The Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) has reportedly sacked three senior military commanders of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) over a multi-million-dollar hard currency housing corruption scandal.

It was reported that the ZNA commander Lieutenant-General Anselem Sanyatwe recently dismissed three commanders namely ZNA chief-of-staff (quartermaster) Major-General Hlanganani Dube, Major-General Paul Chima (ZDF inspector-general) and Major-General John Mupande, the director-general of policy, public relations and international affairs at the Ministry of Defence, Said a source.

The three major generals, Dube, Chima, and Mupande, were effectively dismissed from their positions following an intervention by ZDF commander General Phillip Valerio to address the housing scandal and manage their departure appropriately. They are all scheduled to leave by the end of March.

Sanyatwe acted swiftly and decisively against them after allegedly discovering their involvement in purchasing properties, inflating purchase prices, and allocating themselves houses well above their pay grade.

The corruption involves amounts ranging between US$400,000 to US$4 million, which was used for purchasing houses for themselves and colleagues at inflated prices for private gain.

The scandal includes several transactions, such as one for US$1.8 million, another for US$2 million, and another for US$4 million. However, there were numerous other transactions involved.

Other sources have since confirmed that the houses in question, located in the Greystone Park suburb of Harare, were repossessed and converted into guest houses.

Corruption or Retaliation
As the new ZNA commander actively combats corruption within the army, many have suggested his actions may be motivated by personal grievances.
When he was removed from the army in 2019 and posted to Tanzania as ambassador, the affected generals, particularly Dube, refused to purchase a house for Sanyatwe, citing his removal from the system and lack of entitlement to a house. Now that Sanyatwe is their superior, his decision to dismiss the generals may be seen as retaliation.
However, Sanyatwe is not sparing anyone involved in corrupt activities, demonstrating his sincerity. Chima, who was once his close friend and served as his best man at his wedding in August 2022 was not exempted, he also faces dismissal.
Corruption within the ZNA appears rampant, to the extent that suppliers are sometimes paid for goods that were never delivered. Housing budget limits were set at US$400,000, similar to those for ministers, deputy ministers, MPs, and judges. However, some individuals were granted over US$4 million for a single house, amounting to a scandal involving millions of dollars.
Another source quoted by The NewsHawks highlighted widespread corruption within the military, noting that the military’s perceived lesser corruption is due to limited scrutiny and clandestine operations. For instance, Dube was previously implicated in the theft of 30 tonnes of beef intended for the military’s Recruitment Training Depot in Mbalabala, Matabeleland South. Allegations suggested that he diverted the meat to butcheries for sale, with the proceeds disappearing into private pockets. A driver purportedly delivered a delivery note and invoice without unloading the meat.