Godwin Matanga Biography | Age, Early Life, Wife, Career, Sanctions
This is the biography of Tandabantu Godwin Matanga a Zimbabwean police officer currently serving as the commissioner-general of the Zimbabwe Republic Police since 19 December 2017. He assumed the position after the removal of Augustine Chihuri following the November 2017 coup d’état. Matanga was officially appointed as commissioner-general on 12 February 2018 by President Emmerson Mnangagwa. He joined the police force in 1982 and had previously held the position of deputy commissioner-general since 1992.
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ToggleEarly Life
Matanga was born on 5 February 1962 in Chipinge, Manicaland Province, in what was then Southern Rhodesia.
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Career
In 1978, at the age of 16, Matanga joined the liberation struggle and crossed the border into Mozambique to join the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army. In 1979, he received training in Romania and Egypt. After the war, Matanga joined the Zimbabwe Republic Police as a patrol officer in October 1982. He steadily progressed through the ranks and was appointed deputy commissioner-general in 1992.
By the mid-2000s, Matanga became a member of the Joint Operations Command, which is Zimbabwe’s top state security coordinating body. On 22 November 2005, Matanga was placed under United States Treasury Department sanctions, along with 127 other Zimbabweans, for allegedly hindering the democratic transition of Zimbabwe. This action was taken by President George W. Bush, who described the 2005 Zimbabwean parliamentary election as “not free or fair.” In 2011, there were reports that Matanga was vying against Innocent Matibiri, a nephew of President Robert Mugabe, for the position of commissioner-general amid rumors that Augustine Chihuri’s term would not be renewed.
On 19 December 2017, Matanga was appointed as the acting commissioner-general of the Zimbabwe Republic Police, replacing Augustine Chihuri, an ally of President Robert Mugabe, who had to retire following the November 2017 coup d’état. According to Chihuri, Matanga played a role in instigating the coup when he informed the country’s military commander, Constantino Chiwenga, about Chihuri’s alleged plans to arrest him. On 12 February 2018, Matanga was officially appointed as the commissioner-general by President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Matanga was involved in efforts to seize former commissioner-general Chihuri’s assets, which were alleged to have been acquired through corrupt means during his tenure. Chihuri accused Matanga of sending police to set his home on fire and harass his family, as well as being unqualified for the position of police chief.
Sanctions
On 1 February 2021, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on Matanga, along with state security minister Owen Ncube, Central Intelligence Organisation director Isaac Moyo, and Presidential Guard commander Anselem Sanyatwe. These sanctions prohibit Matanga and the others from travelling to the UK or accessing the country’s banks. They were the first sanctions imposed by Britain unilaterally since its departure from the European Union. The British Foreign Office cited Matanga’s responsibility for serious human rights violations committed by the police and military during the crackdown on post-election protests in August 2018, which resulted in six civilian deaths. In November 2021 and March 2022, Matanga was ordered to pay compensation to three victims of police brutality.
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Wife
Matanga is married to Chamapiwa Matanga. He has at least two sons who are involved in the ZANU–PF Youth League.
