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Army officers seized over Mugabe 'coup plot'
Byron Dziva, The Daily Telegraph (UK)
June 14, 2007

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/06/14/wzim114.xml

Seven serving and former officers of the Zimbabwe army have been charged with planning a coup d'etat against President Robert Mugabe. There have been rumours of coup plots against Robert Mugabe's government for months. The men were arrested in stages, beginning on May 29, and appeared twice in closed hearings at Harare magistrates' court earlier this month. Journalists and family members have been barred from the hearings and the case has now been referred to the Harare high court, where the accused are expected to apply for bail today. A police record of the arrests said that the officers were accused of "treason" over a plot in which they aimed to overthrow Mr Mugabe and install Emmerson Mnangagwa, the rural housing minister, in his place. The police statement accuses Albert Mugove Matapo, 40, of recruiting six others "who conspired to plot a coup to overthrow the Zimbabwe government". Mr Matapo wanted to "recruit as many soldiers as possible to take over the government and all camps and be in control of the nation after which he will announce to the nation that he was in control of government and would invite Minister Mnangagwa and service chiefs to form a government", the police record said. Another former army officer, Albert Rugowe, is accused of conspiring with his co-accused and recruiting members of the army, the air force and the police "to whom he gave some tasks in preparation of a coup". Others named are serving officers, among them Capt Shepherd Maromo and Olivine Morale, whose rank and age have not yet been established.

There have been rumours of coup plots in Harare for months as Mr Mugabe, 82, has faced growing criticism for a spiralling economic crisis and crackdowns on opposition activists. This is the first case in which soldiers have been arrested and if proved, would constitute the first credible coup attempt in Mr Mugabe's 27-year rule. But there are suspicions that rather than being a genuine coup plot, the case may have been trumped up by rival members of Mr Mugabe's Zanu PF party as they jostle for position to succeed him, should he ever retire. Beatrice Mtetwa, the president of the Zimbabwe Law Society, said that she had not heard about the case. "I am surprised that we have not heard about it if the accused have appeared at the magistrates' court." Sidney Sekeramayi, the defence minister, did not respond to phone inquiries about the case. Sources at Zimbabwe's special forces barracks, near Harare International Airport, where the seven are being held, said that they had all been subjected to long periods of torture. The lower house of Zimbabwe's parliament passed a Bill yesterday allowing the government to monitor phones, mail and the internet to protect national security. Opposition members said that they feared the Bill would pave the way for Mr Mugabe's government to curtail freedom of speech and breach privacy. The Interception of Communications Bill passed the lower house without amendments and will now be sent to the upper house, where it is expected to face little opposition. Mr Mugabe's party has a majority in both houses. Chris Mushohwe, the transport and communications minister, said that the Bill was necessary to combat criminal activities that could threaten national security. Similar legislation existed in the United States, Britain, Canada and South Africa, he said.

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