News / National
Zimbabwe army General Chiwenga back from China medical trip
19 Apr 2011 at 08:14hrs | Views
General Constantine Chiwenga, the Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF), Monday appeared at the Independence Day celebrations at the National Sports Stadium in Harare days after he was reportedly rushed to China for engine check-up.
Reports of the commander's China trip were confirmed by Defence minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, who told NewsDay that the army chief had indeed gone to seek medical attention in China after his non-appearance in public had raised eyebrows.
Mnangagwa said Chiwenga was due to return last Friday. True to his word, the ZDF commander was at the celebrations, appearing quite fit as he mingled with fellow security chiefs and sat alert throughout the proceedings.
The General even accompanied President Robert Mugabe in a five-minute guard of honour inspection.
It is reported that the Master of ceremony at the celebrations Webster Shamu, launched a thinly veiled attack on the publications which published the story, saying the presence of Chiwenga at the Independence celebrations should "shame" those who said he (Chiwenga) was ill.
"We can see that the Commander of the ZDF is here and is very fit," said Shamu.
"Are those newspapers that claimed he was ill not ashamed now?"
General Constantine Chiwenga scoffed at the private media for what he called spreading malicious rumours over his health status, saying he remains fit and well.
General Chiwenga dismissed the story as completely unfounded falsehoods bent on tarnishing his image.
"You do not gain anything by writing such a sensational story, which is not true. If people were to be as sick as other people would want them to be, then everybody would have died. If people are not there, it does not mean that they are necessarily sick," General Chiwenga said.
Sources last Thursday told private media that the army chief had been hastily flown to China to seek medical attention for an undisclosed illness.
But while confirming that indeed Chiwenga had sought medical attention in China, Mnangagwa said it was just a routine medical check-up which every person at any point in their lives undergoes.
Reports of the commander's China trip were confirmed by Defence minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, who told NewsDay that the army chief had indeed gone to seek medical attention in China after his non-appearance in public had raised eyebrows.
Mnangagwa said Chiwenga was due to return last Friday. True to his word, the ZDF commander was at the celebrations, appearing quite fit as he mingled with fellow security chiefs and sat alert throughout the proceedings.
The General even accompanied President Robert Mugabe in a five-minute guard of honour inspection.
It is reported that the Master of ceremony at the celebrations Webster Shamu, launched a thinly veiled attack on the publications which published the story, saying the presence of Chiwenga at the Independence celebrations should "shame" those who said he (Chiwenga) was ill.
"We can see that the Commander of the ZDF is here and is very fit," said Shamu.
"Are those newspapers that claimed he was ill not ashamed now?"
General Constantine Chiwenga scoffed at the private media for what he called spreading malicious rumours over his health status, saying he remains fit and well.
General Chiwenga dismissed the story as completely unfounded falsehoods bent on tarnishing his image.
"You do not gain anything by writing such a sensational story, which is not true. If people were to be as sick as other people would want them to be, then everybody would have died. If people are not there, it does not mean that they are necessarily sick," General Chiwenga said.
Sources last Thursday told private media that the army chief had been hastily flown to China to seek medical attention for an undisclosed illness.
But while confirming that indeed Chiwenga had sought medical attention in China, Mnangagwa said it was just a routine medical check-up which every person at any point in their lives undergoes.
Source - Byo24News
