General Chiwenga now on death bed?

Zimbabwean Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s health has for some time been kept under wraps, with the government at one time referring all questions to the family.

Chiwenga has been out of the public eye for a long time now. However President Emmerson Mnangagwa has finally spoken on his deputy’s health. In an unusual step Mnangagwa has publicly acknowledged that all is not well with Chiwenga’s health, he made the disclosure at a recent ZANU-PF Women’s National Assembly meeting.

“Our Vice President, comrade (Constantino) Chiwenga is not feeling well,” said Mnangagwa, explaining further, “he had gone to India for some time…”

Meanwhile Presidential spokesperson, George Charamba weighted in, with a press statement released on Monday, that the vice president had since left South Africa for China, where he is set to undergo further medical tests.

“His relocation to China, which builds on the satisfactory recovery progress he has been making, follows weekend discussions at the highest levels between Governments of Zimbabwe and China, at which a decision was taken to allow Chinese medical experts to join their expert counterparts from Zimbabwe, South Africa and India, in attending to the vice president.”

Outspoken deputy Minister of Information, Energy Mutodi was not to be outdone, in commenting on Chiwenga’s health saying the government decided to share the information so as to end speculation.

“We don’t want that speculation. We want newspapers or media houses to report accurately about what will be happening. So this is the reason why the deputy chief secretary in charge of presidential communication, had to come up with that statement … that the vice President will now be transferred to China,” he said.

This also followed after Zimbabwe’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change led by Nelson Chamisa, had expressed concern over Chiwenga’s health. Meanwhile, some analysts believe Chiwenga could be in a very serious condition.

Renowned political analyst Elder Mabhunu says the Zimbabwean government is known for making it a secret when it comes to health of leaders.

“Our government is not in the habit of coming open when it comes to the health of leaders. The recent confession could be indicating that the vice President is seriously ill. He could be on the death bed,” he says.

Over the years, even under former President Robert Mugabe it was a taboo to divulge information regarding his health, and many are now surprised to the recent disclosure.

Another respected political commentator Doctor Pedzisai Ruhanya agrees with Mabhunu.

He says, “The government statement on VP Chiwenga’s health has failed to politically communicate unless the statement is meant to prepare the public for his demise which it appears to be.

“Having a team of doctors from four countries to attend him sounds like he is on death bed…”

He adds that the manner in which Mnangagwa publicly spoke about Chiwenga’s health and the statement by Charamba appears to send a message to his followers and faction that Chiwenga maybe politically immobile and done.

“The government statement on Chiwenga sounds like preparation for an obituary,” he adds.