Join Army
military_tech Leadership

Commanders

Information and resources regarding Commanders within the Zimbabwe National Army. A historical timeline honoring those who have guided our forces with distinction.

history_edu

Historical Overview

Lieutenant General TRS Mujuru became the first Commander of the ZNA and served in that capacity until 1992 when he retired. Lieutenant General VMG Zvinavashe took over and served as the Commander of the ZNA up to 1994 when he was appointed Commander Zimbabwe Defence Forces. Lieutenant General CGDN Chiwenga took over and served as the Commander of the ZNA from 1994 to 2004 when he was appointed Commander Zimbabwe Defence Forces. Lieutenant General PV Sibanda took over command of the ZNA from 2004 and served in that capacity until 2018 when he was appointed Commander Zimbabwe Defence Forces. Lieutenant General EAC Chimonyo took over and served as the Commander of the ZNA from 2018 until his untimely death in 2021. Lieutenant General D Sigauke took over Command in 2021 and served in that capacity until 2023. In 2023, Lieutenant General Sanyatwe took over Command of the army and served as the Commander until 2025. In 2025, Lieutenant General E Matatu took over Command until 2025 and handed over to the current Commander Lieutenant General Tapfumaneyi.

2025
to Present
Lt Gen Walter Tapfumaneyi
zoom_in
CURRENT COMMANDER ZNA

Lt Gen Walter Tapfumaneyi

Lieutenant General

Lieutenant General Walter Tapfumaneyi is a liberation war veteran who holds a deep background in state security, defense administration, and military intelligence. His post-independence operations focused heavily on military intelligence, border defense logistics, and strategic planning for ZNA regional missions. He was promoted to Lieutenant General and assumed command of the ZNA on 25 November 2025. Lieutenant General Tapfumaneyi is the current Commander Zimbabwe National Army.

2025
to 2025
Lt Gen Emmanuel Matatu
zoom_in

Lt Gen Emmanuel Matatu

Lieutenant General

Lieutenant General Emmanuel Matatu is a veteran of the ZIPRA liberation forces who trained at the Kohima Military Academy in Zambia. Engaged in guerilla operations during the liberation struggle. Later, he served in senior logistics and deployment planning roles for the ZNA during regional peacekeeping and SADC intervention exercises. He moved up through the ZNA General Staff, focusing on military administration. He commanded the ZNA briefly from March 2025 until November 2025, when he was promoted to full General and Commander of the ZDF.

2023
to 2025
Lt Gen AN Sanyatwe
zoom_in

Lt Gen AN Sanyatwe

Lieutenant General

Lieutenant General Sanyatwe is a veteran of the liberation struggle who famously commanded the elite Presidential Guard brigade. Following a stint as Zimbabwe's Ambassador to Tanzania, President Mnangagwa recalled him to lead the ZNA in October 2023, serving until March 2025. Participated in the Second Congo War and spearheaded major domestic security operations. He had massive operational command over urban tactical security units and counter-insurgency training programs. He retired from military service in March 2025 and reassigned to a civilian government role as the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture.

2021
to 2023
Lt Gen David Sigauke
zoom_in

Lt Gen David Sigauke

Lieutenant General

Lieutenant General Sigauke is a prominent Zimbabwean military commander and diplomat who participated in the liberation struggle. He rose steadily through the military ranks. In August 2021, President Emmerson Mnangagwa officially promoted Sigauke to the rank of Lieutenant General and appointed him as the Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army, succeeding the late Lieutenant General Edzai Chimonyo. In April 2024, President Mnangagwa appointed him as Zimbabwe's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where he took over the diplomatic mission.

2018
to 2021
Lt Gen Edzai Chimonyo
zoom_in

Lt Gen Edzai Chimonyo

Lieutenant General

A veteran of the liberation struggle born in 1952, Lieutenant General Chimonyo served in various senior military and diplomatic capacities, including as Zimbabwe's Ambassador to Tanzania. He assumed command of the army in December 2017. He focused on maintaining military readiness and modernizing training protocols until his death from cancer in July 2021.

2004
to 2018
Lt Gen Phillip Sibanda
zoom_in

Lt Gen Phillip Sibanda

Lieutenant General

Born in 1954, Lieutenant General Sibanda was a highly respected military strategist drawn from the ZIPRA liberation wing. Internationally, he achieved high praise as the Chief Military Observer for the UN Mission in Angola (UNAVEM III) from 1995 to 1998, supervising peace accords and weapon collections before taking command of the ZNA in 2004 and maintained the post for 13 years. He was elevated to Commander ZDF in late 2017. General Sibanda retired as the Commander ZDF in November 2025.

1994
to 2004
Lt Gen Constantino Chiwenga
zoom_in

Lt Gen Constantino Chiwenga

Lieutenant General

Born in 1956, Lieutenant General Chiwenga (war name Dominic Chinenge) joined the liberation war in 1973. He held various high-level brigadier roles throughout the 1980s before rising to lead the ZNA in 1994. General Chiwenga was a front-line commander in Mozambique during the liberation struggle. Crucially, he directed ZNA operations during the Second Congo War (1998–2002), deploying thousands of Zimbabwean troops to preserve the sovereignty of the Democratic Republic of Congo. He later advanced to become Commander of the ZDF in 2004, playing a pivotal role in the 2017 political transition. Currently serves as Zimbabwe's Vice President.

1992
to 1994
Lt Gen Vitalis Zvinavashe
zoom_in

Lt Gen Vitalis Zvinavashe

Lieutenant General

Born in 1943, he was a prominent member of the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) High Command and the Joint High Command during the transition period. He assumed command of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) upon Mujuru's retirement. General Zvinavashe consolidated professional training in the army and managed the tail-end of Zimbabwe's combat operations in Mozambique and directed the country's early United Nations peacekeeping contribution to Somalia (UNOSOM II). In 1994, he became the first black Commander of the overarching Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF). He passed away in 2009.

1980
to 1992
Lt Gen Solomon Mujuru
zoom_in

Gen Solomon Mujuru

General

Born in 1945, Mujuru popularly known by his liberation name Rex Nhongo became the first Black commander of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA). He is credited with successfully integrating three previously warring factions Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA), Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA), and the Rhodesian Security Forces into a singular national military. General Mujuru oversaw the structural stabilization of the national army throughout the 1980s and commanded ZNA deployments during the Mozambican Civil War. He retired in 1992 as a full General and entered politics before his death in 2011.