Zimbabwe’s Mnangagwa removes army chief as mass protests loom

Zimbabwe Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga (left) and President Emmerson Mnangagwa. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Yeshiel Panchia)

By Frank Chikowore

27 Mar 2025

Opposition against Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa is building, with suspicions that Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga is angling to take the top job.

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa removed the southern African country’s army chief from his position on Tuesday, 27 March 2024 in a desperate attempt to contain his deputy, Constantino Chiwenga, who is reportedly angling to succeed him.

Mnangagwa’s opposition has vowed to participate in mass protests set for next week.

chiwenga manangagwa Zimbabwe Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga (left) and President Emmerson Mnangagwa. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Yeshiel Panchia)

This comes shortly after a prominent war veteran, Blessed Geza, a professed Chiwenga ally and former member of parliament and the ruling Zanu-PF party’s highest decision-making body, the Central Committee, announced 31 March as the date for nationwide protests to demand Mnangagwa’s resignation, accusing the 82-year-old leader of massive corruption, nepotism, cronyism and a litany of other charges.

Those loyal to Mnangagwa are campaigning for the president to extend his second and final term of office beyond 2028, although the head of state has vowed to abide by the provisions of the national constitution.

Lieutenant General Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe, a key Chiwenga ally who played a pivotal role in a military coup led by Chiwenga that ousted Zimbabwe’s strongman Robert Mugabe in November 2017 after ruling the country with an iron fist for 37 years, was re-deployed from his post as Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army to head the sports ministry, replacing Kirsty Coventry, who was recently elected as president of the International Olympic Committee.

Sanyatwe, who previously served as Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Tanzania, was one of the top army chiefs who led troops on to the streets of the Zimbabwean capital Harare and put Mugabe under house arrest, forcing him to unceremoniously leave.

His removal was announced by Martin Rushwaya, the chief secretary to the president and cabinet, following a meeting held by Mnangagwa and his allies at his Precabe Farm in Kwekwe, about 200km southwest of the capital.

“In terms of section 216 (2) (Command of Defense Forces) as read with section 340 (1) (f) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and section 115 (Commander in chief Prerogative) of the Defence Act (Chapter 11:02), in his capacity as such and as Commander in Chief of the Defence Forces, has relieved and has retired Lieutenant General Ancelimo Nhamo Sanyatwe, from the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and as Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army with immediate effect,” reads part of Rushwaya’s statement.

No comment could be obtained from Sanyatwe. Calls went unanswered and text messages were not responded to.

Sanyatwe is also known for the infamous shooting and killing of protesters in 2018 following disputed presidential elections won by President Mnangagwa. He told the commission of inquiry into the shootings, led by former South African president Kgalema Motlanthe, that the army shot protesters “at 45 degrees”, resulting in the deaths of at least six.

Read more: Witness Zimbabwe: Human rights in time of torture and abduction

This resulted in Sanyatwe being added to the sanctions list by the United States government for human rights violations, although those sanctions have since been lifted, while the United Kingdom also froze his assets.

‘Coup-proofing’ attempt

Political analyst Rashweat Mukundu, who works with International Media Support, described Sanyatwe’s redeployment as a “demotion”.

“There is no doubt that the firing of the general (Sanyatwe) is a demotion as he has been in this senior security position for a few years and now demoted to a less relevant ministry,” said Mukundu.

Another analyst, Eldred Masunungure, said Mnangagwa’s removal of Sanyatwe was an attempt to protect himself against a possible coup.

“It’s part of the coup-proofing (by Mnangagwa) that started sometime in December and Sanyatwe’s removal is planned to cut out a possible coup as some in the command element are perceived to be sympathetic to Geza,” said Masungure.

Read more: Optics and reality – the Zimbabwean government’s struggle to whitewash its image while unleashing violence on civilians

The military shake-up by Mnangagwa comes only a few months after he changed the top brass of the police and the country’s spy network, the Central Intelligence Organisation. Stephen Mutamba took over as police commissioner general from Godwin Matanga, who was retired, while Fulton Mangwanya replaced Isaac Moyo as the CIO boss.

Sanyatwe, a known apologist for Mngangagwa’s party, is on record as saying, “Zanu-PF will rule forever”. His close links with Chiwenga could have resulted in his being demoted as factionalism in the ruling party rears its ugly head again, according to Mukundu.

“The firing is, without doubt, linked to ongoing factional fights in Zanu-PF and all political leaders in Zanu-PF are aware that the military is the final arbiter if the situation gets worse, and Sanyatwe’s dismissal indicates that the powers that be may have lost faith in him. This may not necessarily be linked to the planned protest, but long-term succession battles in Zanu-PF,” Mukundu said.

Unofficial curfew

Military sources told Daily Maverick that security around Vice-President Chiwenga had been increased ahead of the planned protests amid allegations by Geza that President Mnangagwa was involved in the poisoning of his deputy.

Read more: Looming Zimbabwe ‘uprising’ echoes overthrow of Mugabe as calls mount to oust Mnangagwa

Some business owners in Harare’s satellite town of Chitungwiza also claimed that the police had ordered them to shut their businesses by 6pm every day.

“It is an unofficial curfew; we are being told to close our businesses by 6pm and this has been happening for a number of days now. We are losing business and we suspect this has something to do with the Geza Revolution (the 31 March protests),” said a Chitungwiza night club owner requesting anonymity.

The redeployment of Sanyatwe also came as the main opposition ratchets up pressure on Mnangagwa to respect provisions of the country’s constitution by not seeking an extension of his term of office.

Promise Mkwananzi, a top official close to Zimbabwe’s main opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, said the broader opposition would support the planned 31 March demonstrations.

“We have always supported all progressive processes and initiatives that seek to bring positive change in Zimbabwe, not least at this point in time, in the context of an attempted onslaught on our constitution and in the midst of unprecedented corruption and malgovernance,” said Mkwananzi.

Helen Zille of South Africa’s Democratic Alliance has also called on Zimbabweans to unite and protest against the Mnangagwa administration. DM

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‘Coup-proofing’ attempt

Unofficial curfew