Former Zimbabwe Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa “The Crocodile” who last week fled the country after vowing to topple President Robert Mugabe has returned home as the army puts President Mugabe under siege.
Mnangagwa announced his arrival in the country via his official twitter handle, saying he will be busy in the next few days.
“Zimbabweans stay calm and remain tuned to national news. I'm back in the Country and will be quite busy over the next few days. My communication with you will now be via formal broadcasting channels so I'm unlikely to use the twitter handle. Thank you all for the support and solidarity,” he said.
Mnangagwa yesterday commended the bravery of the army, saying that the country is now in a transition to put in place a democratic government with the help of the forces.
Zimbabweans stay calm &remain tuned to national news.
I'm back in the Country &will be quite busy over the next few days. My communication with you will now be via formal broadcasting channels so I'm unlikely to use the twitter handle. Thank you all for the support & solidarity
— ED Mnangagwa (@ED_Mnangagwa) November 15, 2017
“We salute & applaud the bravery of our ZDF who decisively rejected desperate last minute concessions by an Executive whose sole objective was to create a family dynasty. An Army led transitional phase will now pave way for a peaceful, free and fair democratic election,” he said.
President Mugabe fired his long-time deputy on Monday last week, for allegedly displaying traits of disloyalty and trying to use witchcraft to over throw the President.
Experts say Mugabe, 93, got rid of his former right-hand man so that his wife Grace can take over the country after his death. Grace is expected to be appointed vice president at a special ruling party congress next month.
“No one will remove the president except God,” Grace Mugabe told a large crowd of supporters on Wednesday after news of Mnangagwa’s ouster became public.
“I love my president. I will help him to make the country prosper.”
This isn’t the first time that Mugabe has used witchcraft as an excuse to get rid of a political rival.
Joice Mujuru, who Mnangagwa replaced as deputy in 2014, was also accused of using magic to plot against his president.
Addressing a large audience on Wednesday, Mugabe drew a comparison between his two former deputies and accused Mnangagwa of waiting impatiently for him to die so that he could seize control of the country.
“We have kicked [Mnangagwa] out for the same reasons that saw us chasing away Mujuru,” Mugabe told the crowd. “He started consulting traditional healers on when I was going to die.”
However, Mnangagwa vowed to return to the country and over throw Mugabe.