2017 Zimbabwean coup d'état

2017 Zimbabwean coup d'état
Location of Harare in Zimbabwe
Date 14 November 2017 – 21 November 2017 (1 week) Location Harare, Zimbabwe Result Coup succeeded President Robert Mugabe and First Lady Grace Mugabe placed under house arrest. Mugabe dismissed from his post as leader of the ZANU–PF party. Grace Mugabe and her loyalists are expelled from the ZANU–PF party. President Mugabe resigns under threat of impeachment; Emmerson Mnangagwa is designated successor.
Belligerents
Coup soldiers Elements of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces	Government of Zimbabwe and loyal state institutions
Commanders and leaders
Emmerson Mnangagwa Former 1st Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces Christopher Mutsvangwa Chairman of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association	Robert Mugabe President of Zimbabwe Grace Mugabe First Lady of Zimbabwe, and G40 faction leader Phelekezela Mphoko 2nd Vice-President Sydney Sekeramayi Jonathan Moyo Saviour Kasukuwere Ignatius Chombo Patrick Zhuwao Walter Mzembi

Coup soldiers

On the evening of 14 November 2017, elements of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) gathered around Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, and seized control of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation and other areas of the city. The next day, the ZDF issued a statement saying that it was not a coup d'état and that President Robert Mugabe was safe, although the situation would return to normal only after the ZDF had dealt with the "criminals" around Mugabe responsible for the socio-economic problems of Zimbabwe.Jacob Zuma, the President of South Africa, phoned Mugabe and confirmed that Mugabe was "fine", but under house arrest.

The coup took place amid tensions in the ruling ZANU–PF party between former First Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa (who was backed by the ZDF) and First Lady Grace Mugabe (who was backed by the younger G40 faction) over who would succeed the 93-year-old President Mugabe. A week after Mnangagwa was fired and forced to flee the country, and a day before troops moved into Harare, Zimbabwe Defence Forces chief Constantino Chiwenga issued a statement that purges of senior ZANU–PF officials like Mnangagwa had to stop.

On 21 November, Mugabe sent a letter to Zimbabwe's Parliament resigning the presidency. Second Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko became the Acting President.

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Wikipedia