Malawi govt watching closely to Zimbabwe’s ‘fluid’ situation -Foreign Minister Fabiano
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Emmanuel Fabiano has said Malaiw government is closely watching the situation in Zimbabwe as the military has taken over, placing President Robert Mugabe under house arrest and detaining senior government officials in what many are expecting to be the beginning of a transition of power.
Fabiano said according to Times Radio that Malawi government hopes that relevant parties can properly handle their internal affairs.
He said government is monitoring the situation, which he said is still “fluid”.
Mugabe is an ally of Malawi President Peter Mutharika and the relationship between Lilongwe and Harare have remained strong for many years from the time of Kamuzu Banda to Bakili Muluzi, strengthened during Bingu wa Mutharika then Joyce Banda and now Peter Mutharika.
A large community of Malawians in Zimbabwe’s are being advised to stay indoors following political tensions in the country, according to Malawi’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Ms Anne Kumwenda.
Legacy of tyrant
Mugabe’s legacy as one of the most ruthless tyrants of modern times will remain long after his days as notorious statesman of Zimbabwe are over, reports The Telegraph.
What could turn out to be Mugabe’s final night in charge of the troubled south African nation concluded in typically chaotic fashion with the Army saying it had Mugabe and his ambitious wife Grace in custody following a takeover of the state broadcaster.
Tensions escalated after the first lady appeared to be positioned to replace Mugabe’s recently fired deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa, leading many in Zimbabwe to suspect she could eventually succeed her husband.
The elderly politician’s second wife – after Sarah Hayfron died in 1992 – remained unpopular with some Zimbabweans because of her lavish spending, including in London’s plush stores, while many around her struggled against the country’s crippling economy.
Mugabe’s savage rule over Zimbabwe was dominated by murder, bloodshed, torture, persecution of political opponents, intimidation and vote-rigging on a grand scale.
‘Bloodless correction’
Zimbabwe’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is calling for a peaceful return to constitutional democracy.
The MDC, the main political challenger to Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party for the last two decades, also said it hoped the military intervention would lead to the “establishment of a stable, democratic and progressive nation state”.
The Associated Press (AP) reports that Zimbabwe’s war veterans’ association has called the army’s actions a “bloodless correction”.
Chris Mutsvangwa, chairman of the war veterans’ group, told the AP in Johannesburg that Army General Constantino Chiwenga has carried out “a bloodless correction of gross abuse of power.” Mutsvangwa said the army will return Zimbabwe to “genuine democracy” and make the country a “modern model nation.”
Scenes in Harare
Reuters says Zimbabwean soldiers and armoured vehicles have blocked roads to the main government offices, parliament and the courts in central Harare.
Nearby, some Zimbabweans queued for cash outside banks while public taxis ferried commuters to work.
Army statement in full
The televised statement made by Zimbabwe Major General SB Moyo, Chief of Staff Logistics:
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :“We wish to assure the nation that His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, and commander in chief of Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Comrade RG Mugabe, and his family are safe and sound and their security is guaranteed.
“We are only targeting criminals around him who are committing crimes that are causing social and economic suffering in the country in order to bring them to justice.
“As soon as we have accomplished our mission, we expect that the situation will return to normalcy. To the civil servants, as you are aware, there is a plan by the same people to influence the current purging that is taking place in the political sphere to the civil service. We are against that act of injustice and we intend to protect every one of you against that.
“To the judiciary, the measures underway are intended to assure that as an independent arm of the state you are able to exercise your independent authority without fear of being obstructed.”
Mutharika and his fellow thieves are watching closely indeed. Thats very true!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
mugabe waziona kukwatila ka mstsikana kakupwetekesa shaaa wati kamwana uzidya ndi mafupa womwe nanunso a grace muziona mukapusa akuphani ma soja yalakwa kale vuma iwe comrade vuma wasakala kapena kuti wakalamba
COME ON MALAWI ARMY WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Guys, i miss Bingu, this guy had a vision.
Mutharika is NEXT… He, his late brother and his tribe have brought Malawi to the sticking pit-latrine. Our country dying so fast you cant blink your eye.
When you ignore your fellow midnight comrades, this is what happens. Zimbabwe has been under military rule since 1980. Now I do not see any future for Morgan Shangrai.
