By A Correspondent | Mnangagwa Promotes FAZ Leader Walter Tapfumaneyi to Major General in Apparent Power Consolidation Move

Harare – 6 June 2025

In a move widely seen as an effort to neutralise growing dissent within ZANU PF ranks and secure his grip on power, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has promoted Brigadier General Asher Walter Tapfumaneyi—the architect of the controversial Forever Associates Zimbabwe (FAZ) operation—to the rank of Major General.

The announcement, made during a formal ceremony at Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) Headquarters on Friday, comes just weeks after Tapfumaneyi was transferred from the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) to the Zimbabwe National Army. The rapid elevation has sparked concern over what critics call the deepening militarisation of civilian politics in Zimbabwe.

Tapfumaneyi, a long-serving CIO operative and former Deputy Director General of the spy agency, is best known for founding and leading FAZ—a CIO-linked outfit accused of orchestrating voter intimidation and parallel electoral operations in favour of Mnangagwa’s controversial 2023 re-election. FAZ operatives were widely deployed across rural Zimbabwe where they allegedly surveilled voters, coerced communities, and undermined the integrity of the vote. The group operated outside of Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) oversight and in direct violation of constitutional electoral protocols.

Observers from SADC and the European Union condemned FAZ’s activities, with reports indicating that its command centres near polling stations compromised vote secrecy and enabled systematic voter coercion in ZANU PF strongholds. Despite the outcry, the government has defended FAZ as a patriotic volunteer group.

Now, Tapfumaneyi’s promotion to Major General signals a reintegration into the formal military command and a reward for loyalty to the ruling elite.

“Congratulations to you, Major General Tapfumaneyi, and welcome back to the ZDF. We are looking forward to working with you,” said Commander of the Defence Forces General Philip Valerio Sibanda at the investiture ceremony.

In his remarks, Tapfumaneyi thanked President Mnangagwa for the promotion, pledging loyalty to both the Commander and the President’s national security objectives.
“I am determined and committed to supporting the President’s vision and the Commander’s plan in defence of this country and making sure the country remains secure. I want to thank His Excellency for promoting me,” he said.

Tapfumaneyi has previously served as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs and played a central role in ZANU PF’s post-2017 repressive election machinery.

Analysts view the promotion as a strategic countermeasure against internal threats, including what some sources describe as a “Blessed Geza insurgency”—a reference to growing discontent within the ruling party from elements believed to be aligned with sidelined war veterans and anti-Mnangagwa factions.

“Mnangagwa is reinforcing his inner circle with trusted operatives embedded in security organs. Tapfumaneyi’s rise is no coincidence—it’s a clear message that loyalty to the party leader will be rewarded with institutional power,” said one security analyst who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Since 1980, the ruling party has relied heavily on the military and intelligence arms to retain power, a trend that escalated during the 2008 elections and was cemented by the 2017 military-assisted transition that ousted Robert Mugabe. The 2018 and 2023 elections further entrenched the fusion of party and state, with the army and intelligence agencies playing increasingly direct roles in political affairs.

With this latest promotion, Mnangagwa appears intent on shielding his presidency from both internal and external threats—ensuring that the command structures of the military remain firmly in the hands of loyalists at a time of mounting social, economic, and political discontent.