Ex-CIO boss Tapfumaneyi takes over as Army Commander as Matatu is named new ZDF Commander
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has appointed Lt. General Emmanuel Matatu as the new Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) Commander following the retirement of General Philip Valerio Sibanda.
Matatu, who was appointed Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) Commander in March this year, will be replaced by former Deputy Director General of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), Asher Walter Tapfumaneyi.
Tapfumaneyi had been named ZNA Chief of Staff in May.
The appointments were announced Wednesday in separate statements issued by Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Misheck Rushwaya.
“His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Cde Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, acting in terms of section 216(2 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe as read with sections 7(1) and 8(2 of the Defence Act [Chapter 11:02], promoted Lieutenant Genera Emmanuel Matatu to the rank of General and appointed him Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces with effect from 21 November 2025.
“The appointment follows the retirement of outgoing Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, General Philip Valerio Sibanda,” Rushwaya said
Sibanda is expected to take up a role in the ruling Zanu PF politburo.
In 2023, Mnangagwa briefly appointed him to the party’s politburo before reversing the decision following a backlash from civil society. His appointment was scheduled for review at the end of his army tenure.
With tensions reportedly deepening over Mnangagwa’s succession, analysts view the elevation of his close allies to key military positions as a move to consolidate and secure his political interests.
The military played a pivotal role in the 2017 coup that propelled Mnangagwa to power, making control of the security sector crucial in maintaining his hold on the state.
Tapfumaneyi was placed under US sanctions in 2024 for his alleged role in disrupting the 2023 general elections through the Forever Association of Zimbabwe (FAZ), which was accused of intimidating voters at polling stations.
