Zimbabwe Appoints Anselem Sanyatwe as Sports Minister, Replacing Kirsty Coventry

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has appointed General Anselem Sanyatwe as the new Minister of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture, replacing Kirsty Coventry, who resigned to become the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Sanyatwe, formerly the commander of the Zimbabwe National Army, was officially retired from his military position before taking on the new role. Coventry's election as the first African and female president of the IOC, which will take effect in June, was celebrated by Mnangagwa, who urged her to support young athletes across Africa. While some view Sanyatwe's appointment as a strategic placement of loyalists, others see it as a demotion from his previous military role. The transition reflects ongoing political dynamics within Zimbabwe's government. Mnangagwa emphasized the importance of Coventry's achievement for African athletes and the continent's representation in global sports.