General Philip Valerio Sibanda

The changes had no effect they say because the more junior officers promoted to replace their superiors remained loyal to Chiwenga or to Valerio Sibanda now Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and formerly the head of the army...

Chiwenga has been largely superseded by army commander Valerio Sibanda who is now the main link between the armed forces and the state...

Commander of the Defence Forces Philip Valerio Sibanda and Police Commissioner General Godwin Matanga both requested that the security services be allowed to testify in camera...

Retired General Sibusiso Moyo the post-Mugabe foreign minister and General Philip Valerio Sibanda commander of the defence forces are said to be unhappy with Vice-President General Constantino Chiwenga's dominant role in the regime...

At least three security groups are in contention: soldiers in units loyal to Vice-President Chiwenga such as the Presidential Guard; soldiers loyal to the Zimbabwe Defence Force Commander General Valerio Sibanda; and military and intelligence officers personally loyal to Mnangagwa as well as some of the militia which have been guarding the mines (and benefiting from production) in the Midlands and Matabeleland North...

It has since emerged that the head of the Zimbabwe Defence Force General Valerio Sibanda was not consulted and that the soldiers were drawn from the Presidential Guard now under the joint control of Mnangagwa and Chiwenga...

At a funeral for Army Commander Valerio Sibanda's mother Constantino Chiwenga Vice-President and former Commander of the Defence Forces commended Sibanda for his role in smuggling Mnangagwa out of the country following his dismissal in November 2017...

Chiwenga's successor as ZDF Commander Phillip Valerio Sibanda is a professional soldier who is less interested in politicking than Chiwenga a former Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army deputy commissar...

Chiwenga's successor as ZDF Commander Phillip Valerio Sibanda is a professional soldier who is less interested in politicking than Chiwenga a former Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army deputy commissar...

The President is particularly concerned about the possibility of the G40 campaign culling old stalwarts (also Mnangagwa allies) such as Zimbabwe Defence Force Commander Constantine Chiwenga Air Vice-Marshal Perence Shiri and Lieutenant General Phillip Valerio Sibanda Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army...

The President is particularly concerned about the possibility of the G40 campaign culling old stalwarts (also Mnangagwa allies) such as Zimbabwe Defence Force Commander Constantine Chiwenga Air Vice-Marshal Perence Shiri and Lieutenant General Phillip Valerio Sibanda Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army...

Philip Valerio Sibanda a former guerrilla fighter in the armed wing of the Zimbabwe African People's Union has yet made his choice...