President Emmerson Mnangagwa has finally succeeded in appointing retired army commander Philip Valerio Sibanda to the ruling Zanu-PF Politburo, nearly three years after an earlier attempt was reversed following widespread criticism that it violated Zimbabwe’s Constitution.
In a statement issued Monday, Zanu-PF said Mnangagwa, in his capacity as party First Secretary, had appointed General (Rtd) Sibanda to the Politburo with immediate effect in terms of the party’s constitution.
The appointment comes months after Sibanda retired as commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces on November 23, 2025, following the expiry of his contract, which Mnangagwa had previously extended by a year despite controversy surrounding his age and tenure.
Sibanda, who led the armed forces since 2017 after replacing Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, had initially been appointed to the Zanu-PF Politburo in November 2023 while still serving as military commander.
That move triggered strong criticism from lawyers, political analysts and civil society groups, who argued the appointment breached constitutional provisions barring serving members of the security services from participating in partisan politics.
Section 208(3) of the Constitution states that members of the security services “must not be members of any political party or organisation,” while Section 208(4) bars them from engaging in partisan political activity.
Following the backlash, Mnangagwa was forced to reverse the appointment.
Presidential spokesperson George Charamba announced at the time that Sibanda’s appointment had been “stayed” pending the expiry of his tenure as ZDF commander in order to resolve the “apparent conflict” with the Constitution.
The reversal was widely seen as a rare admission of a constitutional misstep by the presidency.
With Sibanda now retired from military service, the legal obstacle that blocked his earlier entry into Zanu-PF’s supreme decision-making body outside Congress has effectively fallen away, allowing Mnangagwa to formalise the appointment.
Political observers have long viewed Sibanda as a close ally of Mnangagwa and an influential figure within the security establishment.
His elevation to the Politburo is likely to fuel renewed speculation over his possible future role in government and the ruling party, including persistent rumours that he could eventually be considered for the vice presidency.
However, no vacancy currently exists in the presidium, which is occupied by Chiwenga and Vice President Kembo Mohadi.
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