Nick Mangwana, a Zanu-PF representative in the UK, has said that he has also received reports that First Lady Grace Mugabe is no longer in the country. Earlier an opposition politician said she had fled to Namibia.

But Mr Mangwana said that in terms of Zanu-PF politics, Mrs Mugabe was now an insignificant player, adding that she was a “junior member of the party” and only had power by virtue of being President Robert Mugabe’s wife.

The first lady had been angling to become vice-president, and now she was out of the way Zanu-PF could hold a party congress without any interference, he said.

He admitted it was not normal for the army to take power in a democracy, but he said there had been nothing normal about the situation in Zimbabwe.

But he said officialy President Mugabe was still in charge as the military had not suspended the constitution and the country still had civilian government.

He said the president even chaired the cabinet as normal yesterday.