Mugabe, allies hit panic button

Allies of former president Robert Mugabe have sent desperate distress calls to both sitting and former heads of state on the continent, on fears that the government may arrest the nonagenarian and his unhinged wife Grace over festering allegations that he engaged in myriad criminal activities while in power.

This comes as Grace is already under serious police investigation after being implicated in the smuggling of the country's ivory stocks, with sources within the justice system also telling saying that there were several other ongoing probes targeting the former first lady - who was accused of effecting a 'bedroom coup' at the State House in 2014.

Former Higher Education Minister Jonathan Moyo has sent out a public appeal to African leaders including Thabo Mbeki to save ousted President Robert Mugabe from harassment by authorities in Harare, NewZimbabwe.com reported.

Moyo used his Twitter account to call on Rwandan President and current African Union chairperson, Paul Kagame, South African leader, Cyril Rhamaposa and Ugandan strongman, Yoweri Museveni, as well as former leaders to help Mugabe.

"HE P Kagame, HE C Rhamaposa, HE (Thabo) Mbeki (former President of South Africa), HE B (Benjamin) Mkapa (former President of Tanzania), HE O (Olesegun) Obasanjo (former President of Nigeria), HE Y Museveni  and HE K (Koffi) Annan (former UN secretary general). Coup rulers in Zimbabwe are persecuting your brother Mugabe. Please check on him," Moyo said.

Moyo was a leading figure in a faction of the ruling Zanu-PF party then known as Generation 40 that was vanquished by President Emmerson Mnangagwa's Team Lacoste with assistance from the military last year in November.

Mugabe was forced to resign after the army staged a largely bloodless coup paving the way for Mnangagwa who had been fired in early November as Vice President to sweep to power.