During his five-day ordeal, Tinotenda slept on a rocky ledge while lions roared nearby and elephants passed by, subsisting on wild fruit for food. Matusadona Game Park is known to host around 40 lions, and at one point, had one of the highest lion population densities in Africa, according to African Parks.

While the Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Management Authority confirmed the incident, they did not release additional details. Murombedzi stated that the boy relied on his knowledge of the wild and survival skills to stay alive.

Tinotenda managed to survive by eating wild fruits and also demonstrated a skill common in the drought-prone area: digging small wells in dry riverbeds to access water using a stick.

Members of the local Nyaminyami community formed a search party, beating drums each day to help guide Tinotenda back home. However, it was park rangers who ultimately found him.

On his fifth day in the wilderness, Tinotenda heard the sound of a ranger’s vehicle and ran toward it, narrowly missing the car. Fortunately, the rangers returned, followed “fresh little human footprints,” and continued searching until they located him.

“This was probably his last chance of being rescued after five days in the wilderness,” said Murombedzi.

The Matusadona Game Park spans over 1,470 sq km (570 sq miles) and is home to a variety of wildlife, including zebras, elephants, hippos, lions, and antelope.

The post Eight-Year-Old Boy Survives Five Days in Zimbabwe Game Park Full of Lions and Elephants first appeared on National Ambassador News.

About a week ago, Mukansanga made another history when she became the first female referee to be appointed  a fourth official in the game between Guinea and Malawi in Bafoussam.

She is experienced in officiating women’s football including the Women’s World Cup, Africa Women’s Cup of Nations, and the CAF Women’s Champions League.

The post HISTORY MAKER: First Female Referee Officiates AFCON match first appeared on National Ambassador News.

The head-to-head rule placed Guinea above Malawi despite both sides tied on the same four points.

Knowledge Musona and Kudakwashe Mahachi’s scored both goals for the Warriors of Zimbabwe before half-time.

Liverpool mid-fielder, Naby Keita pulled one back for the Guineans.

Rwanda’s Salima Mukansanga made history by becoming the first woman to referee a Nations Cup game.

The post AFCON: Guinea Reach Last 16 despite Falling to Zimbabwe first appeared on National Ambassador News.

The Flames of Malawi defeated the Warriors of Zimbabwe 2-1 to brighten their chances of progressing beyond the group stage.

Having lost their opening match to Senegal after Sadio Mane converted a last minute penalty, The Flames must win this second match to keep the hopes of qualifying alive, and they did it in style.

Gabadinho Mhango scored a brace after Ishmael Wadi’s header had given the Warriors of Zimbabwe the lead.

Their last group match will see Malawi take on Senegal while Zimbabwe will confront Guinea.

The post AFCON: Flames Consume Zimbabwe first appeared on National Ambassador News.

The Warriors lived up to their name and gave Senegal a good run for their money. They do not deserve to leave the pitch empty handed judging by their dogged effort from the blast of the whistle.

Zimbabwe will now hope to make amends when they take on Malawi on Friday while Senegal will hope to get their second three points when they take on Guinea the same day.

In yesterday’s second match, Cape Verde Island defeated ten men Ethiopia 1-0.

The post AFCON: Last Gasp Penalty Gives Senegal Victory first appeared on National Ambassador News.

The Yeni Malatyaspor defender has been unable to travel back to his Turkish base after the international break because he cannot get a new passport.

The 24-year-old ran out of pages in his passport and the government has run out of money to print new ones.

Thousands of Zimbabweans have been affected causing widespread anger and frustration.

The Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) has since intervened to try and expedite the process of getting him a new document.

“The Zimbabwe Football Association would like to categorically state that the Ministry of Youth, Sports, Art & Recreation and the Registrar General’s department have done their role in ensuring that Warrior Teenage Hadebe’s passport renewal is expedited in the least possible time,” Xolisani Gwesela an FA spokesperson said in a statement.

“The Warriors team manager, Mr Wellington Mpandare in liaison with the Zifa Secretariat has commenced the process.

“We are glad to state that Hadebe’s passport will be issued on 28 November 2019.

“We sincerely regret the inconveniences caused to Yeni Malatyaspor by Hadebe’s delayed return.

“Zifa is deeply grateful to the government for treating Hadebe’s case as a priority. On our part, we are also engaging Yeni Malatyaspor to ensure that we have lasting relations beyond the just concluded fixture.”

The former Kaizer Chiefs defender travelled to Zimbabwe during the international break to play for the Warriors against Botswana and Zambia in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

He played in both matches as Zimbabwe drew 0-0 against visiting Botswana and beat Zambia 2-1 in Lusaka.

