President Mnangagwa has made another move to strengthen his control by raising Major-General Emmanuel Matatu to Lieutenant General and putting him in charge of the Zimbabwe National Army. As the top boss of Zimbabwe's military forces, Mnangagwa recently removed Lt-Gen Anselem from his army leadership role and gave him a job as Sports Minister. Anselem takes over from Kirsty Coventry, who just became the new president of the International Olympic Committee.
Martin Rushwaya, who works as the Chief Secretary for the President and Cabinet, told everyone about this change. He said, "The President of Zimbabwe has promoted Major-General Matatu to Lieutenant General and Commander, starting right away." Before moving up the ranks, Matatu ran the administrative side of the army as its Chief of Staff. He had already climbed from Brigadier-General to Major-General earlier.
Matatu fought with the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army and learned his military skills at the Zambia Military Academy. These army shake-ups come as Mnangagwa faces growing pressure from war veterans and others within his party who want him gone. The President has changed several top security leaders lately, which many see as a way to protect himself from those who might try to push him out.
The timing matters because some former freedom fighters plan to hold protests across the country on March 31. They blame Mnangagwa for making Zimbabwe's money troubles worse and trying to stay in power past 2028, when his second term should end. Several political experts think these military changes show that Mnangagwa feels worried about keeping his grip on power against growing threats from former allies.
Martin Rushwaya, who works as the Chief Secretary for the President and Cabinet, told everyone about this change. He said, "The President of Zimbabwe has promoted Major-General Matatu to Lieutenant General and Commander, starting right away." Before moving up the ranks, Matatu ran the administrative side of the army as its Chief of Staff. He had already climbed from Brigadier-General to Major-General earlier.
Matatu fought with the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army and learned his military skills at the Zambia Military Academy. These army shake-ups come as Mnangagwa faces growing pressure from war veterans and others within his party who want him gone. The President has changed several top security leaders lately, which many see as a way to protect himself from those who might try to push him out.
The timing matters because some former freedom fighters plan to hold protests across the country on March 31. They blame Mnangagwa for making Zimbabwe's money troubles worse and trying to stay in power past 2028, when his second term should end. Several political experts think these military changes show that Mnangagwa feels worried about keeping his grip on power against growing threats from former allies.
