Plot thickens in Zimbabwe

News of the 'accidental' death of Brigadier-General Ambrose Gunda in Zimbabwe goes some distance to confirm rumours of an attempted coup. Gunda's body was found in a car that had been hit by a goods train. To be honest, this detail alone proves that this was no accident. The train lines in Zimbabwe were, at the best of times, extremely infrequently used. Now, with no fuel in the country, and steam trains being recommissioned out of Bulawayo's transport museum, the chances of a collision are small to remote. That Gunda was under house arrest at the time rather confirms the point.

He was, of course, buried at Heroes' Acre as many of Mugabe's assassinated enemies have been. Gunda is small fry as far as the coup is concerned. The names to be watching out for are Emerson Mnangagwa and General Solomon Mujuru (whose wife Grace, aka Comrade Spillblood is also a potential power-seeker). Mujuru is reportedly also under house arrest, though this hasn't been confirmed. Mugabe's response to all this has been to order the rapid nationalisation of any remaining foreign-owned assets and businesses in the country.

Mr Mugabe railed against a number of forces he blamed for the present parlous situation, saying miners had been drafted into a "regime-change" agenda by Britain, deliberately reducing production, raising prices and illegally banking foreign currency abroad. "We will seize the mines... we will nationalise them if they continue with the dirty tricks," said an angry Mr Mugabe.

Frankly, with inflation running at an estimated 10,000%, Zimbabwe is a write-off. Putting her back together again will take a lot of hard work.