Tag Archives: Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga

Lifestyle, SADC

Zimbabwean vice president Constantino Chiwenga in China to receive emergency treatment

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VP Chiwenga
VP Chiwenga hospitalised in South Africa. VP Constantino Chiweng

Zimbabwean Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has been flown to China for medical treatment, a presidential spokesman said on Monday, but gave no details of the health problems that have kept Chiwenga away from work for more than two months.

The 62-year-old former general led a coup against Robert Mugabe in 2017 and was subsequently appointed one of the two deputies to President Emmerson Mnangagwa. He retained that position after last year’s election.

Zimbabweans closely follow the health of Chiwenga because he is widely seen as the power behind Mnangagwa and the front-runner to succeed him. His absence from public duties has stoked speculation about the gravity of his illness, which authorities have sought to play down.

Chiwenga, who has previously received treatment in India, was in a hospital in South Africa before being taken to China, presidential spokesman George Charamba said in a statement.

“The office of the President and Cabinet wishes to inform the nation that the vice president this week left for the People’s Republic of China where he is set to undergo further medical tests,” Charamba said.

After high-level discussions between Zimbabwe and China, it was agreed “to allow Chinese medical experts to join their expert counterparts from Zimbabwe, South Africa and India in attending to the vice president”, Charamba said. He did not give any details of what is wrong with Chiwenga.

China is a big investor in Zimbabwe, with its companies having interests in mining and provided funding for infrastructure, including the expansion of two power stations.

Government officials in Zimbabwe routinely seek medical help abroad while the public health system has collapsed and hospitals struggle to provide medicines to patients.

Reporting by Nelson Banya; Editing by MacDonald Dzirutwe and Frances Kerry

Health, SADC, Top News

Zimbabweans protest against vice-president being treated in SA hospital

Maravi Post Reporter

Zimbabwe’s vice president Constantino Chiwenga is rumoured to being treated at a South African hospital. 
Image: Wilfred Kajese / AFP

 

SOWETAN-(CAPE TOWN)-Zimbabweans on Monday staged a protest outside Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town to demand that their vice-president Constantino Chiwenga does not get treated there.

According to hospital management‚ however‚ Chiwenga is not a patient there.

Hospital spokesperson Alaric Jacobs said: “In honour of our commitment to patient confidentiality‚ we cannot discuss patient details. However‚ we can confirm that he was not – or currently is not – an in-patient at the hospital.

Asked whether there were any disruptions at the hospital due to the protest‚ Jacobs said this was not the case‚ but it was nonetheless unpleasant to have protests outside the facility.

He called on the Zimbabwean community to rather direct their queries and concerns to Zimbabwean authorities.

Chiwenga was reportedly rushed to a South African hospital for medical treatment. It is unclear what ailment he is apparently suffering from.

Many took to social media to express their views on Chiwenga allegedly receiving treatment in the country. Some accused him of having a hand in what they deemed to be Zimbabwe’s crippled healthcare system – and called for him to be subjected to the same medical treatment that ordinary Zimbabweans are offered.

Zimbabwean Vice President Constantino Chiwenga should be denied medical care in South Africa and be forced to use what’s available in Zimbabwe since that’s what they delivered for Zimbabweans,that’s the only way politicians from fellow African countries will learn

Asked whether there were any disruptions at the hospital due to the protest‚ Jacobs said this was not the case‚ but it was nonetheless unpleasant to have protests outside the facility.

He called on the Zimbabwean community to rather direct their queries and concerns to Zimbabwean authorities.

