The sports vacancy became available this month after Kirsty Coventry became the first woman elected president of the International Olympic Committee, and the first African to occupy sport's most powerful role.

But it was not immediately clear what prompted the portfolio reshuffle for army chief Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe, which comes at a time of increased political sparring ahead of general elections set for 2028.

"The president... has relieved and retired Lieutenant General Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe from the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and as commander of the Zimbabwe National Army with immediate effect," chief secretary to the president Martin Rushwaya said in a statement.

Sanyatwe was redeployed as minister of sport, recreation, arts and culture, he added.

A former commander of the presidential guard, the 69-year-old has also served as Zimbabwe's ambassador to Tanzania.

In 2019, the United States imposed sanctions on Sanyatwe for human rights violations over the state crackdown against civilians during post-election protests in August 2018, when at least six people were killed.

His assets were also frozen by the UK government in 2021.

The US sanctions were lifted in 2024 under former president Joe Biden.

Sanyatwe's removal from the army comes at a period mounting repression in the southern African country amid an economic crisis blamed by many on government-led corruption and incompetence.

Police are holding a journalist who interviewed former ruling party veteran, Blessed Geza, who expressed backing for Vice President Constantino Chiwenga -- who is reportedly hoping to succeed Mnangagwa.

Political analyst Eldred Masunungure said Sanyatwe's ouster served to protect the Mnangagwa from a mutiny.

"It's part of the coup-proofing," he told AFP, saying the purge would target people within the army suspected to be sympathetic to Geza, a veteran of Zimbabwe's fight for independence.

"It is highly risky politically. It can backfire," Masunungure added.

Mnangagwa, whose party has been in power for more than four decades, came into power in 2017 through a military coup that toppled long-serving president Robert Mugabe.

Hopes of a thaw with Zimbabwe briefly surfaced after Mnangagwa assumed office, but Western powers and rights groups say that the government remains intolerant to opposition and protests.