| By Talent Tsatsa,
on December 06 2007 16:02
|
Favoured : 21 |
Zimbabwe National Army chief of staff Major General Engelbert Rugeje has received final warning words from Robert Mugabe following his persistent involvement in back-door consultations suspected to be geared towards toppling the president.
Rugeje is one of the three senior army officials that were arrested and detained for sometime in June following the foiled coup attempt code named Operation 1940. The operation, which was supposed to see soldiers pouncing on Mugabe's residence in Borrowdale Brook on June 15th, was sniffed out by loyal security details within the army leading to the arrest of the four and about 400 soldiers from around the country. The government kept the development under the carpet but information leaked through disgruntled forces within the army. The other two senior army officials who were involved in the plot are Air Vice Marshal Elson Moyo and Army spokesman, Colonel Ben Ncube. The code name 1940 was derived from the time that the soldiers were supposed to unleash the coup. On that very same time on June 15th, the whole nation was plunged into darkness and impeccable sources revealed that the power blackout was part of the coup plot. After being arrested and given a strong warning over the development, Rugeje is said to have earlier this month convened a secret meeting with Retired General Solomon Mujuru when Mugabe was out of the country on diplomatic business. Rugeje, Moyo and Ncube are under 24-hour surveillance from security forces and once again, the secret meeting leaked to the president culminating in the latest warning that close sources said was the last one before action is taken against the general. The action, sources revealed, would most probably be the traditional assassinations that has been used to pluck out individuals who are deemed threats to Mugabe's life. Mugabe is said to have told Rugeje that he would soon face the music if he keeps his hands in the 'muddy plots'. Details of the Rugeje-Mujuru meeting are still sketchy but sources revealed that it was one of a series of meetings that Mujuru has been holding with several political figures in the pre-run to next year's presidential election. Mujuru is against Mugabe's candidature in the upcoming election and he has roped in Simba Makoni into his camp as opposition against Mugabe within Zanu PF ranks intensifies. |