The Zimbabwe Republic Police’s Support Unit, colloquially known as the “black boots” is reported to have attempted to arrest Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) Commander General Constantino Chiwenga when he returned from China on Sunday. The attempted arrest took place at the Robert Mugabe International Airport and is reported to have triggered the military’s seizure of power.
According to weekly publication, The Independent, the team from the Support Unit was disarmed and defeated by soldiers who had been deployed to safeguard Chiwenga, as Military Intelligence was aware of the plot.
A source who spoke to The Independent said:
The political fallout escalated when the police were given instructions to arrest Chiwenga on arrival at the airport. A team was deployed to arrest him, but Chiwenga had been informed of the plan by military intelligence.
The military contemplated landing in Lusaka and driving from Zambia to avoid arrest, among other options, before eventually settling on flying straight into Harare.
When Chiwenga came, a team of soldiers dressed in National Handling Service (NHS) uniforms got inside the airport, while police positioned themselves to seize him. The soldiers reacted and disarmed them. The soldiers took off the NHS uniforms, revealing their camouflage fatigues, resulting in the police officers fleeing.
ZRP Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri is reported to be in military custody, but there has been no independent verification.
More: The Independent
Thanks for the info, this is blatant criminality …
And their falling for it.
African union treaty is dead, just like nato …
Interesting that China is involved in this power play begin to understand how the Chinese treat their own peasants and begin to understand what that means to be a Zimbabwean if the future
If that does not make you afraid it should
Mugabe turned us into starving slaves you moron. At least peasants have a modicum of freedom
but surprisingly Chihuri swore as commissioner of police today why not arresting him
Mugabe must be arrested
useless police needs to be closed down
It does not matter who is in power China is z big economic power and they grew their economy from abject poverty cause by Mao Dze Dong who was a friend to nationalist like Mugabe but left his people in abject poverty but the first Arms to wage the liberation struggle were supplied by China signed for by the late Ndabaningi Sithole soChinese have been friends for a long time check your history
Look at the sequence of events from when Ndaba Sithole was given arms to fight the oppressor. We are in the worst scenario while Chinese economy is booming and ours is plunging. Something is wrong inbetween and everyone has the same answer to that.
The inability to arrest the person who gave orders to the police.
The inability to arrest who gave orders to Chombo to demand money from RBZ governor to pay assassins. That leaves Zimbabweans with a lot to think about someone’s competency to lead the people of Zimbabwe. Tipei muone, “Chamisa clause”. Within 2 days the Judiciary, Independent of Party affiliate, would be inundated with indictments on their desks. Evidence hobhoo!!!
That’s where the Presidential powers comes in, to pardon or otherwise.
It’s unfortunate to leave the office of the President, under any circumstances, without having exercised one.
That’s setting precedent and deal with corruption once and for all.