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Sanyatwe infurirates Chamisa's lawyer again
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A storm of outrage has erupted after former Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) commander and current Minister of Sports, Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe, declared during a church service that the ruling Zanu-PF party will remain in power "until donkeys grow horns," sparking fierce condemnation from legal experts and opposition figures.
Sanyatwe, a controversial figure once sanctioned by the United States and now a senior government minister, made the provocative remarks on Saturday, June 15, while attending a Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church service in Nyanga North, where his wife, Chido Sanyatwe, serves as the local MP.
The event, which was meant to celebrate a grocery donation by businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei's Bridging Gaps Foundation, was turned into a political platform when Sanyatwe declared:
"Zanu-PF ichatonga kusvika madhongi amera nyanga (Zanu-PF will rule until donkeys grow horns). Whether you like it or not, we will continue to rule."
The comments, delivered from the pulpit on the Sabbath, have drawn sharp criticism, particularly from prominent lawyer and opposition ally Thabani Mpofu, who expressed outrage over what he described as the politicisation of the church and a dangerous undermining of democracy.
"Sanyatwe goes to my church and in my absence accuses me of kuvukura. Now that's political talk and it's excusable," Mpofu said on his X (formerly Twitter) account.
"What's not excusable is him saying this on the pulpit, on the Sabbath and in the presence of my church leaders. The SDA church has been fully politicised and a line has now been crossed. We must respond decisively to this nonsense."
Former Binga North MP Prince Dubeko Sibanda also condemned the remarks, accusing Sanyatwe of "defiling the church" and compromising its neutrality.
Sanyatwe's statement is the latest in a series of public declarations by former and serving security officials pledging loyalty to Zanu-PF, raising alarms over the militarisation of politics and erosion of constitutional democracy in Zimbabwe.
Sanyatwe, who previously commanded the Presidential Guard, gained notoriety in 2018 after denying military involvement in the fatal shooting of six civilians during post-election protests in Harare - a claim later debunked by the Kgalema Motlanthe Commission of Inquiry, which held the military responsible.
Following a brief stint as army chief, Sanyatwe was reassigned by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to lead the Sports Ministry - a move analysts interpreted as a calculated repositioning amid factional tensions within Zanu-PF and the broader security establishment.
He remains closely linked to Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, himself a former army commander and widely seen as a key contender in Zanu-PF's succession matrix ahead of the 2028 elections.
The incident has reignited memories of 2002, when top military commanders - including the late Vitalis Zvinavashe, Constantine Chiwenga, Perrence Shiri, and Augustine Chihuri - collectively warned they would not support any presidential candidate lacking liberation war credentials.
The joint statement, issued months before a pivotal election in which the late Morgan Tsvangirai challenged Robert Mugabe, was widely viewed as an unconstitutional intervention meant to intimidate voters and delegitimise the opposition.
Now, over two decades later, critics say the script remains unchanged.
"This rhetoric confirms what many Zimbabweans fear - that elections are not genuine contests, but formalities in a system where military allegiance determines power," said one political analyst.
Section 208 of the Zimbabwean Constitution expressly prohibits members of the security services from engaging in politics. While Sanyatwe is now a civilian minister, his long military background and remarks steeped in authoritarian defiance raise concerns over the blurred lines between party and state.
"The Constitution is being trampled upon in broad daylight," Mpofu wrote. "We cannot remain silent while democracy is strangled."
As calls grow for the SDA Church to respond and for constitutional watchdogs to intervene, Zimbabwe faces renewed scrutiny over the role of the military in governance and whether it will ever fully embrace democratic accountability.
The politicisation of religious spaces, once considered safe havens for civic reflection, now threatens to deepen divisions. Civil society groups are urging churches to resist pressure to serve partisan agendas and reaffirm their role as neutral moral voices.
Whether or not any formal action is taken against Sanyatwe remains to be seen, but the controversy has once again thrown Zimbabwe's enduring civil-military entanglement into sharp relief - with many wondering if a truly democratic transition is possible under such conditions.
Sanyatwe, a controversial figure once sanctioned by the United States and now a senior government minister, made the provocative remarks on Saturday, June 15, while attending a Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church service in Nyanga North, where his wife, Chido Sanyatwe, serves as the local MP.
The event, which was meant to celebrate a grocery donation by businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei's Bridging Gaps Foundation, was turned into a political platform when Sanyatwe declared:
"Zanu-PF ichatonga kusvika madhongi amera nyanga (Zanu-PF will rule until donkeys grow horns). Whether you like it or not, we will continue to rule."
The comments, delivered from the pulpit on the Sabbath, have drawn sharp criticism, particularly from prominent lawyer and opposition ally Thabani Mpofu, who expressed outrage over what he described as the politicisation of the church and a dangerous undermining of democracy.
"Sanyatwe goes to my church and in my absence accuses me of kuvukura. Now that's political talk and it's excusable," Mpofu said on his X (formerly Twitter) account.
"What's not excusable is him saying this on the pulpit, on the Sabbath and in the presence of my church leaders. The SDA church has been fully politicised and a line has now been crossed. We must respond decisively to this nonsense."
Former Binga North MP Prince Dubeko Sibanda also condemned the remarks, accusing Sanyatwe of "defiling the church" and compromising its neutrality.
Sanyatwe's statement is the latest in a series of public declarations by former and serving security officials pledging loyalty to Zanu-PF, raising alarms over the militarisation of politics and erosion of constitutional democracy in Zimbabwe.
Sanyatwe, who previously commanded the Presidential Guard, gained notoriety in 2018 after denying military involvement in the fatal shooting of six civilians during post-election protests in Harare - a claim later debunked by the Kgalema Motlanthe Commission of Inquiry, which held the military responsible.
Following a brief stint as army chief, Sanyatwe was reassigned by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to lead the Sports Ministry - a move analysts interpreted as a calculated repositioning amid factional tensions within Zanu-PF and the broader security establishment.
The incident has reignited memories of 2002, when top military commanders - including the late Vitalis Zvinavashe, Constantine Chiwenga, Perrence Shiri, and Augustine Chihuri - collectively warned they would not support any presidential candidate lacking liberation war credentials.
The joint statement, issued months before a pivotal election in which the late Morgan Tsvangirai challenged Robert Mugabe, was widely viewed as an unconstitutional intervention meant to intimidate voters and delegitimise the opposition.
Now, over two decades later, critics say the script remains unchanged.
"This rhetoric confirms what many Zimbabweans fear - that elections are not genuine contests, but formalities in a system where military allegiance determines power," said one political analyst.
Section 208 of the Zimbabwean Constitution expressly prohibits members of the security services from engaging in politics. While Sanyatwe is now a civilian minister, his long military background and remarks steeped in authoritarian defiance raise concerns over the blurred lines between party and state.
"The Constitution is being trampled upon in broad daylight," Mpofu wrote. "We cannot remain silent while democracy is strangled."
As calls grow for the SDA Church to respond and for constitutional watchdogs to intervene, Zimbabwe faces renewed scrutiny over the role of the military in governance and whether it will ever fully embrace democratic accountability.
The politicisation of religious spaces, once considered safe havens for civic reflection, now threatens to deepen divisions. Civil society groups are urging churches to resist pressure to serve partisan agendas and reaffirm their role as neutral moral voices.
Whether or not any formal action is taken against Sanyatwe remains to be seen, but the controversy has once again thrown Zimbabwe's enduring civil-military entanglement into sharp relief - with many wondering if a truly democratic transition is possible under such conditions.
Source - newzimbabwe
