By Paul Nyathi|In a perhaps very smart “substitution by elimination” move, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has finally succeeded in removing his long untrusted Deputy Chief Secretary from the Office Of the President and Cabinet.

Mnangagwa last week appointed Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet Retired Colonel Christian Katsande Ambassador to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, removing him from his office.

Mnangagwa has battled to get Katsande out of the President’s office since 2004 when former Vice President Joice Mujuru was dismissed from her position.

Mnangagwa and his then allies failed to get Katsande out of the office as then President Robert Mugabe thwarted their moves opting to stick to the retired soldier.

At that time Mnangagwa claimed Mujuru and her close circuit security sympathisers had attempted to kill then President Robert Mugabe. Mnangagwa is on video making these claims. The Mnangagwa allies however failed to convince Mugabe that Katsande was a Mujuru loyalist.

The appointment was announced by Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda in an Extraordinary Government Gazette published on April 10, general notice 184A of 2018.

“It is hereby notified that His Excellency the President has, in terms of section 110(2)(i) and 204 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No.20) Act, 2013, appointed Rtd Colonel Christian M. Katsande as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,” said Dr Sibanda.

Rtd Col Katsande has been serving as deputy chief secretary in the Office of the President responsible for policy formulation, analysis and co-ordination.