No fewer than 27 presidential security and advanced team attached to President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe were on Friday, February 7, 2015 allegedly handed a suspension letter each following the president’s embarrassing fall.
President Mugabe went on all fours at Harare International Airport after addressing a crowd on his return from an Africa Union summit in Ethiopia.
According to The Standard, the guards who were faulted for being slow to react as 90-year-old Mugabe stumbled while going down the steps.
Although sources maintained that the guards were actually suspended, presidential spokesman, George Charamba on Sunday, February 8, 2015 however refuted the claims of the suspension of the guard.
He said,“There is only one hand that shakes up and that hand has not shaken up [anything]. What is there to shake up? The last time you heard about a shake up it was from us and not from media reports.”
Another anonymous official close to the developments said the fall was a very serious issue despite the fact that some people were not taking it as such.He said, “There are many departments that are being investigated, from Air Zimbabwe, the advance team and the security. I doubt if some of them will come back.”
“The issue here is simple. The security team was caught napping.
“They were taking things for granted and failed to adhere to basics. It is protocol that the immediate proximity is, at most, three metres from the President.
“These are the bullet takers and in cases where he falls they are supposed to hold him either by the arm or by the shoulder and should never take their eyes off him.”
“That should never happen. What if someone pulled a gun? The immediate proximity team should have helped him up because those are the people that are allowed to touch him before anyone else.”
