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Vol 66 No 4

Published 21st February 2025


Zimbabwe

Tanks roll as Mnangagwa tries to extend his rule

The military officers who backed the coup against Mugabe are turning against his successor

On the morning of 19 February, Zimbabweans awoke to find videos on their social media feed of tanks rolling down the Borrowdale Road, in one of the plushest areas of Harare. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information Nick Mangwana tried to assure citizens that it was ‘a scheduled exercise to test equipment.’ But many believe it was a response by the military to growing political ructions over President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s plans to extend his rule beyond the end of his second term in 2028. Reports are circulating that some senior officers and war veterans have told Mnangagwa to drop the idea, with some suggesting he resign immediately.

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