HARARE: Grace Mugabe, the wife of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, is reported to have fled the country after the military placed them under house arrest.
Grace is said to be in Namibia now, but it is unclear how she was able to give the slip to the army while in detention in the southern African country’s capital, Harare.
South African President Jacob Zuma said he spoke with Mugabe, who was “fine” but is still confined to his home.
The military has denied it carried out a coup, but seized control to stop “criminals surrounding the president” from taking over.
After taking control of the national state broadcaster — Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) — Maj. Gen. Sibusiso Moyo addressed the nation early Wednesday and said the military is targeting “criminals” around Mugabe, and sought to reassure the country that order will be restored.
These criminals are committing crimes that are causing social and economic suffering and justified the action “in order to bring them to justice.”
“As soon as we have accomplished our mission, we expect that the situation will return to normalcy.” The army spokesman urged other security forces to “cooperate for the good of our country,” warning that “any provocation will be met with an appropriate response,” he said.
Armed soldiers in armored personnel carriers were stationed at key points in Harare and soldiers patrolled the capital’s streets as explosions were heard in the city.
Though the military did not make it clear if it would bring a formal end to Mugabe’s rule, the war veterans who have backed the army action said the military will return Zimbabwe to “genuine democracy” and make the country a “modern model nation.”
Chris Mutsvangwa, chairman of the war veterans’ association, told The Associated Press in Johannesburg that it was “a bloodless correction of gross abuse of power.”
Reacting on the developments, Britain has expressed cautious optimism but warned against any transition “from one unelected tyrant to the next”.
“The situation is still fluid, and we would urge restraint on all sides because we want to see and we would call for an avoidance of violence,” Prime Minister Theresa May told MPs.
France said it was closely following events in Zimbabwe and stressed respect for constitutional law after the southern African country’s military seized power early on Wednesday.
“We reiterate our attachment to constitutional law and respect of the legitimate aspirations of the Zimbabwean people,” French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Agnes Romatet-Espagne said during a daily media briefing.