PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa’s newly-appointed deputies – Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi – will be officially sworn-in as the country’s co-Vice-Presidents at State House today.
BY RICHARD CHIDZA
Acting secretary to the President and Cabinet, Christian Katsande, yesterday said the development follows the pair’s appointment as Zanu PF vice-presidents and second secretaries last week.
“In terms of section 14, sub-paragraph 2 of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, upon assuming office, must without delay appoint not more than two Vice-Presidents, who hold office at his or her pleasure,” Katsande said in a statement.
“Accordingly, His Excellency the President ED Mnangagwa has duly appointed Honourable General (Rtd) Dr Constantino Dominic Nyikadzino Chiwenga and Honourable Kembo Campell Dugishi Mohadi as Vice-Presidents of the Republic of Zimbabwe.”
Before his latest appointment, Mohadi was Defence minister, while Chiwenga had just retired as Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander which last month led a military intervention that forced former President Robert Mugabe to step down, paving the way for Mnangagwa.
Chiwenga’s elevation has been widely viewed as a token of appreciation after he played a key role in facilitating Mnangagwa’s ascendancy to power through the military’s Operation Restore Legacy which drove away “criminals” who had captured and surrounded Mugabe.
Shortly after Mnangagwa was relieved of his duties on November 6 and forced into a 16-day exile as the Zanu PF succession struggles threatened to explode, Chiwenga put his head on the block and called Mugabe to order in a stinging statement dated November 13. Zanu PF did not take kindly to the rebuke and in turn issued a counter statement, describing Chiwenga’s remarks as “treasonous”.
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This triggered a series of accusations and counter-accusations, before the military stormed Mugabe’s private residence and other key State institutions on November 15, claiming they were pursuing “criminals around the President”.
Mugabe resigned a week later, as pressure kept piling from the military, his own Zanu PF legislators and the general public.
