Zimbabwe’s army mounts a coup against Robert Mugabe

AS DAWN broke over Harare this morning residents looked out of their windows to see soldiers patrolling the streets. After a day and night of frayed nerves, with rumours of a coup and sightings of troop movements, the plotters struck. At 4:00am local time Zimbabwe’s generals appeared on television to say they had taken control of the country. Shots were heard from the neighbourhood housing the family of Robert Mugabe, the 93-year-old tyrant who is the only leader most Zimbabweans have known and who has ruled the country since its independence in 1980.

Appearing on state television in the early hours of Wednesday morning, Major-General Sibusiso Moyo said the action was “not a military takeover of government” but instead a temporary act to prevent conflict. Mr “Mugabe, and his family are safe and sound and their security is guaranteed,” he said. “We are only targeting criminals around him who are committing crimes that are causing social and economic suffering in the country ... As soon as we have accomplished our mission, we expect that the situation will return to normalcy.”