Mnangagwa 'would be killers' arrested

There was frenzied media and public interest here yesterday as two men were brought to court for the attempted assassination of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The identity of two men arrested in connection with a grenade attack allegedly targeting President Emmerson Mnangagwa during a rally in Bulawayo on June 23 was revealed yesterday as details started to emerge on how the Zanu PF leader narrowly escaped death.

Douglas Musekiwa and John Zulu were supposed to appear before a Bulawayo magistrate facing "insurgency, banditry, sabotage or terrorism" charges, but the case failed to take off under unclear circumstances.

The duo, whose ages were not given, were whisked away by police officers following disagreements over how to proceed with the case involving court officials.

Mnangagwa escaped unhurt following the explosion, which killed two security aides and injured his deputy Kembo Mohadi, Environment minister Oppah Muchinguri Kashiri and 47 others.

Kashiri and Mohadi are still receiving treatment in South Africa.

Sources said a crackdown had since been launched mainly targeting members of the Central Intelligence Organisation and other security departments following the alleged assassination attempt.

They said Musekiwa and Zulu could have CIO links, if they were not operatives. A third suspect who is said to have received some form of military training is said to be in detention in Harare.

A source said Zulu and Musekiwa could be part of a group behind the grenade attack, but authorities believed the main suspect had a military background.

"The prime suspect was picked up by members of the military intelligence and another one was arrested on Thursday night but nobody knows if the police would be involved in the interrogation of the suspect," said a source.

"But generally, all security details suspected to have knowledge or involved in what happened in Bulawayo are being questioned again and again and they have been placed under surveillance.

"The prime suspect is a young male whose age we are told is 25 and was positioned at the end of the VIP tent throughout.

"He seems to have security training and was working with a clique whose extent and motive we are yet to establish."
The attack has allegedly caused tension among various security departments amid counter accusations over the failure to provide Mnangagwa and his VPs with proper security.

Mnangagwa survived the attack by a whisker as the grenade — thrown from a 15m-radius within the tent where VIP delegates were seated — could have landed three metres from where he was.

The Zanu PF leader could have been a casualty had the missile not hit a rope on the VIP tent ; redirecting it two metres away from its intended landing.

"The deflection it took saved the president. In fact, the security wall around president was created late," another source said.

Mnangagwa told the BBC that he suspected the suspect was linked to G40, a former Zanu PF faction which had coalesced around ex-first lady Grace Mugabe.