Mnangagwa removes army chief as power struggle escalates

Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Photo credit: File | AFP

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has removed the army commander in an escalating power struggle between the 82-year-old ruler and the military.

Mnangagwa’s office announced on Tuesday that he had “relieved” Lt-Gen Anelem Sanyatwe and redeployed him as the new sports minister, replacing Kirsty Coventry following her election as the new president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).