Zanu-PF's succession war gets dirty as Sibanda is arrested

BULAWAYO - Controversial former war veterans leader Jabulani Sibanda who was arrested on Friday afternoon was allowed to see members of his family who visited him at a police station in Harare this morning.

Sibanda was arrested from his Kenellys Farm in Nyamandlovu by members of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) who were dispatched from Harare.

The former liberation war veterans leader was immediately bundled into a police van in front of his family members and driven to Harare where he was detained at an undisclosed police station.
Police sources say he will appear in court on  Monday to face charges of undermining the country's president and Africa's longest ruler, Robert Mugabe.

"I can confirm that we were allowed to see Sibanda today and he is in high spirits," said a war veteran and a friend of Sibanda.

According to the Herald, Sibanda accused Mugabe of plotting "a bedroom coup" against his second in command, vice president Joyse Mujuru.Mujuru and other Zanu-PF leaders are being accused by police of plotting to assassinate Mugabe.

Sibanda, who has been Mugabe's trusted foot soldier for several years had also threatened to march to the State House, Mugabe's official residency, to confront the 90-year-old veteran leader over his grievances.

The former war veterans leader has openly supported Mujuru's faction in Zanu-PF and that has made him a marked man in the party as the succession war rages on.As the situation stands, the succession war in the party is taking no prisoners.

Mujuru's bid to seek re-election to the ruling party's central committee was foiled when Zanu-PF rejected her election papers.

Mujuru and powerful Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa were seen as the leading contenders to replace Mugabe, who has been in power since independence from Britain in 1980.Mujuru's backers in the party have been purged and could also face arrest by police.