruled the southern African nation for almost four decades.

Reuters reported that it was not clear whether the apparent military coup would bring a formal end to the 93-year-old Mugabe’s rule.

However, the main goal of the generals appeared to be preventing Mugabe’s wife Grace, 41 years his junior, from succeeding him.

Reuters stated that local media reported South Africa’s defense and state security ministers, dispatched by South Africa’s 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 on Thursday.

Their ultimate goal was not clear.

Zuma earlier called for “calm and restraint” and asked the defense forces “to ensure that peace and stability are not undermined in Zimbabwe,” South Africa’s neighbor, which has lurched from crisis to crisis over the past two decades.

On Wednesday night however, a military spokesman called on Harare residents to stay indoors and off the streets. This while army tanks and personnel patrolled the capital.

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

Reuters reported that 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 countries.

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 army generals believed that move was aimed at clearing a path for Grace Mugabe, his wife, 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 overnight and early Thursday.

Reuters stated that 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.

Zimbabwe Situation Unclear After Military Seizes Control

As military tanks patrolled Harare overnight Wednesday and Thursday morning, President Robert Mugabe and his wife remain under house arrest after army takes control.

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The situation on Thursday morning in Zimbabwe was still uncertain after Wednesday’s surprise move by the army to place President Robert Mugabe and his wife, Grace, under house arrest, triggering speculation of a military coup.

This comes after the Zimbabwean military seized power and took control of the state-controlled TV station in what the army called a targeted operation against “criminals” in the entourage of Mugabe, who has ruled the southern African nation for almost four decades.

Reuters reported that it was not clear whether the apparent military coup would bring a formal end to the 93-year-old Mugabe’s rule.

However, the main goal of the generals appeared to be preventing Mugabe’s wife Grace, 41 years his junior, from succeeding him.

Reuters stated that local media reported South Africa’s defense and state security ministers, dispatched by South Africa’s 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 on Thursday.

Their ultimate goal was not clear.

Zuma earlier called for “calm and restraint” and asked the defense forces “to ensure that peace and stability are not undermined in Zimbabwe,” South Africa’s neighbor, which has lurched from crisis to crisis over the past two decades.

On Wednesday night however, a military spokesman called on Harare residents to stay indoors and off the streets. This while army tanks and personnel patrolled the capital.

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

Reuters reported that 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 countries.

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 army generals believed that move was aimed at clearing a path for Grace Mugabe, his wife, 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 overnight and early Thursday.

Reuters stated that 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.

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