ZIMBABWE: I feared Mugabe lynching – former aide

An aide to Zimbabwe’s former president, Robert Mugabe, has said he feared civilians could “drag out and lynch” the leader in a “Libyan scenario”. During Mr Mugabe’s last week in office, he was under house arrest as the military staged a takeover which would eventually oust him. “I started visualising an image of Muammar Gaddafi,” […]

An aide to Zimbabwe’s former president, Robert Mugabe, has said he feared civilians could “drag out and lynch” the leader in a “Libyan scenario”.

During Mr Mugabe’s last week in office, he was under house arrest as the military staged a takeover which would eventually oust him.

“I started visualising an image of Muammar Gaddafi,” Mr Mugabe’s former spokesman George Charamba said.

He was speaking to Zimbabwe’s privately owned Daily News site.

While Mr Mugabe was held at his lavish Blue Roof mansion, negotiations over his future were being thrashed out between military generals, Catholic priests, political aides and South African envoys.

Mr Charamba says military officials informed the group that tens of thousands of protesters calling for the president’s resignation could target Mr Mugabe personally.