A dangerous incident that happened at Zimbabwe State House on Tuesday afternoon continues to be unpacked as soldiers open up on what actually took place.
According to sources, the trooper, apparently engaged in a fistfight with his commander, a Brigadier-General Mhonda during interrogation after he was disarmed.
The soldier who has been identified as ‘Private Mugadu’ apparently has a ‘troubled history” and had to be shipped to a military facility for psychiatric assessment after the ‘deeply troubling’ episode to establish his mental well being.
This incident comes amidst resports that junior ranking soldiers are expecting instructions to stage a coup this November and they are restless following reports that General Chiwenga is very ill to stage another coup when he returns from China.
Speaking about the incident a military source said:
“Without any warning, the soldier pumped 30 shots into the air, sending many people into panic before some brave soldiers close to him managed to apprehend him as he was reloading his gun.
“The incident took place on Tuesday afternoon and I understand that the soldier is currently detained,”
According to the source, the young soldier once wanted to quit after serving his mandatory three years but his request was turned down by Commanding Officer Samson Murombo who tore up his resignation letter together with those of other nine soldiers who wanted to leave.
Another source said that when Mugadu was disarmed, he was taken to the Presidential Guard base camp, where he was interrogated by the base camp commander Brigadier-General Mhonda — with the two men ending up engaging in a fistfight.
“He (Mugadu) accused his superiors … of living it up while the rank and file were suffering. As of yesterday (Thursday), he was said to be no longer co-operating — insisting on seeing the President or the Defence Forces commander (General Philip Valerio Sibanda).
“He has a history of mental health problems which is said to have been detected when he was about 15. He also has a 23-year-old brother who is also said to be mentally ill.
“Among the things he said was that even if he was silenced, there were more soldiers with similar feelings like him,” yet another source told the Daily News last night.
Reached for a comment about the “Statehouse gunshots soldier‘Zimbabwe Defense Forces Spokesperson Overson Mugwisi said he couldn’t comment on the matter as it fell under the domain of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) and referred questions to Army Spokesperson Colonel (Alphios) Makotore.
Makotore in turn referred all the questioning to the State Residence while President Mnangagwa’s spokesperson said he hadn’t been appraised about the situation yet.
The military, just like everybody else, is stewing from the increasingly intensifying economic meltdown.
agencies