Hadebe is a key member of the Warriors squad and represented the country at the recent Nations Cup tournament in Egypt.-BBC.

The post Zimbabwe’s Teenage Hadebe delays Turkey return with passport issue first appeared on National Ambassador News.

Zimbabwe electoral rule says a candidate needs to win 50 per cent plus one vote to clinch the presidency.

In the final result declared by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, Chamisa won 2,147,437 and Mnangagwa led with 2,460,463 .

Before the result of the last province of Mashonald West was added, Chamisa had 1,921,714 votes, while Mnangagwa got 2,147,628 votes.

Mashonaland West was the stronghold of former leader, Robert Mugabe, who urged voters on Sunday to snub Mnangagwa and other members of ZANU-PF as punishment for toppling his administration last November in a military coup.

The complete results are :

Manicaland Province

Nelson Chamisa MDC Alliance = 296, 429
Emmerson Mnangagwa Zanu PF = 292, 938

Midlands Province

Nelson Chamisa MDC Alliance = 255, 059
Emmerson Mnangagwa Zanu PF = 350, 754

Mashonaland Central Province

Nelson Chamisa MDC Alliance = 97, 097
Emmerson Mnangagwa Zanu PF = 366, 785

Matabeleland North Province

Nelson Chamisa MDC Alliance = 137, 611
Emmerson Mnangagwa Zanu PF = 111, 452

Bulawayo Province

Nelson Chamisa MDC Alliance = 144, 107
Emmerson Mnangagwa Zanu PF = 60, 168

Matabeland South Province

Nelson Chamisa MDC Alliance = 90, 292
Emmerson Mnangagwa Zanu PF = 107, 008

Mashonaland East Province

Nelson Chamisa = 189, 024
Emmerson Mnangagwa = 334, 617

Masvingo Province

Nelson Chamisa = 171, 196 votes
Emmerson Mnangagwa = 319, 073 votes

Harare Metropolitan Province

Nelson Chamisa = 548, 889 votes
Emmerson Mnangagwa = 202, 710 votes

The post Mnangagwa is Zimbabwean president first appeared on National Ambassador News.

A memorandum of the full EU council which met in Brussels on Monday and made available to ZimEye.com indicated  that the Union was happy and hopeful with the political and economic developments in Zimbabwe allowing them to consider lifting several measures put up against the country during former President Robert Mugabe’s rule.

The full memorandum from the Union secretariat reads as follows:

*Council of the
European Union
Brussels,

22 January 2018

(OR. en) 5169/18 COAFR 8 CFSP/PESC 19

OUTCOME OF PROCEEDINGS

From: General Secretariat of the Council

To: Delegations
No. prev. doc.: 5164/18

Subject: Zimbabwe
– Council conclusions (22 January 2018)

Delegations will find in the annex the Council conclusions on Zimbabwe, as adopted by the Council at its 3591st meeting held on 22 January 2018.

Council conclusions on Zimbabwe

1. The ongoing political transition in Zimbabwe creates high expectations among all
Zimbabweans. It can open the way to a full return to the Rule of Law, within a constitutional
framework and under civilian rule, allowing for the preparation and implementation of much-
needed political and economic reforms.

2. The EU reaffirms its availability to engage constructively with the new authorities including
through a structured political dialogue, with political actors across the spectrum, and with
civil society, on the basis of a mutual commitment to shared values focused on human rights,
democratic principles and the Rule of Law. It will do so in coordination with African and
international partners.

3. The upcoming electoral process will be an essential step. The EU welcomes the commitment
of the authorities to hold elections in line with the constitution, and underlines the importance
that the conditions are in place to allow those elections to be peaceful, inclusive, credible and
transparent. The EU would consider favourably electoral observation, provided that the
required conditions are fulfilled and that an invitation from the Government of Zimbabwe is
received.

4. The EU welcomes the stated intention of the Zimbabwean authorities to deliver economic
reforms in Zimbabwe, aiming at supporting job creation, growth and sustainable long-term
development, and reaffirms its willingness to support the planning and implementation of
much-needed structural changes and the promotion of good governance. In this context, the
EU will support the authorities in establishing as soon as possible a constructive re-engagement with international financial institutions based on a clear and time-bound
economic and political reform programme.

5. The EU stands ready to review the whole range of its policies towards Zimbabwe at any
moment to take into account the progress achieved in the country.

Source : http://www.thezimbabwean.co/2018/01/eu-endorses-mnangagwa-rule/

The post EU endorses Mnangagwa rule first appeared on National Ambassador News.

The state-run Zimbabwe Herald reported on Saturday that Mnangagwa recounted previously unknown details of his “great escape” from Zimbabwe, during an official visit to Angola.

