harare zimbabwe rule party accuse head arm force treason tuesday troop take position around capital escalation dispute 93-year-old president robert mugabe political succession 24 hours military chief general constantino chiwenga threaten intervene end purge rule party reuters reporter saw six armor personnel carriers major thoroughfares outskirts capital aggressive soldier direct traffic tell pass cars keep move darkness try anything funny go one soldier say harare drive presence troop include movement least six armor personnel carriers barrack northwest harare spark rumor coup mugabe although evidence suggest zimbabwe leader last 37 years topple lead item zbc state broadcaster even news bulletin anti-military rally youth wing mugabe zanu-pf party southern african nation edge since monday chiwenga commander zimbabwe defence force say prepare step end purge supporters sack vice president unprecedented statement represent escalation rumble political struggle succeed mugabe power since country gain independence britain 1980. mugabe chair weekly cabinet meet capital tuesday afterwards zanu-pf say stand primacy politics gun accuse chiwenga treasonable conduct ... mean incite insurrection mugabe fire vice president emerson mnangagwa last week veteran 1970s liberation war popular military see likely successor mugabe army view removal part purge independence-era figure pave way mugabe hand power wife grace mugabe reuters witness saw two armor vehicles park beside main road harare chinhoyi 20 km 14 miles city one point direction capital come track witness say saw four armor vehicles turn reach harare head towards presidential guard compound suburb outskirts harare four tank turn right see mark road one witness chinhoyi highway say refer armor vehicles point road link guard compound troop movements raise tension continent decades armies regularly overthrow civilian governments neither president wife respond public general remark state media publish chiwenga statement herald newspaper post comment twitter page delete head zanu-pf youth wing accuse army chief subvert constitution grace mugabe develop strong follow powerful youth wing defend revolution leader president ideal live need principle prepare die kudzai chipanga lead zanu-pf youth league say party headquarter harare grace mugabe rise bring conflict independence-era war veterans enjoy privilege role rule party mugabe recent years banish senior government party roles decades ago zimbabwe one africa promise economies due part agricultural export country currently struggle pay import due dollar crunch also spark rampant inflation 10 years suffer financial implosion cause central bank begin print money martin rupiya expert zimbabwe military affairs university south africa pretoria say army appear put squeeze mugabe rupture executive arm force rupiya say alex magaisa british-based zimbabwean academic say premature talk coup military coup nuclear option coup would hard sell home international community want avoid magaisa say soldier harare streets rule party accuse zimbabwe army chief treason