By Charakupa Chimwanda-Former Zimbabwe National Army Commander, Lieutenant General (Retired) Anselem Sanyatwe, has officially handed over power to his successor, General Emmanuel Matatu, in a tightly controlled ceremony held midweek at Josiah Magama Tongogara Barracks (formerly KG6).
The event was presided over by Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander, General Philip Valerio Sibanda, in a display carefully choreographed to project unity amid mounting internal fissures within the ruling elite.
Sanyatwe, a powerful figure in the military establishment and newly appointed Minister of Sports, was abruptly retired by President Emmerson Mnangagwa on the eve of the controversial 31st March protests organized by ex-ZANU PF Central Committee member and war veteran, Blessed Geza.
The official narrative framed the move as part of a cabinet reshuffle necessitated by the elevation of outgoing Sports Minister Kirsty Coventry to the presidency of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
However, insiders say the timing was far from coincidental.
According to senior government sources, Mnangagwa’s sudden redeployment of Sanyatwe was a strategic effort to disarm potential military dissent linked to Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.
As tensions escalated ahead of the protests, Mnangagwa flooded the streets with riot police and army units—not just to deter public demonstrations but also to send a clear message to elements within the security forces whose loyalties were increasingly in question.
Sanyatwe, who once commanded the Presidential Guard and led the deadly post-election crackdown in August 2018 that killed at least six civilians, was viewed as a potential power broker.
His proximity to Chiwenga, the architect of the 2017 military coup that ushered Mnangagwa into power, made him a liability in a political environment increasingly shaped by fear, suspicion, and betrayal.
The rift between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga has been simmering ever since the coup that toppled Robert Mugabe.
Although the two were once comrades-in-arms, their ambitions have increasingly diverged.
Chiwenga, a retired general and Vice President, has long harboured presidential ambitions and still commands significant loyalty within the armed forces.
Mnangagwa, on the other hand, has spent the past few years consolidating power by marginalizing military-aligned figures in both government and the party.
Sidelining Sanyatwe is part of this broader strategy to undercut Chiwenga’s influence and isolate him ahead of a possible ZANU PF succession battle.
Observers believe the timing of Sanyatwe’s removal—just days before planned anti-government protests—suggests Mnangagwa feared more than just street unrest.
He feared an internal power shift.
General Emmanuel Matatu, the new army chief, is seen as loyal to Mnangagwa.