WATCH | 'Everything happening in Zimbabwe is very confusing' says fearful Harare resident

A Harare resident says tensions are high in the Zimbabwean capital as people wonder what will happen next.

“Everything happening in Zimbabwe is very confusing. The most prevailing emotion is anxiety… What most people are also scared of is that it seems as if [axed Vice President Emmerson] Mnangwagwa is about to take over the country which creates a mixed set of emotions in the sense that Zimbabwe has had the same president who has failed time and time again for a very long time‚” said the man who does not want to be named for safety purposes.

The country’s national broadcaster‚ ZBC‚ has been taken over by the army and military vehicles have been deployed in Harare.

Early on Wednesday morning a military spokesman said the military was taking over in order to punish criminals.

He said President Robert Mugabe was safe and sound.

The South African presidency confirmed that Mugabe is being held in his home.

“President Zuma spoke to President Robert Mugabe earlier today who indicated that he was confined to his home but said that he was fine‚” Zuma said in a statement.

Zimbabwe's finance minister Ignatious Chombo has been detained.

Zimbabwean's are anxiously awaiting news on what will happen next. “Normal broadcasting has been disrupted…They have been playing (liberation) war songs.

“We don’t know what kind of a message they are sending. When they say they are weeding out criminals‚ how come normal broadcasting has not resumed?” The man‚ who told TimesLIVE that he works close to Mugabe’s official residence says he saw helicopters flying over the house.

Describing the events happening in the country‚ the man said: “This feels like a power struggle at top brass.

It will most likely be members of ZANU-PF who engage in battles. But that doesn’t take away the fear and anxiety (from ordinary citizens).”

“Some feel this is a game ZANU-PF is playing among themselves. We should be registering to vote. You never know what’s going on with the government and the ZANU-PF. “Voter registration is currently happening.

This is taking away time people should be using to register…” He said the Zimbabweans were more anxious because opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has taken ill.

“This now leaves a big void which is further perpetuating our anxiety. “All these frustrations have built to a stage where people now want a new leader‚ any leader… and this is leading down a very dangerous path cause Mnangagwa‚ as much as some might be excited that he is possibly taking over the country…all this excitement is not good cause he is quite a brutal man‚ a vicious man.

He said a rule under Mnangagwa will be the continuation of Mugabe’s regime‚ which has been “abusing” human rights… “But maybe he [Mnangagwa] might say I want to prove people wrong…”