President Emmerson Mnanagwa "retired" Zimbabwe's Airforce commander, just a few hours after his plane aborted landing at the Victoria Falls Airport due to a bomb scare.
In a statement signed by chief cabinet secretary Martin Rushwaya, Mnangagwa, who could not provide details for allegedly sacking Air Marshall Elson Moyo, said his post has been parceled to Vice Air Marshall John Jacob Nzvede.
Presidential spokesperson George Charamba, Information Minister Jenfan Muswere and publicity secretary Nick Mangwana were unreachable for comment as they were not responding to calls on their mobile phones.
The Associated Press reported earlier that a bomb scare shut down Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls Airport on , forcing the country’s president to cancel a planned address at a conference on renewable energy.
Mnangagwa was due to address the conference in the morning, but “had to suspend his trip to allow for investigations which are already underway."
Authorities couldn’t confirm local media reports that the president’s plane made a U-turn while traveling to the conference.
Charamba said that airport authorities were informed by Fastjet airline about an email sent “by a John Doe” claiming a “credible bomb/firearm threat” targeting Zimbabwe’s airports.
Security systems are “now on heightened alert,” Charamba said, urging people to be calm while investigations are underway.