Harare — President Emmerson Mnangagwa has appointed General Emmanuel Matatu as the new Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (CDF), replacing the retired General Philip Valerio Sibanda who has reached the age limit according to the law of the land . The announcement was made Wednesday in a statement issued by the Chief Secretary to the Office of the President and Cabinet Dr Martin Rushwaya. In a separate development, Major General Asher Walter Tapfumaneyi has been elevated to the rank of Lieutenant General and appointed Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army.
Speculative reports suggest that Sibanda who is Mnangagwa’s cousin , is eyed for Politburo appointment ahead of the Resolution number 1 hullabaloo resolved at the recent party conference held in Mutare. The first attempt to bulldoze Sibanda in the Politburo was regarded ‘null and void’ as he was still a serving member of the army which rendered it a complete negation of law and ‘raping’ the constitution. Analysts say Mnangagwa is moving diagonally like a “bishop in the game of chess’ to consolidate political hegemony and ‘dilute’ his deputy who is reported to be against the so called Vision 2030 agenda that has dragged in excitable businessman and newly co-opted central committee member Kuda Tagwirei. Ironically ,the First Son Sean is also a highly trained military guy who has served as a Major.
Read Full Article on ExpressMail Zimbabwe
