AN Irish charity worker based in Zimbabwe is urgently trying to get back to her husband and six-year-old daughter who are in lockdown in the country's capital following a military takeover.
Sarah McCann, who is originally from Tipperary and is a director with Trócaire, said that she had left her husband Joe and their child, Eliza, on Monday to work in a rural region five hours south of Harare.
Following the military's seizure of power in the early hours of Wednesday during which the country's president Robert Mugabe was placed under house arrest, roads have been closed and citizens told to remain indoors.
Speaking to the Irish News, Ms McCann said when she woke up to news reports this morning of tanks coming into Harare, her immediate concern was for her family's safety.
"It was pretty scary as when I left them at the beginning of the week it was relatively calm. I made contact with them and they fine but were staying indoors due to the lockdown. My daughter's school was closed," she said.
"While all the roads were reported to be closed, I know some people who have been able to travel on the main routes where there are military checkpoints.
"I really hope to get back to them tomorrow and intend to travel. This will not deter me from my work in the region as Zimbabwean people are fantastic and generally peace-loving. I have been here with my family for two years and we are not going anywhere. Trócaire has been here for 30 years."
Ms McCann heads up a project that provides aid to 40,000 people in need, including HIV/Aids support, aid to victims of domestic abuse and agricultural support.
