The 93-year-old’s whereabouts are unknown after the military said “corrupt and crooked person” had been arrested and “an elderly man who had been taken advantage of by his wife” had been detained.
The Zimbabwe army seized power overnight with gunshots and explosions heard in the capital overnight near where Mr Mugabe and a number of government officials live.
There has been no immediate word from Mr Mugabe himself. It is unclear whether he is in military custody.
A statement read out by the general live on state television denied it was a coup and said Mr Mugabe was safe, but did not say where.
Army spokesman Maj Gen SB Moyo said Mr Mugabe and his family are “safe and sound”.
In a statement broadcast overnight, Moyo insisted: “We wish to make this abundantly clear this is not a military takeover of government.
“What the Zimbabwe defence forces is doing is to pacify a degenerating political, social and economic situation in our country, which if not addressed may result in violent conflict.”
Former Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa will now take power according to the ruling ZANU PDF Party.
The party issued a series of tweets this morning, saying there was not a military coup – just a “bloodless transition” after gunshots and explosions were heard in the capital overnight.
The statements read: “Last night the first family was detained and are safe, both for the constitution and the sanity of the nation this was necessary. Neither Zimbabwe nor ZANU are owned by Mugabe and his wife.
“Today begins a fresh new era and comrade Mnangagwa will help us achieve a better Zimbabwe.
“There was no coup, only a bloodless transition which saw corrupt and crooked persons being arrested and an elderly man who had been taken advantage of by his wife being detained.
“The few bangs that were heard were from crooks who were resisting arrest, but they are now detained.
“ZANU PF has a way of solving our own problems, the situation is stable and Zimbabwe is open for business. There was no coup, but a bloodless peaceful transition- the centre is strong and there is peace with honest leadership.”
Zimbabwe’s military chief denied they were targeting Mr Mugabe and said the army wanted to deal with people who “were committing crimes that are causing social and economic suffering in the country”.
It comes after Emmerson Mnangagwa, 75, was sacked from his post as vice-president for what the government called “traits of disloyalty”.
His removal was seen as making it more likely that President Mugabe’s wife, Grace, would follow in her husband’s footsteps as leader of Zimbabwe.