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Zimbabwe President Mugabe Confined to His Home, Zuma Says

Zimbabwe President Mugabe Confined to His Home, Zuma Says

(Bloomberg) -- Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is confined to his home in Harare but is otherwise fine, South African President Jacob Zuma said.

Zuma, who is also chairman of the Southern African Development Community, spoke to Mugabe earlier on Wednesday after the country’s armed forces seized power in a move it says is needed to stave off a violent conflict. Zuma’s government is also in contact with the Zimbabwean Defence Force, South Africa’s presidency said in an emailed statement. The South African leader is sending a special envoy to Zimbabwe in light of the unfolding situation, he said.

The Zimbabwe Defense Forces have said they will guarantee the safety of Mugabe, 93, as well as his family, and is only “targeting criminals around him who are committing crimes that are causing social and economic suffering in the country in order to bring them to justice.”

Zuma is also sending South Africa’s Minister of Defence & Military Veterans Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and Minister of State Security Bongani Bongo to Zimbabwe to meet Mugabe and the military, according to the statement.

To contact the reporter on this story: Alastair Reed in Johannesburg at areed12@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Antony Sguazzin at asguazzin@bloomberg.net.

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