Mnangagwa Retires ZRP Commissioner General Godwin Matanga, Mutamba To Take Over
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has retired Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Commissioner General Tandabantu Godwin Matanga, effective December 31, 2024.
The announcement was made in a statement issued by Martin Rushwaya, the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, on Friday, December 20.
Rushwaya also announced that Mnangagwa had appointed Deputy Commissioner General Stephen Mutamba as Matanga’s successor, with Mutamba set to assume the role of ZRP Commissioner General on January 1, 2025.
Matanga took over the position from Augustine Chihuri, who fled into exile after the November 2017 military coup. He has served during politically charged times.
Under Matanga’s leadership, numerous opposition activists and human rights defenders were arrested, often facing long periods of incarceration on charges such as convening illegal gatherings or inciting violence.
In recent years, armed robbery cases have surged, with incidents like the infamous Ecobank heist standing out. This daring robbery occurred in broad daylight on a busy street and was even captured on CCTV.
Meanwhile, in 2022, Mutamba was put under United States sanctions for his role in “undermining Zimbabwe’s democratic processes and institutions”. The US then said:
Over the past two years, Mutamba has taken actions that threaten and undermine legitimate political parties that oppose the policies of the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU PF) party. In 2020, Mutamba supported Zimbabwe security services’ use of pressure and intimidation on prominent opposition figures.
Also in 2020, Mutamba supported the uneven enforcement of a COVID-19-related curfew, encouraging security forces to limit opposition activities and did not allow for foreign national officials located in Zimbabwe to meet with Zimbabwean opposition parties or civil society groups.
In 2021, Mutamba advocated that vote tallies not be displayed outside polling locations and that international observers should not be allowed to monitor the 2023 elections.
More: Pindula News
