ZDF Ex-commander Phillip Valerio Sibanda Appointed To ZANU PF Politburo
ZANU PF First Secretary and President Emmerson Mnangagwa has appointed former Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander Phillip Valerio Sibanda to the party’s Politburo.
Black News 
The appointment, which takes immediate effect, was announced on Monday, 11 May, in a statement by ZANU-PF Secretary for Information and Publicity and party spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa.
The statement reads: “The ZANU PF First Secretary and President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, His Excellency Cde. Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, exercising His mandate in terms of Article 9, Section 65 as read with Section 67 of the ZANU-PF Constitution, has appointed General (Rtd) Philip Valerio Sibanda to the ZANU-PF Politburo. This appointment is with immediate effect.”
This is not the first time Mnangagwa has appointed General Sibanda to the ZANU-PF Politburo.
Sibanda was first named an ex officio member of the Politburo on 29 October 2023 during the party’s 20th National People’s Conference in Gweru.
Less than three weeks later, however, Mnangagwa reversed the appointment after lawyers and civil society groups raised constitutional objections. They argued that Section 208 of the 2013 Constitution prohibits serving members of the security services from taking part in partisan politics.
Presidential spokesperson George Charamba confirmed the decision had been deferred until Sibanda retired from the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.
His latest appointment follows his retirement from the ZDF.
