Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has extended the tenure of Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander General Philip Valerio Sibanda by a year.
The extension is effective from December 24,2024 to November 23, 2025.
Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Martin Rushwaya announced this in a notice published in the Government Gazette (3 January 2025).
Part of the notice reads, “It is hereby notified that His Excellency the President has, in terms of proviso (i) to the Defence (Regular Force) (Officers) Regulations, 1988, published in Statutory Instrument 152 of 1988, extended the appointment of General Philip Valerio Sibanda as Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces with effect from the 24th December, 2024 to the 23rd November, 2025.”
President Mnangagwa also promoted 26 Zimbabwe National Army lieutenant-colonels to the rank of colonel.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces made these promotions in terms of the Defence Act (Chapter 11:02) Section 20, as read with Statutory Instrument 257 of 2020, Section 19c, Sub-section 2c.
The section reads: “His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces may on the advice of the Minister of Defence, acting on the recommendations of the Commander Zimbabwe Defence Forces, reward any member for distinguished service or gallant conduct on active service by promoting an officer to a higher rank.”