Mnangagwa dismisses rumours of ‘palace coup’ in Zimbabwe
The president’s spokesperson brushes off talk of a coup as ‘trivia’ while lawyers and advocacy groups fight to declare the internet shutdown illegal
Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa has dismissed rumours that a coup is being planned after a week of violent protests against massive fuel-price increases. “The president is aware of whispers of a ‘palace coup’ brewing amidst the current turmoil persisting in the country,” Mnangagwa’s spokesperson George Charamba said on Twitter on Monday. “We as an elected administration tend not to acknowledge trivia. It is prudent of the administration to clear the air.” Mnangagwa is expected to return to Zimbabwe after visiting Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan in an effort to drum up investment for his economically crippled nation. Demonstrations erupted on January 14 when the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions called a three-day strike to protest a 150% hike in the price of diesel and petrol.
At least 12 people were killed during the protests. Mnangagwa, who was accompanied by Charamba, cancelled a scheduled trip to a World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, sayi...
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