Mnangagwa, 75, fled to Mozambique after he was sacked as vice president by Mugabe, leaving the country within four hours of his ouster, fearful of a threat to his life.

“I didn’t think it was pleasurable to wait to be eliminated. I left within four hours of being fired for the Mozambican border,’’ he said.

He said that he walked for long hours and claimed there were attempts at the border to shoot him, but the attack was foiled by his son.

“He (one of his twin sons) is an officer and was able to grab the weapon and I was not shot,’’ Mnangagwa said.

The news report said once in Mozambique he flew from Beira to South Africa.

Mnangagwa ultimately returned triumphant to the country and replaced long-time ruler Mugabe after a bloodless military coup in November.

According to the news report, Mnangagwa also spoke of the attempt to poison him at an event of the ruling ZANU-PF party in 2017 and said he was airlifted to South Africa for treatment.

He had accused then first lady Grace Mugabe of having given him poison ice cream at a party.

“I am happy that last week I was declared poison free. It is now undetectable,’’ he was quoted as saying.

The post I evaded landmines to escape Mugabe – Mnangagwa first appeared on National Ambassador News.

An official who declined to be named, said Makarau, seen as an ally of former president Robert Mugabe, gave no reason for her resignation.

NAN reports that General elections are scheduled to be held in Zimbabwe in 2018, and are likely to be held on or before September 2018.

The likelihood of the 2018 general elections taking place had been called into doubt by the Zimbabwean Coup.

On Nov. 22, a ZANU-PF spokesman said that Emmerson Mnangagwa would serve out the remainder of Robert Mugabe’s term before the elections due to be held on or before September 2018.

On Sept. 18, voter registration for Zimbabwe’s 2018 harmonised elections began.

This would be the first time since independence in 1980 that the voters’ roll would be administered outside the Registrar-General’s Office following the adoption of a new constitution which transferred the responsibility to the ZEC.

Makarau, said that continuous registration would begin while a registration blitz would be conducted in October.

“For the voter registration blitz, we needed 15 million U.S. dollars and Treasury has since supported us to that tune.

“The money is there and that is why we are saying we are ready.

“All we need is for the people to come and register now. We urge them to come forward and exercise their right to register and vote in the forthcoming elections,’’ she said.

ZEC has said it is targeting to register about seven million voters for the 2018 harmonised Presidential, legislative and local government elections.

The post Zimbabwe electoral commission chairperson quits first appeared on National Ambassador News.

The development comes after Mnangagwa’s special advisor, Chris Mutsvangwa stated that the Zimbabwean military is the best in the world.

The report states that Chiwenga is set to top Emmerson Mnangagwa’s list, which includes former Defence minister Sydney Sekeramayi, ex-War Veterans minister Tshinga Dube; Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo; minister of Defence, Security and War Veterans Kembo Mohadi and Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda.

Said Mutsvangwa at the weekend, “we condemn any fingerpointing at our illustrious army. Stay away from fingerpointing at our army. It is the best in the world…”

“We want to say we stand by our army. It is a competent and professional army. It intervened in a judicious and peaceful manner to arrest a situation which could have made this country go off the cliff.”

After Mnangagwa and his Team Lacoste faction made a dramatic comeback — riding on the military’s intervention in Zanu PF’s internal politics last month — Phelekezela Mphoko, who was the other vice president, became part of the collateral damage targeting key members of the rival Generation 40 faction.

The party’s constitution entitles Mnangagwa to appoint the two vice presidents, the national chairperson, heads of the politburo and its committee members and the deputies to the heads of departments.

Mnangagwa has found himself in a fix over who to appoint as his deputies.

Chiwenga is seen topping the list, which includes former Defence minister Sydney Sekeramayi, ex-War Veterans minister Tshinga Dube; Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo; minister of Defence, Security and War Veterans Kembo Mohadi and Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda.

Mnangagwa also finds himself with the need to appease the feminine folk displeased by his recent Cabinet appointments which only had four women out of 22 Cabinet ministers.

The ruling party’s women’s league has recently been clamouring for the restoration of the quota system in the presidium. It would therefore be interesting to see if Mnangagwa would budge, in which case he might have to pick from some of the seasoned female heavyweights such as Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, Edna Madzongwe, Eunice Sandi-Moyo and Angeline Masuku, among others.

Analysts told the Daily News that it will not be surprising that Chiwenga could secure one of the vice presidents’ post after the army chief played a pivotal role in a military operation, which toppled Mugabe and ushered in Mnangagwa.

The appointment of air marshal Perrance Shiri and Major General Sibusiso Moyo into Mnangagwa’s first Cabinet have largely been interpreted as his show of gratitude to the military for clearing his way to State House.

As such, he might reward Chiwenga with the vice presidency.

