By Munacho Gwanda- The Zimbabwe National Army has said the presence of military tanks on the streets of Harare will continue until Thursday (today).

Deputy Army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Tichafa Mungofa told VOA’s Studio 7 that the military was/is conducting routine drills with the tanks and people should not be worried.

“It’s a normal exercise that the Army usually undertakes, and this is one of them. This is an ongoing exercise, and I think it will end tomorrow (Thursday),” he said.

More than 20 military tanks were spotted in Harare’s Borrowdale area, fueling fears of a possible coup, particularly amid deepening divisions within the ruling party.

The sudden and unusual movement of military hardware mirrors events leading up to the 2017 coup when soldiers first appeared in the streets before tanks were deployed to strategic locations, including Parliament and police stations, to disarm the police force, which had become Mugabe’s de facto paramilitary wing.

That coup, orchestrated by the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) under then-General Constantino Chiwenga, was backed by key military figures such as the late Air Marshal Perrence Shiri and retired General Sibusiso Moyo. 

The military’s intervention followed Mugabe’s decision to fire Mnangagwa as Vice President, a move seen as clearing the way for his wife, Grace Mugabe, to seize power.

Mugabe’s ouster paved the way for Mnangagwa to assume the presidency, but growing unease within the ruling party has reignited fears of another military takeover.

Presidential spokesperson George Charamba, posting under his pseudonym dhonzamusoro007 on social media, insisted that the military tank movement was part of routine drills.

Despite official dismissals, speculation persists that Vice President Chiwenga may have deployed the tanks to intimidate Mnangagwa amid their intensifying power struggle.

Chiwenga, who was in Mutare attending the funeral of Sekuru Leonard “Mwatambandini” Kashiri—the father-in-law of Zanu PF National Chairperson and Minister of Defence, Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri—has not publicly commented on the developments.

Adding to the uncertainty, war veteran and Zanu PF Central Committee member Blessing Geza recently warned that war veterans would take drastic steps to remove Mnangagwa. 

His remarks have intensified speculation that a military faction loyal to Chiwenga could be preparing to act.

Reports suggest that senior military officials and war veterans have held secret meetings to strategize ways to blockMnangagwa’s attempts to extend his rule beyond his current term under the controversial #ED2030 agenda.

Sources indicate that the rift between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga has reached a breaking point, with Chiwenga’s allies accusing Mnangagwa of reneging on a 2017 coup agreement that allegedly promised him the presidency after Mnangagwa’s first term.

Unlike Mugabe in 2017, Mnangagwa has spent years consolidating power.

He has appointed loyalists to key military positions, purged Chiwenga allies, and neutralized potential rivals within Zanu PF.

Many figures from the 2017 coup, including Perrence Shiri and Paradzai Zimondi, have died under suspicious circumstances, raising speculation that Mnangagwa orchestrated their eliminations to weaken Chiwenga’s support base.

Despite these maneuvers, Chiwenga remains a formidable force within the security sector.

Reports suggest that a faction of the military and war veterans still consider him Zimbabwe’s rightful leader.

A recent high-level meeting in Mashonaland Central, a province known for political upheavals, reportedly discussed growing discontent within the military and the possibility of drastic action against Mnangagwa.

One insider remarked: “You hear what credible war veterans like Blessing Geza are saying. 

He is not hallucinating; he is communicating a message from the script, and you must listen carefully.”

While Mnangagwa has fortified his grip on security and intelligence agencies, Zimbabwe’s political landscape remains unpredictable.

If discontent within the military reaches a tipping point, even a well-entrenched president can be overthrown.

With tensions between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga escalating and war veterans openly voicing their grievances, Zimbabwe may be on the verge of yet another military-led political upheaval.

Whether the military presence is a precursor to a coup or merely routine drills, the coming weeks will be decisive in shaping Zimbabwe’s future.