Zimbabwe’s military, which staged a peaceful coup less than two weeks ago, ousting former president Robert Mugabe, returned power to the national police on Monday.
Because “normalcy” had returned to the country following Friday’s swearing-in of President Emmerson Mnanagagwa, who replaced Mugabe after 37 years in power, the military would “resume its normal duties,” the army and police said in a joint statement.
The police would recommence “its role as stipulated in the constitution,” said police senior assistant commissioner Charity Charamba.
However, police and army forces would conduct joint patrols in the capital, Harare, mainly to prevent looting and illegal occupancy of property, according to Charamba.
The military had been in control of the southern African nation since the coup on November 15.
