By Sports Reporter-Since his demotion from the Zimbabwe National Army and reassignment to civilian life, Lt General (Retired) Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe has increasingly found himself in the public eye—this time not in military fatigues, but as the new Minister of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture.
Sanyatwe’s demotion marks the latest chapter in a gradual political fall from grace. Once a powerful figure in Zimbabwe’s military and political establishment, he was a central player during the 2017 coup that ousted long-time ruler Robert Mugabe. He later served as Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Tanzania, before being recalled in January 2024 under murky circumstances. His reassignment to a ministerial post, widely seen as a further sidelining, came amid a reshuffle that removed him from strategic security structures and placed him in a less politically sensitive portfolio.
Despite this, Sanyatwe has remained unusually visible and vocal. Last week, he toured the controversial Heart Stadium and hotel in Waterfalls, owned by self-proclaimed prophet and convicted fraudster Walter Magaya, raising eyebrows about the minister’s choice of company.
He also made headlines after confronting the contractor in charge of renovating the National Sports Stadium, reportedly telling them to “shape up or ship out”—a statement that signalled his intention to shake up the country’s troubled sports infrastructure.
This week, Sanyatwe visited Kensington Medical Centre, where four professional golfers are receiving treatment following a tragic car crash that claimed the life of a fellow player.
The deceased, Morton Kombai, a professional golfer from Zvishavane, died in a car accident late Sunday night at the intersection of Samora Machel Avenue and Seventh Street in Harare. He had just competed in the FBC-Zimbabwe Open golf tournament alongside four other professional golfers.
The injured—Tonderai Masunga (Zimbabwean), Biggie Chibvuri (Zimbabwean and driver of the vehicle), Victor Kachepatsonga (Malawian), and Lucky Ayisa (Ghanaian)—are currently hospitalised.
Sanyatwe’s presence at the hospital underscores his new role as minister, but also highlights the tightrope he walks between remaining politically relevant and appearing overly eager in a portfolio often seen as a political graveyard. Whether this renewed visibility will help him rebuild influence or fade quietly from the national spotlight remains to be seen.