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| name = Constantino Chiwenga
| honorific-suffix =
| image = Константино Чивенго (21-02-2024).jpg
| imagesize =
| smallimage =
| caption = Chiwenga in 2024
| order =
| office = [[Vice-President of Zimbabwe|First Vice-President of Zimbabwe]]
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| footnotes =
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'''Constantino Guveya Dominic Nyikadzino Chiwenga''' (born '''Constantine Chiwenga'''
Since 2017, he has also been the Vice President and Second Secretary of the ruling [[Zimbabwean African National Union–Patriotic Front]] (ZANU-PF) jointly serving with [[Kembo Mohadi]]. In 2017, he was the most prominent military leader involved in successfully toppling Zimbabwe's President of 37 years [[Robert Mugabe]] in a bloodless [[2017 Zimbabwean coup d'état|coup]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/13/zimbabwe-army-chief-warns-military-could-step-in-over-party-purge|title=Zimbabwe army chief warns military could 'step in' over party purge|agency=[[Agence France-Presse]]|date=2017-11-13|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-11-21|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/zimbabwe-politics-mugabe/ |title="Treacherous shenanigans" - The inside story of Mugabe's downfall |work=Reuters |first1=MacDonald |last1=Dzirutwe |first2=Joe |last2=Brock |first3=Ed |last3=Cropley |date=2018-11-26 |access-date=2022-11-14}}</ref>
== Personal life ==
Chiwenga was born in 1956 in [[Wedza District]] of [[Mashonaland East Province]]. He was educated up to [[GCE Ordinary Level|O Level]] at
Chiwenga has been married and divorced several times.<ref>"General Chiwenga has publicly been associated with five women, and has children with two of them. His first wife lives in Marondera and is from Wedza." Chiwenga has adult children from his first marriage. {{Cite news|date=8 December 2019 |title=General Chiwenga Moves Back to His First Wife |newspaper=Gambawe |url=https://gambakwe.com/2019/12/08/exclusive-general-chiwenga-moves-back-to-his-first-wife/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191218223940/https://gambakwe.com/2019/12/08/exclusive-general-chiwenga-moves-back-to-his-first-wife/ |archive-date=18 December 2019 |url-status=live |df=dmy}}</ref> In 1998 he married Jocelyn Jacobsen (née Mauchaza) with a divorce in 2012.<ref name="Mawire">{{Cite news|last=Mawire |first=Gift |date=7 March 2017 |title=Filthy Rich General Chiwenga Messy Divorce Exposes Plunder, Externalisation And Offshore Properties |newspaper=PaZimbabwe |url=https://www.pazimbabwe.com/zimbabwe-35372-filthy-rich-general-chiwenga-messy-divorce-exposes-plunder-externalisation-and-offshore-properties.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/gQ1UH?https://www.pazimbabwe.com/zimbabwe-35372-filthy-rich-general-chiwenga-messy-divorce-exposes-plunder-externalisation-and-offshore-properties.html |archive-date=18 December 2019 |url-status=live |df=dmy}}</ref> There were no children from his marriage to Jacobsen.<ref name="New-baby">{{Cite news|date=19 November 2012 |title=Chiwenga, Wife Welcome New Baby |newspaper=[[Daily News (Harare)|Daily News]] |location=Harare, Zimbabwe |url=https://www.dailynews.co.zw/articles/2012/11/19/chiwenga-wife-welcome-new-baby |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140614173859/https://www.dailynews.co.zw/articles/2012/11/19/chiwenga-wife-welcome-new-baby |archive-date=14 June 2014 |url-status=dead |df=dmy}}</ref> In 2011 he married Marry (Mary) Mubaiwa, a former model,<ref name="Mawire" /><ref name="New-baby" /> while still married to Jacobsen.<ref>{{Cite news|date=17 November 2011 |title=Chiwenga in soup over new wife Mary |newspaper=[[NewsDay (Zimbabwean newspaper)|NewsDay]] |url=https://www.newsday.co.zw/2011/11/2011-11-17-chiwenga-in-soup-over-new-wife-mary/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171117143446/https://www.newsday.co.zw/2011/11/2011-11-17-chiwenga-in-soup-over-new-wife-mary/ |archive-date=17 November 2017 |url-status=live |df=dmy}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=20 August 2015 |title=Chiwenga 's fight with ex-wife reaches Supreme Court |newspaper=PaZimbabwe |url=https://www.pazimbabwe.com/zimbabwe-7259-chiwengaex-wife-fight-reaches-supreme-court.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/UMTpp?https://www.pazimbabwe.com/zimbabwe-7259-chiwengaex-wife-fight-reaches-supreme-court.html |archive-date=18 December 2019 |url-status=dead |df=dmy}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=12 September 2014 |title=Chiwenga wins farm battle over ex-wife |newspaper=[[Zimbabwe Independent]] |url=https://www.theindependent.co.zw/2014/09/12/chiwenga-wins-farm-battle-ex-wife/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180703031240/https://www.theindependent.co.zw/2014/09/12/chiwenga-wins-farm-battle-ex-wife/ |archive-date=3 July 2018 |url-status=live |df=dmy}}</ref> In 2012 Marry bore their first child, a son, and a year later she bore a girl.<ref name="New-baby" /><ref name="PM-News-1">{{Cite news|date=7 December 2019 |title=Vice President divorces wife, evicts her from home |newspaper=P.M. News |location=Lagos, Nigeria |publisher=Independent Communications Network Limited (ICNL) |url=https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2019/12/07/vice-president-divorces-wife-evicts-her-from-home/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191208132354/https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2019/12/07/vice-president-divorces-wife-evicts-her-from-home/ |archive-date=8 December 2019 |url-status=live |df=dmy}}</ref>