Social commentator, Rashweat Mukundu, believes there is a high possibility that Chiwenga will emerge as vice president at the congress.

“He is raising a wave of popularity not only in Zanu PF but nationally and Zanu PF may look at him as an asset come the 2018 elections,” said Mukundu.

Political analyst, Maxwell Saungweme, said with the inclusion of generals Moyo and Shiri as ministers, common sense can be that generals (Philip) Sibanda and Chiwenga will be VPs.

“They can’t have their juniors be ministers when they are out,” said Saungweme.

“As you know, ministers are senior to commanders in hierarchy and command structure. But it seems Ngwena wants these to be elected at their congress this month as opposed to appointing.

“He can appoint them as VPs anyway if he wants without any legal issues. By the way Chiwenga and Sibanda also meet the Zanu PF equation for VPs as they represent Zipra and Zanla as well as the Ndebele-Shona balance the party has always done for VPs.

“They can’t let others eat from their coup sweat. Mnangagwa’s Cabinet showed us that it was prize-giving season for the boys involved in a coup that include war vets, military and other Lacoste members.

“Chiwenga and Sibanda can’t lead a coup to let others eat or for them to remain stagnant. Chiwenga and Sibanda VPs is a possibility,” opined Saungweme.

Political analyst, McDonald Lewanika, said it was very possible that Chiwenga will be the vice president or one of them.

“To all intents and purposes, the post is the commander Defence Forces’ for the taking, and if he wants it there will be no dark horses. But if it’s not something he wants, then others who may be worth considering in the spirit of the Cabinet already set and bridging the divide in Zanu PF, would be colonel Tshinga Dube, and Sydney Sekeramayi.

“Madzongwe was once touted as potential VP but the fact that this was initially to replace ED this may make her consideration a tough sale, as is Sekeramayi’s.

“It is unlikely that ED will step out of Zanu PF for the VP pick, the only danger that is there is that if Congress is allowed to choose a VP for ED that vice president as a product of congress election rather Mnangagwa’s appointee will be a very powerful if not dangerous VP.

“On the bright side it would also assist in checking ED’s power as he will have as second in command, another popularly elected member,” said Lewanika.

Another analyst, Eldred Masunungure said it would be unwise for Mnangagwa to appoint Chiwenga to the position of vice president as it would endorse the notion that the military are effectively calling the shots.

“I think it will be imprudent for Chiwenga to be appointed VP at this stage. It will become abundantly evident that ZDF is being rewarded for the cardinal role it played in the ascendency of the incumbent president.

“We all know the president was fired from Zanu PF; he was in the wilderness politically and physically after he fled to South Africa. He was rehabilitated courtesy of the military intervention.

“(Now) the military has already been rewarded with two Cabinet posts which I think is adequate. He needs to ensure that the military is unified as an institution and is not unduly fractured… So if he is thinking about it (appointing Chiwenga as VP) it will be imprudent and unwise maybe in a new term,” said Masunungure.

Masunungure did not rule out the politics of ethnicity which remain a pivotal variable in the politics of Zimbabwe.

He said by this token Mnangagwa may not need to look to Mashonaland Central or Mashonaland East for a VP as many may think they already had their share.

“Frankly he would need to think about the traditional source in Matabeleland by virtue of the unity accord. Perhaps (Kembo) Mohadi could be a serious candidate for Matabeleland and then outside Matabeleland he would need to think of the women quota.

“As it is Muchinguri is a serious candidate. She is female, a war veteran and comes from province that has never had a VP. So he can kill several birds with one stone,” Masunungure said.

There have, however, been some voices that have been calling on Mnangagwa to appoint the most senior pre-Unity Accord Zapu official, Dumiso Dabengwa despite the fact that he now leads his own party.

These include Mnangagwa’s own special advisor, Chris Mutsvangwa, who recently told a press conference that Dabengwa should be one of the vice presidents.

Mutsvangwa argued that this would help the country’s liberation movement.

The post Zimbabwean Chiwenga may become VP first appeared on National Ambassador News.

Ahead of his arrival, state media said he would be sworn in as president at a ceremony on Friday.

Mugabe’s iron grip ended in a shock announcement to parliament where MPs had convened to impeach the 93-year-old who dominated every aspect of Zimbabwean public life for decades.

On the streets, the news that his long and often brutal leadership was over sparked wild celebrations which lasted late into the night, with crowds dancing and cheering ecstatically amid a cacophony of car horns.

“Comrade Mnangagwa is coming back today,” senior aide Larry Mavhima, told AFP, saying he was expected to brief the media after landing at a military airport outside Harare.

