Former cabinet minister and Coalition of Democrats (CODE) President Elton Mangoma has said that President Emmerson Mnangagwa implemented the security sector reforms that the opposition has been calling for. Mangoma’s sentiments echo those of Giles Mutsakwa, the MDC-T secretary for security who shared the same sentiments, less than two weeks back. Mangoma claimed that by moving the former Service chiefs, Mnangagwa had carried out the reforms.
The redeployments are as follows:
- Former commander of the Defence Forces (CDF) General (Retired) Constantino Chiwenga was named Vice President of Zimbabwe and Zanu-PF.
- Former Commander of the Air Force of Zimbabwe Air Chief Marshal (Retired) Perrance Shiri was named Minister of Agriculture, Lands and Resettlement.
- The spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Defence Forces during the military takeover, Lieutenant-General (Retired) Sibusiso Moyo was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
- Lieutenant-General (Retired) Engelbert Rugeje was named the Zanu-PF Secretary for the Commissariat, replacing former Minister of Local Government Saviour Kasukuwere.
- Long-serving Commissioner-General of the Zimbabwe Republic Police Augustine Chihuri was also pushed into retirement and was replaced by Deputy Commissioner Godwin Matanga, in the interim.
Speaking to New Zimbabwe, Mangoma said:
The first thing that the new ZDF boss, Valerio Sibanda, did was to call his soldiers back to the barracks and announce the end of Operation Restore Legacy.
…This shows that Sibanda is a professional soldier whose track record has not been tarnished by being involved in partisan politics and we hope he will not change to serve the interests of Zanu PF like his predecessor Chiwenga.
Who will forget Chihuri’s public announcement that he supports Mugabe and Zanu PF and how he dealt with cases involving opposition supporters in favour of ruling party supporters who were perpetrators of violence?”
The CIO had become Mugabe’s security instead of the State security; you could not even trust your shadow but now I guess they know their full duties.
More: New Zimbabwe