Go to court, Mugabe told

“Section 212 of the Constitution provides that the Zimbabwe Defence Forces are the last line defence of the Constitution,” he added.

“And where there is a dispute over legality, isn’t the cure approaching the courts? He should approach the Constitutional Court if he has a legitimate claim of a coup. Right now he is implying that a bilateral meeting is larger and above an election or a court.”

A source close to what was happening as Mr Mugabe’s regime crumbled said the Command Element of the ZDF had to the very end placed the Constitution at the centre of all its decision-making.

This included rejecting a bizarre request Mr Mugabe said for then ZDF Commander, General Constantino Chiwenga, to succeed him as President of Zimbabwe.

“Mugabe and Grace were following proceedings on TV, seeing the huge crowds in the streets that were demanding he step down immediately, and his wife in particular was afraid that (Ambassador Christopher) Mutsvangwa and incensed university students would soon storm Blue Roof (the Mugabes’ residence).

“Zanu-PF had started a process to recall Mugabe and there was bipartisan support in Parliament for impeachment.

“There was real panic at Blue Roof, and Mugabe sent an emissary (name withheld) to General Chiwenga with two strange requests.

‘‘The first was that Mugabe wanted Chiwenga to be President, and the second was that when he dies, he does not want to be buried at the Heroes Acre.

“General Chiwenga told (the envoy) that the leadership question was for political parties to decide and his concern was the Constitution and national security.

“He said ‘changu kupfeka makwapamakwapa’ (‘I am a uniformed soldier’).

‘‘As for where you bury each other, that has nothing to do with the military.”

The insider said the military’s respect for constitutional order was also apparent at the November 16, 2017 meeting between Mr Mugabe and a South African delegation sent by then President Jacob Zuma.

“Mugabe invited General Chiwenga to that meeting, and he came with VaElson Moyo (then Air Vice-Marshal, now Air Marshal).

‘‘Also present were South Africa’s Minister of Defence (Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula), their State Security Minister (Bongani Bongo), and others from both countries.

“As soon as General Chiwenga stepped in, he walked directly to Mugabe and saluted him before taking his seat. Is that how a coup happens? That single gesture moved the lady (Minister Mapisa-Nqakula) so much.

“She almost cried at the level of respect, even in such tense times and said from the way people were talking, she never expected to see the general respecting Mugabe like that. She said it means Zimbabwe has many lessons to teach Sadc.

“Right up to the day Mugabe resigned, the commanders maintained respect for their then Commander-in-Chief even as he tried to protect a criminal cabal.”

He said a mediation team — comprising Roman Catholic cleric Father Fidelis Mukonori, Central Intelligence Organisation Deputy Director Mr Aaron Nhepera, and Mr Charamba — pleaded with Mr Mugabe to accept that he had lost long lost control and that the popular uprising could descend into chaos if he remained recalcitrant.

“Two messages were conveyed to Mugabe. One was that the street demonstrations were escalating and people were mobilising themselves to go to Blue Roof.

‘‘The ZDF made it clear that if that happened, they were not prepared to order troops to open fire on civilians. In fact, a disgruntled State House worker had led a group right up to the final (security) checkpoint before Blue Roof and the military moved quickly to convince people to keep their demonstrations away from that house.

“The second message was that the ZDF would not in any way interfere with an impeachment process because that would be in breach of the Constitution.

“Mugabe said, ‘So it means they (the military) are no longer ready to defend me? They are opening the floodgates.’ Even as Mugabe vainly sent (name withheld) to try and divide MPs and the Speaker of the House to stop them from impeaching him, he was raging at (then State Security Minister Kembo) Mohadi and (then Defence Minister Dr Sydney) Sekeramayi for not using State apparatus to quell the uprising.

“It took him a while to appreciate that this was very much a social revolution and that the national security organs would not act unconstitutionally just to protect his position as Head of State.

‘‘He came around slowly, which is why you hear in his ‘asante sana’ speech the concession that while he did not agree with the military action, there certainly were national grievances demanding rectification.

“He eventually signed a resignation letter, which was drafted by the Attorney-General (Mr Prince Machaya) in the presence of (then Justice Minister Happyton) Bonyongwe. So tell me, is that a coup?

‘‘Does a coup incorporate impeachment? Does it enlist the Central Committee of the party that has provided the President who people want out? Does it involve a demonstrations by people from across the political divide?”