Mnangagwa, 75, was sacked by the president on November 6 in a move that pushed infuriated army chiefs to intervene, triggering a series of events which led to Mugabe’s ouster.

A former key Mugabe ally, Mnangagwa fled the country after his dismissal, saying he would not return without guarantees of his safety.

His sacking was the result of an increasingly bitter succession battle with Mugabe’s wife Grace, who had been pushing to take over from the ageing leader.

“My decision to resign is voluntary,” Mugabe wrote in his resignation letter, expressing his “desire to ensure a smooth, peaceful and non-violent transfer of power”.

Party hardliner
In a highly symbolic scene shortly after his resignation, a man took down a portrait of Mugabe from a wall inside the building where MPs had assembled for the extraordinary session to impeach the defiant president.

Another person replaced it with an image of Mnangagwa.

The ruling ZANU-PF party said Mnangagwa could swiftly be named interim president as the country charts a way through the turbulence.

“He will be the one who will be sworn in to be (interim) president for 90 days,” said party spokesman Simon Khaya Moyo.

Mnangagwa is a long-time party loyalist who has close ties with the military, with critics describing him as a ruthless hardliner responsible for years of state-sponsored violence.

Mugabe’s resignation capped a week in which the military seized control and tens of thousands of Zimbabweans took to the streets in an unprecedented show of dissent against Mugabe.

‘He deserves to rest’
“I am so happy that Mugabe is gone, 37 years under dictatorship is not a joke. I am hoping for a new Zimbabwe ruled by the people,” Tinashe Chakanetsa, 18, told AFP.

As the news began to sink in late Tuesday, crowds gathered brandishing national flags with many among them praising army chief General Constantino Chiwenga who led the military’s power-grab.

Mugabe had ruled Zimbabwe almost unopposed since independence in 1980 — but his efforts to position his 52-year-old wife Grace as his successor prompted intervention from the military that underpinned his regime.

The monolithic grip of Mugabe — who was the world’s oldest head of state — was shattered last week when armoured military vehicles took to the streets, blockaded parliament and soldiers placed him under house arrest.

Mugabe’s fate, and that of his wife, remain unknown, but ZANU-PF has said he deserved to be treated with respect after leading the country for nearly four decades.

“He deserves to rest and I believe every Zimbabwean agrees with this,” said Moyo.

“But I think he had overstayed the hospitality of the people of Zimbabwe.”

A new path
Last week’s military takeover had all the hallmarks of a coup, but the generals stopped short of forcing Mugabe out.

As the crisis grew, the ZANU-PF party, an instrument of Mugabe’s brutal reign, removed him as party leader and began parliamentary proceedings to have him impeached.

“When he saw the turnout (of lawmakers), he probably realised he’d better jump before he was pushed,” said Derek Matyszak, an analyst at the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said the resignation gave Zimbabwe “an opportunity to forge a new path free of the oppression that characterised (Mugabe’s) rule”.

And the European Union’s diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini called for a solution that “respects the aspirations of the people of Zimbabwe for a more prosperous and democratic future”.

The US State Department called it “a historic moment for the people of Zimbabwe… to put an end to Zimbabwe’s isolation” saying the country’s future should be decided by the people.

Most Zimbabweans have only known life under Mugabe, whose time in power was defined by violent suppression, economic collapse and international isolation.

The post Mnangagwa to be sworn in Friday as Zimbabwe’s president first appeared on National Ambassador News.

Quoting a source, the news network said the army generals had given into many of Mugabe’s demands, including full immunity for himself and his wife Grace, and that he would keep his private property.

According to the source, the aim of Sunday’s televised address in which Mugabe appeared to resist calls to step aside was to ensure the veteran leader openly declared the military’s actions to be constitutional.

For the resignation to formally take place, however, a letter must first be sent to the speaker of parliament, added the source.

Mugabe had stunned the nation on Sunday when he refused to say in a live televised address if he was stepping down.

His party had given him 24 hours to resign or be impeached after military seized power and kept him under house arrest.

On Saturday, thousands of Zimbabweans had taken to the streets calling for him to go.

But in a bizarre and rambling speech, Mugabe instead insisted he was going nowhere, and that he would see his political party Zanu-PF through its congress in a few weeks.

Zimbabweans who had been glued to state television to watch the speech live came out into the streets afterward, some in shock.

Harare resident Tina Madzimure called the speech “an embarrassment really. He made a fool out of the generals.”

“This man will go to his grave with Zimbabwe in his hands,” she told CNN.

Agency news

The post Mugabe ‘agrees’ to step down first appeared on National Ambassador News.

The main opposition’s parliamentary chief whip Innocent Gonese, was quoted as saying that his MDC-T party has been in discussions with the ruling ZANU-PF party to act jointly.

