Chiwenga retires, Sibanda promoted to Zimbabwe Defence Forces chief

General Constantino Chiwenga has retired as Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and has been replaced by the Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army Lt General Valerio Sibanda who was promoted to a full general.

Major General Edzai Chimonyo was promoted to a Lt. General and is now Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army, replacing Sibanda.

A statement by the chief secretary to the President and Cabinet, Misheck Sibanda, said Chimonyo was on secondment to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Tanzania.

Sibanda also said air Vice Marshal Elson Moyo has been promoted to Air Marshal and is now Commander of the Air Force of Zimbabwe.

He replaces Perrance Shiri who is now Minister of Lands and Agriculture.

Chiwenga’s retirement, pending redeployment, now paves way for him to be appointed vice-president as he is now a civilian.

There has been wide debate that appointing Chiwenga to become one of Mnangagwa’s deputies would be viewed as confirmation that the military intervention of 15 November was indeed a coup.

The military insisted it was not a coup but was an intervention to prevent the country from being taken over by criminals.

The entire operation has now been dubbed Operation Restore Legacy.

Mnangagwa announced on Friday that he would name his deputies in two days, but they have since elapsed.

(404 VIEWS)