Zimbabwe waiting for next step after military takeover

Zimbabwe remained in political limbo a day and a half after the military takeover that appears to have put an end to Robert Mugabe’s 37-year grip on power.

Talks between the president, who has been confined to his residence in Harare by the army, and senior military officers continued on Thursday morning.

Troops secured the airport, government offices, parliament and other key sites.

President Robert Mugabe is said to be confined to his home in Harare but unconfirmed reports says his wife Grace, who was bidding to succeed him as president, has fled to Namibia.

The rest of the country has remained peaceful. The takeover has been cautiously welcomed by many Zimbabweans.

The military declared on national television in the early hours of Wednesday morning that it had temporarily taken control of the country to “target criminals” around the 93-year-old president.

It now seems likely that the ruthless rule of the world’s oldest leader will be definitively over within days.

The takeover by the armed forces appears to have resolved a bitter battle to succeed Mugabe that had pitted his wife Grace against the former vice-president, Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Mnangagwa was reported to have returned to Zimbabwe on Tuesday evening from South Africa, where he fled last week after having his office taken off him by Mugabe, in an apparent attempt to clear Grace Mugabe’s path to power.

Reports that Grace Mugabe had fled to Namibia on Wednesday appeared false, with several sources saying she was detained with her husband in their residence in Harare..

The future of the first lady is a key element in the ongoing discussions between Mugabe and the military. Singapore and Malaysia, where the Mugabes own property, are potential destinations if she is allowed to travel into exile.