SPORTS minister Andrew Langa has been fired with the recently sworn in Makhosini Hlongwani coming in as his replacement.

Chief Secretary to the president and cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda confirmed the development.

He said the ministry has been changed from the ministry of sports, arts and culture to ministry of sports and recreation.

Until today, Hlongwani was minister without portfolio. The former ZBC reporter was among the ministers sworn into office last week by President Robert Mugabe.

Zimeye reported that President Robert Mugabe  "upon his wife's advice" fired Minister Andrew Langa's services as Sports and Recreation Minister.

The UK-based online publication forther alleged that although the announcement came out Thursday stating that the 91-year-old leader is the one who performed the expulsion, State House analysts said it was really First Lady Grace Mugabe who is behind it all. Grace exposed herself after she recently revealed she is personally instructing the two Vice Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko.

There has always been bad blood between the fired minister and the feared President's wife since her 'meet the people' rallies which she conducted late last year throughout the country.

The seemingly unwanted and hated Andrew Langa was also ZANU-PF Matabeleland South chairman before being fired  in November last year after a no-confidence-vote was passed against him.

Langa faced charges of aligning himself with a faction seeking to oust President Robert Mugabe and undermining the First Lady Grace Mugabe.

Violence broke out before the Provincial Congress Coordinating Committee meeting in Gwanda after Cde Langa's relatives and supporters assaulted a man later identified as Cde Muridzo Muchineripi, who was protesting against the now-fired Sport and Culture Minister's leadership.

The man was carrying a placard denouncing Cde Langa as "Dr 10 Percent's Puppet" — an apparent reference to Vice President Joice Mujuru, who was accused last year of corruptly demanding shareholding in companies.

Langa, who was then a Zanu PF provincial chairman also reportedly attempted to sabotage the First Lady's 'Meet the People' programme in Gwanda by deliberately attempting to change the venue from Gwanda to Filabusi, knowing too well that these meetings were held at provincial centres."

He was also accused of attempting to cause confusion among party supporters by organising a counter-attraction meeting in Maphisa on the day the First Lady was going to hold her rally at Pelandaba Stadium, as well as being behind the last-minute cancellation of ten buses that were meant to augment locally-arranged transport to bring supporters to the First Lady's rally.

Langa was also accused of mobilising and bussing youths from Insiza with instructions to disrupt the First Lady's rally.