By News24.com

HARARE: President Emmerson Mnangagwa has promoted his son, a soldier, to a senior rank in the Zimbabwe National Army.

On Wednesday, Sean Mnangagwa, 39, who already held the rank of major, was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel, along with eight others.

“President Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa has promoted nine Zimbabwe National Army officers from the rank of major to lieutenant colonel,” state broadcaster ZBC reported on Wednesday.

Sean Mnangagwa, who is in the army’s presidential guard, was seated among those promoted. He has a twin, Collins. He joined the military in 2010 and completed his training in 2012.

In Zimbabwe, the rank of lieutenant colonel is regarded as a senior officer but Sean Mnangagwa is five promotions away from the top. He will have to ascend through the ranks of colonel, brigadier, major general, and lieutenant general on the way to general.

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Political analysts in Zimbabwe have accused Mnangagwa of establishing a political dynasty. Sean Mnangagwa’s promotion follows the appointment of another Mnangagwa son, David, as the Deputy Minister of Finance, while the president’s nephew, Tongai Mnangagwa, is the deputy tourism minister.

Political analyst Precious Shumba said: “Mnangagwa is clearly creating a dynasty in Zimbabwe, and his intentions are not hidden.”

“His rule has not been about Zimbabwe but about his family dynasty, consolidating power and retaining power,” Shumba said, adding that he would not be surprised if Sean Mnangagwa assumed command of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces soon.

Human rights activist Blessing Vava said Mnangagwa’s family members did not deserve the positions to which they were promoted.

He said:

He is putting his family members into strategic positions of authority or power without due merit.

“In fact, you can count the number of Mnangagwa family members who are already holding government positions in Zimbabwe.

“Eventually, he could be positioning his son to take over and, possibly, to succeed him,” he said.

Recently, Zimbabwe’s speaker of parliament gazetted a constitutional amendment bill to extend Mnangagwa’s rule by two years.

The public parliamentary hearings for the bill have been rocked by violence and intimidation.