Jane Mlambo| Former head of the Presidential Guard, Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe and Brigadier General Douglas Nyikayaramba who are believed to be close allies of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga have been deployed as Ambassadors in countries closer to Zimbabwe.

Yesterday, government announced the deployment of Ambassadors to various countries but it is the retired military men’s deployment which raises more questions than answers.

Sanyatwe, now a Lieutenant-General, is set to take up his new role as Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Tanzania while Nyikayaramba will be in Mozambique.

In February this year, President Emmerson Mnangagwa retired four senior army commanders, among them Sanyatwe, and deployed them to the Foreign Affairs ministry.

However, circumstances surrounding the redeployment were a subject of speculation following allegations of a fall-out between Mnangagwa and Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga over the top commanders’ retirement.

Sanyatwe yesterday thanked his troops for standing with him and for being a disciplined force.

“I am very pleased this morning and I feel greatly humbled to stand before you officers, men and women of this formation to officially hand over the brigade to Brigadier-General Fidelis Mhonda; a brigade, Presidential Guard brigade, that is intact, formidable, highly trained and loyal to the Commander-in-Chief and our great nation as a whole as per all the standards expected of the guards,” he said.

-Newsday