How General Chiwenga disarmed policemen at Harare airport
Main News Politics Zimbabwe

How General Chiwenga disarmed policemen at Harare airport

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s security guards disarmed members of the paramilitary PSU – the Black Boots who were awaiting at the Robert Mugabe International Aiport to arrest him in November 2017.

The story which is told in a movie style narrative by hagiographer Douglas Rogers reveal that at the height of the November 2017 coup, the paramilitary unit lay in wait at the airport to arrest the General.

They were surprised by the response from the military guards who disarmed them before fleeing the scene with the General.

Read the full narrative below:

According to one witness, an employee of a freight company, there was a back-up plan should things go awry: at about 2pm on Sunday afternoon, he sees five armoured personnel carriers (APCs) and two armoured vehicles, about100 troops between them, drive through the cargo village towards AGS, where they occupy the facility… If the 1Para action went wrong, or they heard gunfire, these soldiers would be the cavalry, racing down the runway to tip the scales.

As it turns out, they are not needed. When the plane lands and begins to taxi towards the terminal, a command is given. What happens next might as well take place in cinematic slow motion: the special forces draw their weapons from underAdvertisementthe overalls and aim them point blank at every member of the PSU team.

Taken completely by surprise, the police are instantly disarmed and detained, their weapons tucked away in bags. Outside, in the parking lot, another team – probably MI – clamp every police vehicle.

The PSU are immobilised before Chiwenga has even got up from his seat. Then, when the aircraft doors open, his security team board the plane, find him, and escort him away to a waiting armed escort on the runway.

It is all over in minutes, not a shot fired, exactly as Chiwenga expected. There are police roadblocks between the airport and the city but the General’s convoy does not slow down. It storms right through them straight to King George VI barracks, army headquarters in suburban Harare, just north of State House, the President’s official residence, and not far from Pockets Hill, the studios of the ZBC.

From there, according to the retired officer, Chiwenga makes a phone call to President Mugabe.

“What have you done?” he asks, his voice deep, gravelly, seething.

“What do you mean?” says the President.

“Why did you try to arrest me?”

“I know nothing about it.”

Chiwenga slams the phone down

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