Online Reporter
Blessings Chidakwa
Senior Reporter
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has promoted Lieutenant-General Emmanuel Matatu to the rank of General and appointed him Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, effective November 21.
This follows the retirement of General Philip Valerio Sibanda.
The President also promoted Major-General Asher Walter Tapfumaneyi to Lieutenant-General and he will assume the role of Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army, effective November 25, 2025.
Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Martin Rushwaya announced the appointments in a statement last night.
“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 General Emmanuel Matatu to the rank of General and appointed him Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces with effect from November 21, 2025.
“The appointment follows the retirement of outgoing Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, General Philip Valerio Sibanda,” reads the statement.
In another statement, Dr Rushwaya also announced the new ZNA commander.
“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 11 (1)(a) and 11(4) of the Defence Act [Chapter 11:02], promoted Major General Asher Walter Tapfumaneyi to the rank of Lieutenant General and appointed him Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army with effect from 25 November 2025.
“The appointment follows the promotion of outgoing Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army, Lieutenant-General Emmanuel Matatu, to the post of General and Commander Zimbabwe Defence Forces,” he said.
Before his latest appointment Lt-Gen Matatu had replaced Lt-Gen (Retired) Anselem Sanyatwe, who was retired in March this year and appointed to the position of Minister of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture.
Lt-Gen Matatu was promoted to the rank of Major-General from Brigadier General in 2021.
He then moved from the Zimbabwe National Defence University to Army headquarters as Chief of Staff Administration Staff, before being appointed as ZNA commander then now ZDF commander.
Maj-Gen Tapfumaneyi was once a Deputy Director-General in the President’s Department since 2020 before assuming his promotion from Brigadier-General level.
He left the ZNA in 2006 and has also held several senior positions in Government, including Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Welfare Services for War Veterans, War Collaborators, Former Political Detainees, and Restrictees, as well as Principal Director in the Ministry of Presidential Affairs.
