Zimbabwe president fires army chief ahead of planned protests

Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa dismissed a senior general on Tuesday. Analysts believe this move aims to strengthen his power amid fears of a coup.

Mnangagwa became president after a military coup ousted Robert Mugabe in 2017. He faces increasing dissent within his ZANU-PF party, which has ruled since 1980.

Some war veterans have called for protests on March 31. They want Mnangagwa to resign, accusing him of worsening the economic crisis. They also claim he plans to extend his rule beyond 2028.

Mnangagwa denies these accusations. On Wednesday, he warned against those wanting to disrupt peace during a ZANU-PF meeting in Harare.

Analysts suggest Mnangagwa is worried about losing power. He has been reshuffling military, police, and intelligence leadership to bolster his position.

The removal of Anselem Sanyatwe was the third reshuffle in recent months. Mnangagwa also replaced the chief of police and head of intelligence services.

Political analyst Eldred Masunungure stated that Mnangagwa seems to be protecting himself from a potential coup.

War veterans opposing Mnangagwa want Constantino Chiwenga as president. Chiwenga is a retired general and current vice president who led the coup against Mugabe.

Despite their declining numbers and age, war veterans remain influential in Zimbabwean politics. They maintain strong ties with security chiefs from the liberation struggle.

Sanyatwe played a key role in the 2017 coup as head of the presidential guard under Mugabe. He oversaw soldiers during post-election unrest in August 2018 that resulted in six deaths.

Sanyatwe has now been appointed sports minister, replacing Kirsty Coventry, who recently became president of the International Olympic Committee.