Mugabe has been detained

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has been detained by the country’s military, his ruling party Zanu-PF says.

Several members of his Cabinet, who have since been branded “crooks” and "criminals", have been arrested in what the military terms a “a bloodless transition”.

DEFENCE

“There was no coup, only a bloodless transition which saw corrupt and crooked persons being arrested and an elderly man who had been taken advantage of by his wife being detained,” Zanu PF said in a Twitter post on Wednesday.

“The few bangs that were heard were from crooks who were resisting arrest, but they are now detained.”

The account is unverified but it is not unusual for genuine Twitter accounts associated with the government of Zimbabwe and the ruling party not to be verified by the social media site.

However, there are questions over who is in control of some of the accounts associated with the ruling party and its warring factions.

The party on Wednesday also appeared to defend Mr Mugabe’s detention, saying it was necessary for the “for the Constitution and the sanity of the nation".

The detention came as Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa, the vice-president fired by President Mugabe recently, returned to the country.

MNANGAGWA

Mr Mnangagwa, who fled to South Africa, flew into Manyame airbase this morning, according to The Guardian.

There is speculation that the military is likely to install him, a former general, as the head of government, with Mr Mugabe as a figurehead.

“Neither Zimbabwe nor Zanu-PF are owned by Mugabe and his wife. Today begins a fresh new era and comrade Mnangagwa will help us achieve a better Zimbabwe,” the party said in a separate tweet.

The party insisted that the situation was under control as it denied reports of mutiny.

“Zanu-PF has a way of solving our own problems, the situation is stable and Zimbabwe is open for business,” it said.

“There was no coup, but a bloodless peaceful transition— the centre is strong and there is peace with honest leadership.”

In a related development, the Zimbabwe police force has recalled all officers on leave, Associated Press reports.

A senior police official, who insisted on anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the press, said all officers had been ordered to return to their posts immediately.