15 November 2017

Zimbabwe’s army took action in the Presidential succession struggle in a very dramatic way. The move has been peaceful so far, but it would be wise to stay away from Harare city centre.

Zimbabwe’s military said early Wednesday that it had taken custody of President Robert Mugabe. In a public broadcast, an officer declared that the military was “targeting criminals” around the 93-year-old president. The President is under house arrest. (New York Times)

17 November 2017

Zimbabweans carried on as usual, going to work, school, restaurants, shops etc, without any problems. Indeed, this ‘not-coup’ is said to be more peaceful than an election under the Mugabe regime. There are army vehicles stationed around Harare city, but they are not interfering with citizens. The nation is waiting patiently for more news of the army’s talks with the President. Citizen action groups have encouraged people to pray for a fresh start for Zimbabwe.

Tourist activities are continuing as normal, although the advice to stay out of the city centre (CBD) of Harare remains, as a precaution. There are army checks on vehicles to and from Harare Airport but these are not violent. Victoria Falls and Bulawayo haven’t been affected by military presence.

Note that there are talks of civilians holding a peaceful march in Harare city centre on Saturday 18 November in support of Mugabe’s resignation.

Stay updated

To stay up to date with what’s happening in Zimbabwe, please follow my Facebook page (don’t forget to click both ‘Like’ and ‘Follow’ so that you don’t miss anything).

Suggested articles giving detailed information on the Zimbabwe coup/not-coup:

• New York Times
• BBC’s Live Updates on the Zimbabwe takeover
• Alex Magisa’s excellent article giving context on the situation

Social media accounts to follow

I have provided Twitter links below but some of them are available as Facebook pages too.

• Doug Coltart
• Trevor Ncube
• Wilf Mbanga
• Fadzayi Mahere
• David Coltart
• Petina Gappah
• Lance Guma
• Harare News
• Great Zimbabwe Guide

Great Zimbabwe Guide is an independent travel blog telling you everything you need to know about Zimbabwe travel. Read the the FAQs, city guides, travel tips, itineraries, advice on where to stay as well as things to do. Plus, read some travel journals to get inspiration for your next visit. If this is your first visit to the website, please check out the Zimbabwe travel quick reference guide which contains a list of useful articles.