Ailing VP Constantino Chiwenga was in fact airlifted to China Sunday, as health woes continue to dog the powerful former military commander.<\/p>\n
This comes after Chiwenga was reported to not feeling well, and that he had been ordered by his doctors to take a rest.<\/p>\n
Lingering health concerns forced Chiwenga to abandon his State duties last week, compelling his doctors to order him to rest at home.<\/p>\n
This comes as speculation and conspiracy theories swelled last week after the powerful VP failed to attend a field day that was hosted at President Emmerson Mnangagwa\u2019s farm in Kwekwe.<\/p>\n
It also comes as Chiwenga is embroiled in an acrimonious divorce with his ex-model wife Marry \u2013 whom he has stunningly accused of attempting to kill him last year, during the time he was hospitalised at a top South African hospital.<\/p>\n
Called for a comment, presidential spokeperson George Charamba confirmed to the Daily News yesterday that the VP had \u201ctemporarily taken leave of absence on the advice of his doctors\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I know is that he complained of fatigue and is resting at home. He is in the country. He was not feeling too well and he wanted a bit of rest \u2026 that is the real issue.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow, he is much, much better. I spoke to him and he is doing well, not that speculation that there is bad blood between him and the president. That is nonsense,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Although the former military commander \u2013 who spent the better part of last year in hospital in China \u2013 had appeared fit and well last Tuesday, when he attended the weekly Cabinet meeting and a subsequent function at State House, it later emerged that he was \u201cunder the weather\u201d.<\/p>\n
This saw him failing to attend the field day at Mnangagwa\u2019s Precabe Farm in Kwekwe on Thursday, where he was billed to be the guest of honour.<\/p>\n
Defence minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri ended up standing in for him.
\nChiwenga was also conspicuously absent during a handover ceremony of model houses to victims of Cyclone Idai in Chivhu, where he was represented by the minister of Agriculture, Perrance Shiri.<\/p>\n
The 63-year-old retired army general \u2013 who led the dramatic November 2017 military coup which toppled the late former president Robert Mugabe from his long and ruinous tenure in power \u2013 was taken ill in July last year, before being airlifted to South Africa first, and then to China where he spent 123 days in hospital.<\/p>\n
He returned home on November 23 last year, looking remarkably recovered, just before the ruling Zanu-PF held its annual conference in Goromonzi.<\/p>\n
Mnangagwa later met Chiwenga at his private residence the same day, with the two men appearing to be on very good terms despite the continuing speculation about their relationship.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has returned. He is looking strong and he is very clear, raring to go \u2026 my colleague is back to assist me on national projects.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am not concerned about him resuming duty. My concern is on his health, that he has recovered. He is strong. That is my concern.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven if he resumes duty, he should do light work and incrementally \u2026 Ukamuona unoona kuti munhu anechiedza, akachena kumeso (if you see him you will notice that he has recovered),\u201d Mnangagwa said then.
\nOn his part, Chiwenga said he was grateful that Mnangagwa had facilitated his medical treatment in China.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ailing VP Constantino Chiwenga was in fact airlifted to China Sunday, as health woes continue to dog the powerful former military commander. This comes after Chiwenga was reported to not feeling well, and that he had been ordered by his doctors to take a rest. Lingering health concerns forced Chiwenga to abandon his State duties […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":18062,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,8,12],"tags":[104,34],"class_list":{"0":"post-20802","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-all-news","8":"category-head-lines","9":"category-policy","10":"tag-chiwenga","11":"tag-emmerson-mnangagwa"},"yoast_head":"\n