All ZRP riot police with guns disarmed after army takes over support unity base

Harare – The Zimbabwean military is in charge of a paramilitary police support unit depot in Harare and has disarmed police officers there, an army source told Reuters.

“They are now in charge of all armoury, all gates and roads leading in or out of the camp. Arcturus Road (which leads to the camp) is closed and all Support Unit details with guns have been disarmed,” the source said.

Zimbabwean soldiers and armoured vehicles blocked roads to the main government offices, parliament and the courts in central Harare, a Reuters witness revealed earlier.

President Jacobs Zuma in a statement called for the Zimbabwean government and army to resolve their differences amicably and said the Southern African Development Community (SADC), on whose behalf Zuma was speaking, was ready to help resolve the impasse in Zimbabwe.

There were speculations of a coup, but the military’s supporters praised it as a “bloodless correction.”

Reuters