Zimbabwe Coup

Out with the Zimbabwe dollar, in with the ZiG. Zimbabwe on Tuesday started circulating a new currency to replace one that has been battered by depreciation and often outright rejection by the people. The ZiG was introduced electronically in early April, but people are now able to use banknotes and coins. It's the southern African country's latest attempt to halt a long-running currency crisis underlining its persistent economic troubles. The government had previously floated various ideas to replace the Zimbabwe dollar, including introducing gold coins to stem inflation and even trying out a digital currency. Since it was launched electronically on April 5, the ZiG short for Zimbabwe Gold and backed by the country's gold reserves appears to be heading down the same path of mistrust, with some government departments refusing to accept it. The ZiG is the sixth currency Zimbabwe has used since the spectacular 2009 collapse of the Zimbabwe dollar amid hyperinflation of 5 billion ...

Endless police roadblocks were a notorious feature, drivers reluctantly paying frequent bribes to evade long questioning

Now the focus turns to Mnangagwa, Mugabe's longtime deputy who was pushed aside earlier this month.

The way in which the military has gone about executing its plan upends any conventional understanding

It's not clear if Zimbabwe still has enough of an economic base to start rebuilding itself in earnest, and the military may yet try to extract a price for its role in bringing Mugabe down

Zimbabweans were astonished that Mugabe, flanked by the military in his national address tonight, remained defiant.

Mnangagwa is a long time Zanu-PF stalwart and is closely integrated with military high command, intelligence services

If Zimbabwe is to step back from the brink of state failure, it must find a way to address the Mugabe regime's crimes, including Mnangagwa's role in Gukurahundi

Many Zimbabweans had expected Mugabe, 93, to announce his resignation after the army seized power, opened the floodgates of citizen protest and his once-loyal party told him to quit

Army troops and armored vehicles continued to patrol the capital, Harare, as Zimbabweans went about their daily business

Armed forces have taken control of the government and the state broadcaster; Mugabe's wife has fled the country

The unfolding drama in Zimbabwe was thrown into confusion when a smiling Mugabe was pictured shaking hands with country's military chief, the man behind the coup

Zimbabwe army took control of the country on Tuesday, apparently puting an end to President Robert Mugabe's 37-year reign

Those waters, in the shadow of Robert Mugabe's heritage, will take a few more generations of hard political work to clear

Choices that Zimbabwe's political leadership makes will have immense consequences for the future of a country whose development stagnated under 40 years of authoritarian rule