HARARE – Christopher Mutsvangwa was sacked as war veterans ministry on Saturday as President Emmerson Mnangagwa named three deputy ministers.

The presidency did not say why Mutsvangwa, previously sacked as presidential adviser before landing a ministerial position, had been removed.

George Charamba, the presidency spokesman, said: “The chief secretary (to the president and cabinet) has announced the removal, with immediate effect, of minister Cde Christopher Mutsvangwa as minister od veterans of the liberation struggle affairs.”

The clues offered no clues with Mutsvangwa, whose wife Monica is women’s affairs minister, had been shown the exit.

Mnangagwa also named former ZBC broadcaster Omphile Marupi as deputy information minister; Benjamin Kapikira as deputy local government minister and Sheilla Chikomo as deputy foreign affairs minister.

Mutsvangwa was a footnote in the statement announcing the changes, but his removal immediately sparked questions over the stability of Mnangagwa’s government, which he set up last September days after winning a controversial re-election.

Government sources told ZimLive last night that Mnangagwa had long been concerned by shady deals between Mutsvangwa and Chinese companies especially, but also his fallout with veterans of the 1980s war with a British settler regime.

Things came to a head, they said, when Mutsvangwa began systematically undermining new information minister Jenfan Muswere, who succeeded Mutsvangwa’s wife in the portfolio.

Mutsvangwa, who is Zanu PF’s national spokesman, used a press conference mid-week to criticise Muswere’s decision to remove the ZBC and Zimpapers boards, which were appointed by his wife.

Not only did Mutsvangwa criticise the decision, he also said the boards worked closely with Zanu PF in the August 23 election – confirming a criticism by SADC election observers who said the ruling party had used state media in a partisan manner.

“Muswere is a close friend of has president’s son Emmerson Jnr. For sometime he has had to deal with publicly being undermined by Mutsvangwa and some state media executives promoted by his wife before she left the ministry.

As news of Mutsvangwa’s demotion was announced, he was seen at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.

A witness who saw him said: “He had no bodyguards and checked in as a commoner at the airport.

“He was visibly dejected and embarrassed, not the usual pompous Chris.”