HARARE – Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander Phillip Valerio Sibanda is set to leave the post on November 23 at the expiry of his contract, which was extended by a year by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Sibanda, who turns 71 in December, has led Zimbabwe’s armed forces since 2017. He replaced Constantino Chiwenga, who became vice president after leading the military coup that ousted Robert Mugabe.
His reappointment last year sparked controversy, with lawyers arguing that the statutory retirement age is 70. Mnangagwa’s decision to revive an already expired term was “flawed” and an “absurdity,” they said.
A ceremony is planned for November 24 to mark Sibanda’s exit, but both his future role and his successor remain uncertain.
There has been speculation that Sibanda could be elevated to the vice presidency, but without a vacancy Mnangagwa would need to remove either Chiwenga or his other deputy, Kembo Mohadi, to accommodate him.
Precedent would suggest that Zimbabwe National Army commander Lieutenant General Emmanuel Matatu – appointed only in March – would succeed him. But at 72, well past retirement age, Matatu could also be heading for the exit.
That scenario would open the way for Major General Walter Tapfumaneyi, appointed chief of staff in May after leaving his post as deputy director general of the Central Intelligence Organisation.
A wildcard prospect is Gatsha Mazithulela, the former CIO deputy director general and chemical scientist now serving as the president’s drug tzar. Unlike Tapfumaneyi, Mazithulela is not a career soldier but could be elevated for his administrative strengths. He previously served as vice chancellor of the National University of Science and Technology.
The changing of command at the apex of Zimbabwe’s military is never a routine administrative matter. Since independence in 1980, the armed forces have been deeply intertwined with the politics of the ruling Zanu PF, functioning not just as a security institution but as one of the central levers of political power.
Senior commanders have openly declared they would not salute anyone without liberation-war credentials, a position that has shaped national politics for more than two decades.
The military has also played an outsized role in elections, frequently accused by opposition parties and civil society of voter intimidation, mobilising ruling party structures and directing state institutions behind the scenes.
In 2008, the military intervened after the late opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai defeated Mugabe in the first round of presidential voting, triggering a violent runoff that forced Tsvangirai to withdraw. The 2017 coup that removed Mugabe cemented the military’s status as kingmaker, with generals proclaiming their takeover a defence of the revolution and the ruling party.
Since then, Mnangagwa’s authority has rested partly on maintaining the loyalty and balance of competing military factions. Control of the command structure is central to managing Zanu PF’s succession battles.
Some analysts say Mnangagwa has sought to sideline generals perceived as loyal to Chiwenga, who opposes a plan by the president’s loyalists to force through constitutional amendments and extend his term beyond 2028.
The choice of Sibanda’s successor – and the political alliances they bring – will have ramifications not only for the military’s internal balance but for Zimbabwe’s wider political direction as Zanu PF edges towards its elective congress in 2027 and general elections in 2028. Source: ZimLive
