Loud explosions and the sound of gunfire crackling in the elite neighborhood of Borrowdale throughout the night heightened fears that a military crackdown was underway.
Several sources told TimesLIVE that the military had arrested the leading figures of the so-called G40 faction in the ruling Zanu-PF‚ led by First Lady Grace Mugabe.
Sources said those arrested included higher education minister Jonathan Moyo‚ local government minister Saviour Kasukuwere and finance minister Ignatius Chombo.
The military said in a statement that President Robert Mugabe was “safe and sound”. This came after armed personnel first began moving military vehicles into Harare on Tuesday.
The state broadcaster‚ the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation in Pocket Hills in Harare‚ was seized by the military at 4 am.
Army spokesperson Major General Sibusiso Moyo announced that the military was now in charge for the purpose of ensuring that it dealt with the “criminals” that had surrounded Mugabe.
“We are only targeting criminals around him [Mugabe] who are committing crimes that are causing social and economic suffering in the country in order to bring them to justice‚,” Moyo said.