Kodi SUPUNI ( wa MDF) kuMzuzu mwina anayiwona / anayilota yimeneyi. Amayesa yibwera kuMalawi.
This cockroach must go. Am sure Borrison and team London are in full support of this. God will fight your battle Zimbabweans no worries.
Moto umapita kwatsala tchire. Let’s get ready for our own show down. Wina mmimba mwatentha.
Zimbabwe, one of the longest remaining pillars of struggles against the colonial rule should maintain that symbol by resolving their internal challenges. On the other hand why should a system of such symbolism allow marriage forces diffuse into national arena? where in africa has a wife been so confident to take over from a husband. This would be a bad legacy-if ever this was to take place.
Typical of Africa.
You wait until he is 90+, where were you when he was strong to stand trial?
The army is just protecting its own, nothing to do with the people.
Kwacha!!!!!!
Point of correction: There isn’t a large community of Malawians in Zimbabwe in the sense of Malawi passport holders. However, a significant part of Zimbabweans have Malawian roots. They are bona fide Zimbabwean citizens; and many (those who are old enough) fought in the liberation struggle. In the 1990’s Mugabe put the proportion of Zimbabweans of Malawi origin at about a fifth of the total population. Anyone who has been to Zimbabwe, even deep in the rural areas, comes across these long lost “cousins”… surely you cannot call Khama Billiat a Malawian, rather he is a Zimbabwean of Malawian origin.
There is noone untouchable in the name of God. Mugabe and Grace thought they had controll of the army until they closed the line by firing the VP. Chaponda thought too that NO one will touch him. He was laughing and mocking Malawians. They have forgotten what happened to Khadafi and Saddam Huisen. Power make them blind. What could Zimbabwe with Grace Mugabe as president? For Zimbabwians waiting for Mugabe to die is what they want. Or letting themselves forced to accept Grace as next president was not good. They are not like Malawians Who accepted APM to take over from his brother by rigging using stolen money hos and him stolen during their time in government. African leaders should expect this If they force people into dictatorshop and family tyrant. African want to practise democracy. If APM thinks He can continue ruling Malawi with this bad economy. He will be forced to leave by humiliation. Its better to leave with respect. APM has a reason to worry now.
He who kills with a sword dies with a sword, so the saying goes…….Today is Zimbabwe and for sure we do not know which country will be next. This is a lesson that people can not be taken for granted. You can fool some people sometimes but you can not fool all the people everytime.
Come on Malawi Army
JMalawi needs to flush out or root out criminals in government who are making Malawians suffer. Look at electricity, this has never happened in the history of Malawi for people to stay 24 hours plus without electricity. Why? because criminals in government are busy bleeding Malawi white. if our MDF cannot do it, then let us hire Chiwenga to come to our rescue . Malawians have suffered enough under the two Mutharikas. If it is not queuing for petrol/diesel it is queuing for electricity. If you are on BlackOut it is as good as queuing for your turn. DPP governments have not done anything on electricity. Probably they do not know what to do and hence they must leave for others who know better.
Electricity is the hub of the economy and without it, it is killing the economy and the country . Leadership is sleeping on the duty and anyone sleeping on duty is dismissed.
Getting on Dr Chiwaya at ESCOM will not remedy anything at all. He needs other old guards from all other disciplines to help him bring back glory to ESCOM. There are people who were specially trained in all disciplines to manage the affairs of escom and these were removed because politics took centre stage than DEVELOPMENT. Leadership think development.
You leaders are not feeling it because you have backup power serviced by Malawians taxes and you cannot have pity for the people who are sustaining you.. Change or change will find you like in Zimbabwe. Human beings get tired and when they get tired it becomes bad. Free advice herewith given.
Gensets are expensive and cannot sustain the situation. If the gensets are installed PLEASE DO NOT RAISE THE TARIFFS. MALAWIANS ARE TIRED PAYING YOUR LUXURY LIVES.
SINCE 2004 THERE HAS BEEN LUCK OF PLANNING WITH REGARD TO THE POWER SECTOR. DO NOT GET INTO SOMETHING WHEN YOU ARE GREEN ABOUT IT.
We don’t indeed for sure know which country would be next…
But because this is an army operation against corrupt elements around the president, Malawian ministers have every reason to be worried and follow the developments on this very closely indeed.