FLASHY Harare businessman and ZIFA president Philip Chiyangwa has scrambled to distance himself from the beleaguered G40 Zanu PF faction headed by First Lady Grace Mugabe
G40 had appeared on the cusp of winning the ruling party’s succession war with the path apparently cleared for Grace to take over from her 93-year-old husband, President Robert Mugabe.
But then the military intervened Wednesday morning, placing the veteran leader under house arrest and detaining ministers linked to G40.
Grace’s whereabouts remained unclear, with international reports claiming she had fled to neighbouring Namibia.
The army said it was hunting down “criminals” around President Mugabe who it said were responsible for social and economic suffering in the country.
Chiyangwa was said to be among the wanted lot.
The flamboyant tycoon then released a video via social media denying any links to G40 and insisting that he was not on the run.
“To put it on record, I’m in my office at 160 Enterprise Road and I slept at my house … I am not being sought after,” he said.
“In my life, I have never been a government minister; I have never been anything that makes decisions on anybody’s life … I’m just about making money and running football.”
Chiyangwa has however, frequently posts videos on social media linking himself to the G40 faction and heaping praises on Grace Mugabe (see video at end of article).
He was recently spotted at the First Lady’s church interface decked in Vapostori sect regalia. The rally which was attended by G40 loyalist so Grace Mugabe launch another of her rambling attacks on vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa who was then sacked by Mugabe the following day.
It was that rash sacking of Mnangagwa which dramatically changed G40’s blooming fortunes, resulting in its leaders – President Mugabe and his wife Grace – being placed under house arrest.
G40 ministers were said to be either in detention or on the run as the army took over power in a bloodless coup Wednesday morning.