By Munacho Gwamanda—President Emmerson Mnangagwa has dealt a significant blow to a faction backing his deputy, Constantino Chiwenga, by removing Army Commander General Anselem Sanyatwe and reassigning him to the unpopular and less influential Ministry of Sports.
Mnangagwa swiftly appointed Major General Emmanuel Matatu as the new Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), further consolidating his control over the military.
Sanyatwe, a key ally of Vice President Chiwenga, has long been regarded as a pillar of support in the former army chief’s political ambitions.
Chiwenga, who played a central role in orchestrating the 2017 coup that ousted Robert Mugabe and installed Mnangagwa as president, was initially expected to succeed Mnangagwa in 2028.
However, mounting tensions between the two have led Mnangagwa to systematically eliminate high-ranking military officials aligned with Chiwenga.
Since assuming power, Mnangagwa has methodically purged Chiwenga’s allies within the military, replacing them with loyalists.
This trend began with the forced retirement of top military commanders who were instrumental in the 2017 coup, including former ZNA Commander Lieutenant General Edzai Chimonyo, who died under suspicious circumstances in 2021, and the late Foreign Affairs Minister Sibusiso Moyo, another key figure in the coup.
The latest move against Sanyatwe is widely seen as part of Mnangagwa’s broader strategy to weaken Chiwenga’s power base ahead of the 2028 elections.
Sanyatwe, formerly Commander of the Presidential Guard, played a controversial role in suppressing post-election protests in 2018 and was later appointed Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Tanzania—an apparent effort to sideline him.
His return to a key military position in 2023 signaled Chiwenga’s attempts to regain lost ground, but Mnangagwa’s swift decision to remove him underscores the ongoing power struggle within the ruling elite.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Chief Secretary to the Office of the President and Cabinet, Martin Rushwaya, confirmed Matatu’s appointment:
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF COMMANDER OF THE ZIMBABWE NATIONAL ARMY
“His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Cde Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, acting in terms of section 216(2) as read with section 89 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and sections 11(1)(a) and 11(4) of the Defence Act (Chapter 11:02), has appointed Major General Emmanuel Matatu to the rank of Lieutenant General and Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army with immediate effect.”
Matatu’s appointment is expected to further tilt the balance of power in Mnangagwa’s favor as he seeks to neutralize Chiwenga’s influence in both the military and political spheres.
The Vice President, who has been battling health complications, faces an uphill battle in fending off Mnangagwa’s maneuvers to extend his rule beyond 2028.