Gonese said that a motion for impeachment would “definitely” be forwarded against Mugabe.

“If Mugabe is not gone by Tuesday, then as sure as the sun rises from the east, impeachment process will kick in,” he said.

The MDC-T has unsuccessfully tried to impeach Mugabe in the past, but now the ruling party has turned against him.

The ruling party is likely to fire Mugabe on Sunday as party leader at a Central Committee meeting, as demands by provincial branches to recall Mugabe as party leader increases.

The meeting also is expected to reinstate the vice president whose firing nearly two weeks ago led the military to step in.

The meeting comes a day after huge crowds rallied in the capital for Mugabe to go

State-run media also says Mugabe is set to discuss his expected exit with the army commander who put him under house arrest.

Mugabe’s talks with army commander Constantino Chiwenga are the second round of negotiations on an exit with a veneer of dignity as the military tries to avoid accusations of a coup.

This time, the talks do not appear to include a South African government delegation.

Source: Fox News

The post Mugabe’s impeachment process begins Tuesday : report first appeared on National Ambassador News.

Grace Mugabe — 41 years younger than her husband — was once dismissed as a lightweight shopping addict.

But she became increasingly active in public life in recent years, and became the frontrunner to take the top job when Mugabe last week sacked her arch-rival, vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The military — determined to stop Grace, 52, being named as the new vice president — moved in on Wednesday, taking control of the country and signalling the imminent end of Mugabe’s rule.

“The crisis has been triggered by Grace because she wanted to grab power and to have Mugabe remove a lot of people,” Shadrack Gutto, director of the Centre for African Renaissance Studies at the University of South Africa, told AFP.

“She overreached herself. She has done a lot to accelerate the removal of her husband from power.

“The military decided that enough is enough.”

Grace’s political plans were backed by the so-called G40, a group of young supporters that has earned a reputation for aggression.

The faction, which includes some ministers, has been the primary target of the military officers who announced on state TV in the early hours of Wednesday that they would bring “criminals” close to Mugabe to justice.

‘They had to act’
“The Zimbabwean army feel they have the right to have a president they approve of,” Knox Chitiyo, of the Chatham House think-tank, told AFP.

“They had to act now before Grace was appointed as vice president at the ZANU-PF party congress next month. Grace’s team got within weeks of success.”

Grace, born in South Africa, was one of Mugabe’s secretaries when their affair began in 1987, and they had two children in secret before the president’s wife died in 1992.

The couple then married at a lavish ceremony in 1996 attended by Nelson Mandela, before having a third child.

Grace was awarded a doctorate by the University of Zimbabwe, where her husband is chancellor, reportedly just three months after enrolling, and in 2014 became the head of the ZANU-PF party’s women’s wing.

She has often been accused of extravagant spending on luxury clothes and international travel, and of involvement in corrupt land deals.

‘Gucci Grace’
Dubbed “Gucci Grace”, “The First Shopper” or even “DisGrace”, she showed her political mettle in 2014 with her campaign against then-vice president Joice Mujuru, who was a contender to succeed her husband.

Grace launched sustained verbal attacks against Mujuru, accusing her of plotting to topple the president.

Soon afterwards, Mujuru was ousted and later expelled from the ruling ZANU-PF party.

But Grace’s attempt to neutralise Mnangagwa ended very differently — leaving her and her husband languishing under house arrest in Harare.

Grace Mugabe’s confrontational approach and distant public image have brought her little popular affection in Zimbabwe.

Despite that, her supporters have sought to popularise nicknames like “Dr Amai (Doctor Mother)” and “queen of queens”.

In speeches she had railed against anyone accused of disloyalty to the president, and her short temper hit the headlines in August when she allegedly assaulted a model who was with two of her sons at a South African hotel.

Grace was granted diplomatic immunity and made a swift exit from the country.

She once told a South African television programme that she is no longer concerned about what people think of her.

“I have developed a thick skin, I don’t even care,” she said. “My husband says ignorance is bliss.”

With President Mugabe in increasingly poor health, Grace may now seek exile or try to secure some level of protection for her and her family as Zimbabwe enters a new era.

The post Fall from Grace: Mugabe’s wife was his weakness first appeared on National Ambassador News.

The European Union has called for a “peaceful resolution” to the unfolding crisis in Zimbabwe, after the army put long-time President Robert Mugabe under house arrest in a move that military officials insist is not a coup.

“It is a matter of concern for the EU,” European Commission spokeswoman Catherine Ray told reporters during a press briefing on Wednesday, shortly after soldiers and armored vehicles began blocking roads to the main government offices, the parliament, and the courts in central Harare.

