Zimbabwe army chief appointed Sports minister replacing new IOC boss

Zimbabwe’s army commander Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe has been appointed new Sports minister replacing Kirsty Coventry who was recently elected International Olympic Committee president.

Coventry will take up her post in June but was relieved of her post today. She had already indicated that she would be stepping down.

Sanyatwe was commander of the Presidential Guard before being appointed ambassador to Tanzania and then commander of the army.

Some are reading his removal from the army as part of President Mnangagwa’s plan to weaken his deputy Constantino Chiwenga’s grip on the army. Chiwenga is reportedly eyeing the top post and is against any plans to allow Mnangagwa to stay on.

The ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front passed a resolution at its annual conference in December that Mnangagwa should stay on until 2030. His current term ends in 2028.

Mnangagwa has repeatedly said he is stepping down at the end of his term because he is a constitutionalist. He also says that there is no rift between him and Chiwenga but the media continues to say that there is a rift between the two and Mnangagwa intends to stay until 2030..

Coventry made history by becoming the first woman and African to head the IOC, a move that some say was a victory for Zimbabwe as it put the country, which is often described as a pariah state, on the map.

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