Speaking to journalists at his Blue Roof residence in Borrowdale in Harare, Zimbabwe’s former Head of State Robert Mugabe claimed the military intervention in November last year was a bloody coup.
Also Read:
-
Opposition, Activists Must Work With NPF, It Has A Credible Plan To Reverse The Coup: Zhuwao
-
Moyo Says CIO Officer Was Killed During Military Intervention, Disputes That It Was Bloodless
Mugabe said members of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) were bashed by members of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA). He said some members of the CIO are missing to this day, suggesting that the army abducted or killed them. Said Mugabe:
The army made sure that the other organs of State were nuetralised. Completely nuetralised. They nuetralised the Central Intelligence Organisation. Many of whose members were bashed with heads cracked and this is not an exaggeration. Some of them are missing to this day. Their guns were taken away from them. The police had their armory completely emptied. Their guns had gone, disappeared. Who had taken them?-The army. And then in our environment, rolled what we never knew we hadsome tanks. If we had these tanks I was told they are ancient ones. 1914 to 1918 tanks. T63 or 60-something. There they were rolling, amoured cars running and people not allowed to move from one place to another unless they got the permission of the army. Searches were taking place left, right and center. Persons being arrested. It was truly a military takeover. There was no movement permissible unless that movement was checked and allowed by the army. That is what it was. I would not know what you would want to call it.
Former Higher Education Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo said Mnangagwa and his deputy Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, are fully aware that Peter Munetsi, the District Intelligence Officer for Harare was killed “in their bloody coup.”
In December last year, the African Union (AU) said that the military takeover codenamed Operation Restore Legacy by the Zimbabwe Defence Forces in November was not a coup. The AU chose to describe the military’s takeover of power as “dialogue between the leadership of the country.” The AU also said that it was not going to take any action Zimbabwe because of the events which occured in November.