Harare – 25 March 2025
By Dorrothy Moyo | In a dramatic and highly calculated move aimed at tightening his grip on power ahead of the looming 31 March demonstrations demanding his resignation, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has today retired Zimbabwe National Army Commander Lieutenant General Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe and immediately reassigned him as Minister of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture.
The surprise announcement, delivered by Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr. Martin Rushwaya, also confirmed the removal of Kirsty Coventry from the same ministry, citing her election as President of the International Olympic Committee.
But beneath the diplomatic language lies a far more strategic maneuver. Sources close to high-level discussions suggest that Mnangagwa’s real target is to neutralize perceived threats within the security establishment — particularly officers sympathetic to Vice President General Constantino Chiwenga — in anticipation of civil unrest and internal dissent.
General Sanyatwe, a key Chiwenga ally and a power player in military affairs, was responsible for commanding the army during critical political junctures, including the controversial post-election crackdown of August 2018. His abrupt removal just six days before a mass opposition-led protest signals a deepening paranoia within Mnangagwa’s inner circle.
“This is not just about sport or Kirsty’s IOC seat,” a government insider revealed. “Mnangagwa is purging the military of anyone who might hesitate to act if things spiral out of control on March 31.”
The decision to shift Sanyatwe to a civilian role is seen by analysts as a veiled demotion. While being made a minister appears to offer prestige, it effectively sidelines him from direct control over the army at a moment of escalating political volatility.
Notably absent from today’s announcements is the name of Sanyatwe’s replacement — though speculation is rife that a trusted Mnangagwa ally from within the Forever Associates Zimbabwe (FAZ) network is poised to assume command of the ZNA.
The move comes as opposition voices, civil society groups, and disillusioned former war veterans mobilize for what they describe as a “final push” against Mnangagwa’s presidency. The removal of Sanyatwe may buy the president short-term breathing room, but it also raises the stakes — and risks — of an increasingly fragile political climate.
In a high-stakes and closely-guarded meeting at the weekend at Mnangagwa’s secluded Precabe Farm, a small circle of Zimbabwe’s most powerful figures gathered behind closed doors to orchestrate a political gambit that could reshape the country’s security and political architecture.
Sources with direct knowledge of the meeting confirmed the presence of President Mnangagwa himself, First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, business magnate and presidential confidante Kudakwashe Tagwirei, shadowy political strategist Herbert Shimbamhini, and several other key advisors.
At the heart of the discussions: a calculated plot to leverage the likely election of Zimbabwe’s Sports Minister, Kirsty Coventry, to the presidency of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the perfect smokescreen for an imminent and sweeping cabinet reshuffle.
According to insiders, the upcoming reshuffle is designed to surgically remove individuals within the security sector perceived to be loyal to Vice President General Constantino Chiwenga, Mnangagwa’s long-time rival in the relentless internal power struggle within ZANU-PF.
Chief among the targets is Zimbabwe National Army Commander, General Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe, a known ally of Chiwenga. Under the plan hashed out today, Sanyatwe is to be “kicked upstairs” with a promotion to the civilian role of Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation — conveniently vacated by Coventry. While publicly framed as a reward for service, insiders view this as a strategic demotion, stripping Sanyatwe of his grip on the military machinery.
His powerful wife, Chipo Sanyatwe, currently Deputy Minister for Home Affairs, is also to be shifted sideways — her new role to be within a yet-to-be-created ministry, leaving her current portfolio exposed and susceptible to Mnangagwa loyalists.
In Sanyatwe’s place, Mnangagwa’s camp has reportedly settled on Asher Walter Tapfumaneyi, a former top intelligence official with deep ties to Tagwirei and the controversial Forever Associates Zimbabwe (FAZ), Mnangagwa’s election-rigging apparatus. Tapfumaneyi’s anticipated appointment is seen as a decisive move to tighten the president’s grip over the armed forces, further marginalizing Chiwenga’s influence.
“The Coventry appointment is the perfect cover,” one source familiar with the discussions revealed. “While the world watches her ascend to the IOC, the real action will be happening in Harare, where Mnangagwa is clearing the decks.”