“We call on all the relevant players to move from confrontation to dialogue with the aim to a peaceful resolution,” she added, underscoring the need for respecting “the constitutional order and democratic governance.”

Zimbabwe’s ruling party, ZANU-PF, said in a statement earlier that the 93-year-old president’s decades-long grip on power was coming to an end through a “bloodless transition.”

Mugabe and his military forces, who had long helped him stay in power, have been at odds over the past few weeks.

After taking control of the country’s state broadcaster, a spokesman for the military said the armed forces were not taking over the government and had only taken action to “target criminals.”

A government source told Reuters later on that Finance Minister Ignatius Chombo was among those detained. He was a leading member of the so-called ‘G40’ faction of the ZANU-PF party, run by the president’s wife, Grace Mugabe.

Mugabe and his wife have been on the EU’s sanctions list along with other key figures in Zimbabwe’s ruling elite, facing travel bans and asset freezes abroad.

The Zimbabwean president has called sanctions, which were first imposed by the US and the EU in 2002 over rights issues, “wrong,” blaming them for his government’s failure to pay its workers on time, which led to a crippling strike last year.

France watching closely

France also reacted to the situation in the African country, saying that it was closely following the events.

“We reiterate our attachment to constitutional law and respect of the legitimate aspirations of the Zimbabwean people,” French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Agnes Romatet-Espagne told reporters.

“We encourage all parties to find a peaceful solution within this framework and without violence,” she added.

The post EU urges ‘peaceful resolution’ to Zimbabwe crisis first appeared on National Ambassador News.

Zimbabwe’s ruling party, ZANU-PF, says the series of military activities underway in the country mark a “bloodless transition” of power from long-time President Robert Mugabe.

The army has deployed soldiers to the streets across the capital. Soldiers and armored vehicles have blocked roads to the main government offices, the parliament, and the courts in central Harare. The army has also taken over the headquarters of the national broadcaster.

In a series of tweets on Wednesday, Mugabe’s own ruling party denied that the totality of those activities amounted to a coup.

“Zimbabwe has not had a coup. There has been a decision to intervene because our constitution had been undermined, in the interim Comrade E Mnagngawa will be president of ZANU PF as per the constitution of our revolutionary organization,” it said in one tweet, referring to Emmerson Mnangagwa, who Mugabe sacked as his vice president earlier in the week.

“Last night the first family was detained and are safe, both for the constitution and the sanity of the nation this was necessary. Neither Zimbabwe nor ZANU are owned by Mugabe and his wife,” it said in another.

It was not clear who exactly was posting the tweets, and whether they reflected the mentality of the entire party.

Zimbabwean soldiers overran the headquarters of the state broadcaster and ordered staff to leave overnight Tuesday. After taking control of the national broadcaster, a spokesman for the military interrupted taped programming and read out a statement early on Wednesday.

“To both our people and the world beyond our borders, we wish to make it abundantly clear that this is not a military takeover of government,” said Major General S.B. Moyo.

He insisted that the army had taken action to “target criminals,” who were “committing crimes that are causing social and economic suffering” and was planning to “bring them to justice.”

“As soon as we have accomplished our mission, we expect that the situation will return to normalcy,” he added.

The statement did not clarify who it was referring to as “criminals” around Mugabe, but a government source later told Reuters that Finance Minister Ignatius Chombo had been among those detained. The minister was a leading member of the so-called ‘G40’ faction of the ZANU-PF party, run by the president’s wife, Grace Mugabe.

Moyo called on security services to “co-operate for the good of our country” and warned that any provocation would “be met with an appropriate response.”

He said all soldiers on leave “should return to barracks immediately.”

The major general also urged the public to remain calm but called on them “to limit unnecessary movement.”

Shortly after the army seized the national broadcaster, a number of loud explosions were heard in the capital, Harare.

Mugabe talks to Zuma, confirms ‘house arrest’

Later in the day, Mugabe talked to South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma on the phone, confirming that he was under house arrest but that he was fine, Zuma’s office said in a statement.

Zuma said he was sending special envoys to Zimbabwe to meet with Mugabe and the Zimbabwean Defense Force.

The South African president would be sending the envoy in his capacity as chairman of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which is an inter-governmental organization among 16 southern African states. The organization works to resolve economic and political challenges faced by the regional countries.

And so begins a coup

Zimbabwe has been on edge since Monday, when army chief General Constantino Chiweng held a press conference warning that the army was prepared to act to end purges within Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party. The ruling party accused the army chief of “treasonable conduct.”

Political tension started to rise in the South African country after Mugabe, in a sudden decision, sacked Mnangagwa this week.

Mnangagwa had previously been considered the most likely to succeed the president if Mugabe resigned or died while in power. His sudden dismissal, however, raised speculations that Mugabe was clearing the way for his wife, Grace, to take the position.