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On 13 November 2017, Chiwenga released a press statement chastising those responsible for the dismissals of government officials in the ruling [[ZANU-PF]] party.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dailynews.co.zw/articles/2017/11/14/chiwenga-warns-mugabe-zanu-pf|title=Chiwenga warns Mugabe, Zanu PF|date=14 November 2017|accessdate=15 November 2017|author=Kwaramba, Fungi & Tafirenyika, Mugove|newspaper=[[Daily News (Harare)|Daily News]]|archive-date=16 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171116103001/https://www.dailynews.co.zw/articles/2017/11/14/chiwenga-warns-mugabe-zanu-pf|url-status=dead}}</ref> He warned that the armed forces would be forced to intervene should the "purging" not stop. In response, ZANU-PF's spokesperson [[Simon Khaya-Moyo]] released a press statement accusing Chiwenga of "treasonable conduct".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-41992351|title=Zimbabwe crisis: Army takes over – Mugabe 'detained'|date=15 November 2017|accessdate=15 November 2017|newspaper=[[BBC News]]}}</ref>
On 14 November it was reported that soldiers and armoured military vehicles were seen headed towards the capital, Harare. Several roads were later blocked in the city including the one leading to President [[Robert Mugabe]]'s private residence, as well as one leading to the ZANU-PF aligned national broadcaster, [[Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation]] (ZBC). In the early hours of the next day the military spokesperson, the late Major General [[Sibusiso Moyo]], appeared on ZBC Television announcing that the military had not taken over the country and that the president and his family were safe. He also announced that the armed forces would be "targeting criminals around him [Mugabe] who are committing crimes... that are causing social and economic suffering in the country". It was later reported that several ZANU-PF politicians and government ministers were detained or arrested, including the finance minister, [[Ignatius Chombo]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-zimbabwe-politics/zimbabwe-army-launches-takeover-against-criminals-around-mugabe-says-president-safe-idUKKBN1DE1WB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115080719/https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-zimbabwe-politics/zimbabwe-army-launches-takeover-against-criminals-around-mugabe-says-president-safe-idUKKBN1DE1WB|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 November 2017|title=Zimbabwe army launches takeover against 'criminals' around Mugabe, says president 'safe'|date=15 November 2017|accessdate=15 November 2017|first= MacDonald|last=Dzirutwe |newspaper=[[Reuters]]}}</ref>
===Alleged Chinese involvement===
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Chiwenga was appointed [[Ministry of Health and Child Care (Zimbabwe)|Minister of Health and Child Care]] in August 2020. He succeeded [[Obadiah Moyo]] who was sacked a month earlier over corruption in awarding coronavirus testing contracts.<ref>{{cite news |title=Zimbabwe VP named health minister after virus graft scandal |url=https://ewn.co.za/2020/08/04/zimbabwe-vp-named-health-minister-after-virus-graft-scandal |work=EWN |agency=AFP |date=4 August 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Xinhua-2">{{Cite news|title=Zimbabwean President Mnangagwa appoints VP Chiwenga as new health minister |date=5 August 2020 |publisher=Xinhua Net |url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-08/05/c_139264980.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805050026/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-08/05/c_139264980.htm |archive-date=5 August 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> Member of Parliament [[Tendai Biti]] said the appointment violates the constitution, which says the Vice President is not allowed to hold any other public office.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Chipato |first1=Victor |title=Is the Appointment of VP Chiwenga as Zimbabwe's Health Minister Legal? |url=http://www.allnetafrica.com/2020/08/04/is-the-appointment-of-vp-chiwenga-as-zimbabwes-health-minister-legal/ |work=Allnet Africa |date=4 August 2020}}</ref> Chiwenga inherited a corruption-ridden department with a disorganized response to the covid-19 pandemic.<ref name="Xinhua-2" />
In January 2021, he presided at the burial service for three "heroes of the liberation struggle", Foreign Affairs Minister Lieutenant General (Retired) Dr. [[Sibusiso Moyo]], Transport Minister [[Joel Biggie Matiza]] and former prisons chief Major-General (Retired) [[Paradzai Zimondi]], all of whom had died from
In September 2023, following the parliamentary elections, he was reappointed as First Vice President.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Ndebele |first=Lenin |date=8 September 2023 |title=Zimbabwe gets two familiar faces as VPs – including one who left amid scandal |newspaper=News 24 |location=South Africa |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/africa/news/zimbabwe-gets-two-familiar-faces-as-vps-including-one-who-left-amid-scandal-20230908 }}</ref>
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[[Category:1956 births]]
[[Category:People from Wedza District]]
[[Category:Defence
[[Category:Health
[[Category:Vice-presidents of Zimbabwe]]
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