President Emmerson Mnanagwa has “fired” Zimbabwe’s Airforce commander, just a few hours after his plane aborted landing at the Victoria Falls Airport due to a bomb scare.
In a statement signed by chief cabinet secretary Martin Rushwaya, Mnangagwa, who could not provide details for allegedly sacking Air Marshall Elson Moyo, his post has been parceled to Vice Air Marshall John Jacob Nzvede.
Rushwaya and presidential spokesperson George Charamba were unreachable for comment as they were not responding to calls on their mobile phones.
Information Minister Jenfan Muswere and publicity secretary Nick Mangwana were also unreachable for comment.
In his statement, Mnangagwa only said he made the changes as per some provisions of the constitution.
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Moyo allegedly played a key role in overthrowing then President Robert Mugabe in 2017 in a defacto military coup, backed by the ruling party, parliament, some war veterans and Zimbabwe’s opposition.
Two prominent ministers – Higher Education Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo and Youth Minister Saviour Kasukuwere – were linked to a Zanu PF faction that initiated a succession plan without the approval of top Zanu PF and government officials, including then sacked Vice President Mnangagwa.
Mugabe sacked Mnangagwa for undermining the authority of the presidient but clawed back to power by taking down one of Africa’s longest rulers, who was said to be failing to control henchmen that prevented him from succeeding Mugabe in conjunction with his wife, Kasukuwere and Moyo. They were all in what was infamously known as Generation 40.
Moyo, Kasukuwre and others fled the country and are currently living in Kenya, South Africa and several nations. Prospects of returning home are slim as they may face charges of treason.
On the other hand, Mnangagwa was backed by Moyo, then Air Force commander and former leader of the North-Korean train militia – Five Brigade, Perrence Shiri.
The Associated Press reported earlier that a bomb scare shut down Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls Airport on , forcing the country’s president to cancel a planned address at a conference on renewable energy.
Mnangagwa was due to address the conference in the morning, but “had to suspend his trip to allow for investigations which are already underway.”
Authorities couldn’t confirm local media reports that the president’s plane made a U-turn while traveling to the conference.
Charamba said that airport authorities were informed by Fastjet airline about an email sent “by a John Doe” claiming a “credible bomb/firearm threat” targeting Zimbabwe’s airports.