Zimbabwe leader Emmerson Mnangagwa picked the country's top army general to take over as sports minister on Tuesday. He named Gen. Anselem Sanyatwe, who commands the Zimbabwe National Army, to fill the position after Kirsty Coventry left for her new job running the International Olympic Committee. The president said he removed Coventry because of her "deserved election" to head the IOC.
Coventry, who won more Olympic medals than any other African athlete, received plenty of cheers when she returned to Harare. At 41 years old, she became the first woman and first African person ever chosen to lead the worldwide Olympic organization. She had already told everyone she planned to quit her minister job and move to Lausanne, Switzerland, where the IOC has its headquarters. Her eight-year leadership term starts this June.
Many people have started talking about why Mnangagwa chose Sanyatwe for this role. Some wonder if moving from military chief to cabinet member might actually lower Sanyatwe's power and influence. This seems strange considering how much control the army has held since helping to push out former ruler Robert Mugabe back in 2017. The political situation remains shaky across the Southern African nation.
Mnangagwa's official statement also mentioned that Sanyatwe would no longer keep his military position. The president described it as Sanyatwe being "terminated" from his army job. This leadership shuffle happens during ongoing debates about how power works between civilian government and military forces throughout Zimbabwe's political system.
Coventry, who won more Olympic medals than any other African athlete, received plenty of cheers when she returned to Harare. At 41 years old, she became the first woman and first African person ever chosen to lead the worldwide Olympic organization. She had already told everyone she planned to quit her minister job and move to Lausanne, Switzerland, where the IOC has its headquarters. Her eight-year leadership term starts this June.
Many people have started talking about why Mnangagwa chose Sanyatwe for this role. Some wonder if moving from military chief to cabinet member might actually lower Sanyatwe's power and influence. This seems strange considering how much control the army has held since helping to push out former ruler Robert Mugabe back in 2017. The political situation remains shaky across the Southern African nation.
Mnangagwa's official statement also mentioned that Sanyatwe would no longer keep his military position. The president described it as Sanyatwe being "terminated" from his army job. This leadership shuffle happens during ongoing debates about how power works between civilian government and military forces throughout Zimbabwe's political system.
