Mnangagwa Retires ZNA Commander Lieutenant General Sanyatwe, Appoints Him Sports Minister
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has retired Lieutenant General Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe from the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) and his position as Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA).
In a statement released on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, Martin Rushwaya, the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, announced that Sanyatwe’s retirement takes effect immediately.
Rushwaya also revealed that Sanyatwe has been appointed as the new Minister of Sport, Recreation, Arts, and Culture, with the appointment effective immediately. Said Rushwaya:
In terms of section 216 (2) (Command of Defence Forces) as read with section 340 (1) (f) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and section 115 (Commander in Chief Prerogative) of the Defence Act [Chapter 11:02], the President, in His capacity as such and as Commander in Chief of the Defence Forces has relieved and retired, Lieutenant General Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe, from the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and as Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army with immediate effect.
And:
In terms of section 104 (3) of the Constitution, appoints Lieutenant General (Rtd) Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe as Minister of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture with immediate effect.
This is not the first time Lieutenant General Sanyatwe has been retired from the Zimbabwe National Army. He was retired in 2019 and was appointed as Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Tanzania.
However, he was later recalled from his ambassadorial role and reappointed as the Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) following the retirement of Lieutenant General David Sigauke.
On November 12, 2018, Sanyatwe, then a Brigadier-General and Commanding Officer of the Presidential Guard, testified before the Mothlane Commission of Inquiry.
During his testimony, he denied any involvement in the August 1 killings, asserting that the soldiers under his command had not fired on the crowds.
Responding to a commissioner who had asked if any dead bodies were recovered from the area where the kneeling soldier was firing, he said:
No, sir. If you watch that video closely, that soldier who took a kneeling position whilst firing; if you check properly [with] military experts, that rifle was being fired at an angle of 45 degrees in the air, and not directly at the [people].
Meanwhile, in a post on X on Saturday, social media personality LynneM claimed that a meeting was held at Precabe Farm on that day where a decision was allegedly made to remove Sanyatwe from the military and appoint him a Cabinet Minister.
She claimed that “in attendance were ED, Dr Amai Auxy, Tagwirei K, Emm-Jnr & Mupostori Shumba, those in ZANUPF circles know this Mupostori Shumba.” She added:
The plan of the meeting is to use the election of Minister Kirsty Coventry to the position of IOC President as an excuse for a cabinet reshuffle that will see the removal of the Genroll Chiwenga’s loyalists from any position that has direct links to the security sector.
The target in this scenario is General Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe, who is going to be “promoted” from ZNA Commander to Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation.
Gen Sanyatwe will be replaced by Asher Walter Tapfumaneyi who worked with Tagwirei at FAZ.
Sanyatwe’s wife will be moved from Deputy Minister for Home Affairs to a ministry yet to be established.
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