Mnangagwa urged to retire ailing Chiwenga

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been urged to retire his ailing deputy Constantino Chiwenga as h is now incapacitated to carry out his duties.

Mnangagwa on Friday said Chiwenga was recovering from a South African hospital but on Monday spokesperson for the presidency George Charamba said the former army general had been flown to China for treatment by Chinese specialists.

Charamba said Chiwenga will be examined by Chinese specialists together with those from South Africa, India and Zimbabwe.

"As acknowledged by H.E Emmerson Mnangagwa, VP Chiwenga is now incapacitated and has been for a while. Shouldn't he be constitutionally compelled to step down and make way for a more able bodied citizen? Perhaps this may trigger a Domino effect. Just thinking," said Lloyd Msipa.

Former special advisor to the late MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai, Alex Magaisa said it was astounding that Chiwenga has crisscrossed the globe for a treatment of an ailment that remains undisclosed.

"Doctors from four nations. China, India, South Africa and Zimbabwe have joined hands to attend to the ailing retired general, Vice President Chiwenga who has been flown to China from SA. The illness which has necessitated this rare multinational effort has not yet been disclosed," he said.