Zimbabwe is the fourth country in Southern Africa to have a post-independence coup. (The others are Lesotho twice, Seychelles and Madagascar*). The army generals officially announced around 4am (CAT) on November 15, 2017 that its Commander in Chief, President Robert Mugabe and his family were safe and their security was secure. Safe and secure for those of us who study African politics is also code for secured. This effectively means that the first family is now under some type of arrest. In the same address, the military generals also announced and those closest to the First Lady Grace Mugabe who appeared to be pulling the shots in the ruling party have been arrested for attempting to re-colonize the country and undermining the revolution. This type of coup is called a “guardian coup.” The argument goes that “… whatever motivations may have driven a coup or whatever the faults of the government it deposed, changes in the international system after the Cold War make coup-backed governments much more likely to lead a transition to democracy.”
Watch the video here:
What do you think about this. Let us know in the comments.
Comments