Mugabe, 93, came to power in the 1980s. He has been the longest serving leader in Africa.

‘Coup by any name’

A former political aide to ex-Zimbabwean prime minister Morgan Tsvangari, told the CNN that the army’s action was “a coup by any other name.”

“They are being very careful in their words,” said Alex Magaisa. “They might be trying to give a fig leaf to the notion that President Mugabe is still the leader. But de facto they are obviously the military force.”

US, UK issue warnings to citizens

The United States and the United Kingdom both issued warnings to their citizens inside the African country.

US State Department encouraged the Americans in the country to “shelter in place until further notice” due to ongoing uncertainty and political unrest. A US embassy spokesman in Zimbabwe also said the embassy would be closed to the public on Wednesday.

The UK Foreign Office, meanwhile, advised Britons in Zimbabwe to avoid demonstrations and rallies, saying it was “monitoring the situation closely.”

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The sightings came as uncertainty swirls in Harare due to President Robert Mugabe’s decision to fire his vice president last week, prompting a warning of possible military intervention from the army chief.

The reason for the military presence was not immediately clear, but the vehicles may have been on routine manoeuvres.

The military spokesman was not available to comment.

“I saw a long convoy of military vehicles, including tanks, about an hour ago. I don’t know where they were heading,” a female fruit seller near Westgate shopping centre, about 10 kilometres (six miles) from central Harare, told AFP.

A second female by-stander at the shopping centre also told the AFP reporter that she had seen the convoy.

Zimbabwe’s army chief General Constantino Chiwenga on Monday warned President Robert Mugabe to “stop” purges of the ruling ZANU-PF party after Mugabe abruptly sacked vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa last week.

Mnangagwa had clashed repeatedly with First Lady Grace Mugabe, 52, who is widely seen as vying to replace her 93-year-old husband when he dies.

Both the ruling party’s youth wing and the main opposition party have called for civilian rule to be protected, while analysts called the crisis a potential turning point.

– ‘Ominous moment’? –
“No one wants to see a coup… If the army takes over that will be undesirable. It will bring democracy to a halt, and that is not healthy for a nation,” the MDC’s shadow defence minister, Gift Chimanikire, told AFP ahead of the convoy sightings.

ZANU-PF’s Youth League, which strongly supports Grace Mugabe, said in a statement that Chiwenga must not be allowed to choose Zimbabwe’s leaders.

Speculation has been rife in Harare that Mugabe could seek to remove Chiwenga, who is seen as an ally of ousted Mnangagwa.

The crisis “marks another landmark ominous moment in the ongoing race to succeed” Mugabe, said political analyst Alex Magaisa in an online article.

“(Mugabe) has previously warned the military to stay away from ZANU-PF’s succession race.

“His authority over the military has never been tested in this way. If he does nothing, it might be regarded as a sign of weakness. If he puts his foot down, it could result in open confrontation.”

Mnangagwa was widely seen as Mugabe’s most loyal lieutenant having worked alongside him for decades and his ousting sent shockwaves through the region.

He fled the country and is thought to be in South Africa but has yet to make a public appearance following his searing five-page condemnation of Grace’s ambition and Mugabe’s leadership style.

Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980.

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NewsDay reporter Kenneth Nyangani was likely to face “criminal defamation” charges, the lawyers added.

Zanu-PF MP Esau Mupfumi distributed the underwear, and said Mrs Mugabe had donated it, the newspaper reported.

There has been no official comment on Mr Nyangani’s arrest.

It was unclear clear whether the complainant was the MP or the first lady, NewsDay reported.

Police in the eastern city of Mutare detained Mr Nyangani on Monday evening for “allegedly writing and publishing a story over the donation of some used undergarments” by President Robert Mugabe’s wife, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said in a statement.

The privately-owned newspaper had earlier reported that Mr Mupfumi had handed out clothes at the weekend to Zanu-PF supporters in the Mutare area.

“I met the First Lady Grace Mugabe and I was given these clothes so that I can give you. I have briefs for you and I am told that most of your briefs are not in good shape, please come and collect your allocations today,” Mr Mupfumi was quoted as saying.

“We have night dresses, sandals and clothes, come and take, this is from your First Lady Grace Mugabe,” he added.

Worsening economic conditions in Zimbabwe are forcing many people to buy second-hand clothing, the AFP news agency reports.

It says such items include used underwear from Western countries which is chiefly imported from Mozambique.

Mrs Mugabe, the president’s second wife, attracted widespread media attention in August when she was accused of attacking a model at a hotel in South Africa where her sons were staying.

She has denied any wrongdoing.

BBC

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