Health, SADC, Top News

Chiwenga’s illness caused by White City explosion- Charamba

Maravi Post Reporter
HARARE-(MaraviPost)-President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s spokesperson and Deputy Chief Secretary of Presidential Communications George Charamba has said that Vice President Constantino Chiwenga is being treated for an illness which was caused by the White City explosion in Bulawayo before elections.
Charamba said that the Vice President had been unable to receive full medical treatment due to the fact that he was heavily involved in campaigning as well as in setting up government after the July 30 harmonised elections. Speaking to The Herald, Charamba said,
“Alongside VP Mohadi, Mai (Oppah) Muchinguri-Kashiri, General Engelbert Rugeje, Cde Mabel Chinomona and scores of other security personnel, General Chiwenga and his family were affected by the White City bombing incident.
“It happened in the middle of elections so it was not possible for him to go for a thorough medical examination. After the elections, we had pressure of forming a new Government and again he couldn’t go out for that examination. His wife, as you may be aware, went for medical treatment alongside other officials. A decision was then taken that now that elections are behind us, and also that the new Government has been constituted, the General should now go for a thorough medical examination.”
Charamba also said that Vice President has been living with a bullet lodged in his lungs from before independence.
“Apart from the White City Stadium injury, the General was injured towards (the) ceasefire in the Chiduku area in Hwedza and for a long time, he had a bullet lodged in his lung. There is that historical problem yavagara vainayo over and above what happened at White City Stadium. That then made it urgent for him to then get that thorough medical attention I am talking about.”
Malawi, Politics, Regional, Top News

Zimbabwe: Tensions between Mnangagwa and Army Commanders grow

Maravi Post Reporter 1 Comment

Tensions are gradually intensifying between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the military clique surrounding him, amid revelations that the army is exerting overbearing influence on the executive.

Accprding to allafrica.com news, official sources say the military is even exercising veto power in some instances, while also influencing the operations of government and other security organs.

Senior government officials told the Zimbabwe Independent this week that the military element in Zanu PF has serious political ambitions, to the extent that they want Mnangagwa to serve one term, if he wins elections, before handing the baton over to Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, who is also in charge of the ministries of defence and war veterans.

Chiwenga was the commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces when the military embarked on Operation Restore Legacy in November last year. The operation — widely seen as a coup — catapulted Mnangagwa to high office, ending former president Robert Mugabe’s 37-year grip on power.

Chiwenga was then appointed vice-president, while retired Lieutenant-General Sibusiso Moyo, who announced the military intervention on state television, was appointed Foreign Affairs minister.

Former Air Force of Zimbabwe Air Marshal Perence Shiri was appointed Agriculture minister, while retired Lieutenant-General Engelbert Rugeje was appointed head of the Zanu PF commissariat.

Government officials say the military is now exerting pressure on the executive, making the civilian component of government uncomfortable in some instances.

“Tensions and mistrust are certainly building up in government, although things may appear rosy on the surface. The feeling is that the military clique is making too many demands both in government and the party (Zanu PF).

“The military has been so strong that they have veto power in some cases. For instance, Mnangagwa had initially appointed Oppah Muchinguri as one of his deputies, but the military demanded that the position be given to Chiwenga, who also insisted on being in charge of defence,” an official said

“It was the same case with Victor Matemadanda. He was earmarked to be Zanu PF’s national commissar, but the military demanded that one of the senior commanders secures the post, resulting in Rugeje’s appointment. The military feels that the civilian wing of the party is not competent enough to run the commissariat, hence Rugeje is running it with the assistance of Ministry of Defence officials and the army.”

Chiwenga was in 2015 awarded a doctorate by the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s College of Humanities, fuelling speculation that he was preparing for a career in politics and possibly a future role in leadership.

The Independent has on several occasions in the past reported that he was angling for political office, including in 2011, when he attained a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Zimbabwe.

Government officials say Mnangagwa has not been able to contain the military as he does not have an electoral mandate, and actually owes his ascendancy to military commanders.

“In addition, Mnangagwa in reality does not have control of the army as things stand. The army is still loyal to Chiwenga, who is also effectively Minister of Defence.

Chiwenga has been pushing for the army to receive preferential treatment and dominance compared to other security forces and civil servants, and it appears he is winning on that front,” an official said.

The Independent last week reported that the expulsion of high-ranking Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) officers had escalated tensions in the security forces at a time some operatives tortured during the military coup were demanding compensation for injury and trauma.

The army was vicious on people netted during Operation Restore Legacy, particularly the police and CIO agents, further straining relations which had deteriorated due to differences over the protracted Zanu PF succession.