Harare – President Emmerson Mnangagwa has retired army chief, General Philip Valerio Sibanda, promoting Lt. General Emmanuel Matatu to full General replacing Sibanda as the Commander Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF).
Mnangagwa also promoted Major General, Asher Walter Tapfumaneyi to the rank of Lt. General.
Tapfumaneyi is now the the commander of the Zimbabwe National Army.
The new promotions were anticipated after leaks of how the command structure of the army will be structured.
According to high placed sources, Tapfumaneyi will be the Commander ZDF after the retirement of Matatu.
Earlier, Sibanda was appointed into the ZANU PF politburo but the decision was reversed because he was still serving in the military.
Sibanda will likely be appointed into the politburo.
The ZANU PF factional fights will now get into a new trajectory.
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, a former army chief will have a mammoth task to replace Mnangagwa as president.
Mnangagwa and his supporters want him to lead the country beyond 2028 to 2030.
Chiwenga supporters want him to be the next president in 2028 when Mnangagwa term ends.