HARARE – Christopher Mutsvangwa’s surprise removal as war veterans minister last Saturday came after he demanded that President Emmerson Mnangagwa should appoint him state security minister, ZimLive has heard.
Mnangagwa sacked the garrulous Mutsvangwa, who doubles up as war veterans chairman, “for insubordination”, people familiar with the events said.
When appointing Mutsvangwa last September, Mnangagwa reportedly told him to relinquish his other position as chairman of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) “but for whatever reason he would not give up that position.”
“He was told you can’t be a minister and also be chairman of the war vets,” a government source said. “He was insubordinate, he refused to let go.”
Mnangagwa is said to have been growingly annoyed with Mutsvangwa’s defiance and things came to a head when the minister turned up to see him without appointment on Saturday.
“Mutsvangwa had a proposal. He said in order to avoid the small inconvenience of him having to leave the war vets, Mnangagwa should appoint him as state security minister instead,” another source said.
Mnangagwa was reportedly “furious” as he felt that Mutsvangwa was “appointing himself.”
“The president also didn’t like the crude way he came across and there was a fallout. Mnangagwa consulted his deputies Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi and they agreed with him that Mutsvangwa should be removed immediately,” ZimLive was told.
Speculation has been rampant since Mutsvangwa’s sacking, with some claiming that his attack on information minister Jenfan Muswere over board appointments at Zimpapers and the ZBC led to his departure.
It was also speculated that Mutsvangwa fell out with Mnangagwa over his role in opaque deals with Chinese investors.
