Coup Fears Grip Zimbabwe Ahead Of Defence Forces Day

By A Correspondent |
The Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) has moved to quell rumours of an impending military coup, saying the movement of military personnel and equipment in Harare ahead of Defence Forces Day celebrations is part of a planned procession and should not alarm the public.

The Army said the procession will take place from 9 to 11 August 2026, moving from Charles Gumbo Barracks to Rufaro Stadium, where the main Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) Day celebrations will be held on Tuesday.


In a statement, Director Army Public Relations Colonel Hlengiwe Dube urged members of the public not to panic, saying the military movement was part of preparations for the national celebrations. ZIMSECexam prep

The procession will leave Charles Gumbo Barracks, proceed along Airport Road and turn into Dieppe Avenue before moving along Crisps Road and Remembrance Drive towards Rufaro Stadium.

The clarification comes amid heightened political tensions within ZANU-PF, particularly over President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s continued stay in office and the succession battle involving Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga.

The rumours have revived memories of November 2017, when the Zimbabwe Defence Forces intervened in politics following a bitter succession struggle inside ZANU-PF.

In November 2017, then Vice-President Mnangagwa was dismissed by the late President Robert Mugabe amid a factional battle over his succession. Days later, then ZDF commander Chiwenga issued a warning against the purging of liberation-war veterans before the military deployed troops and armoured vehicles in Harare. The military seized control of the state broadcaster and placed Mugabe under effective house arrest. Mugabe subsequently resigned, paving the way for Mnangagwa to assume the presidency. Academic and legal analyses have characterised the intervention as a military coup despite the military’s insistence at the time that it was not a coup.


Nearly nine years later, the relationship between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga has become increasingly strained over the country’s succession question.


The dispute intensified after ZANU-PF endorsed constitutional changes that ultimately extended presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years and postponed the next elections from 2028 to 2030. Mnangagwa signed the amendments into law in July.

Chiwenga has publicly opposed aspects of the constitutional changes, particularly the manner in which they were being pursued. His opposition has exposed divisions within the ruling party, with reports of heated clashes between his allies and Mnangagwa loyalists.

The deepening succession dispute has fuelled speculation about whether Zimbabwe could witness another unconstitutional transfer of power. However, there is no independently verified evidence that a coup is planned for Sunday, and the Army’s statement specifically attributes the military movements to preparations for Defence Forces Day.

The possibility of renewed military intervention nevertheless remains a politically sensitive issue given the military’s decisive role in the 2017 transition and Chiwenga’s central role in that operation.

For now, the ZNA has urged Zimbabweans to treat the military procession as part of the country’s Defence Forces Day programme and to join the celebrations rather than panic.