Constantino Chiwenga
|
Rtd. General Constantino Chiwenga |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| First Vice-President of Zimbabwe | |
|
Assumed office 28 December 2017 |
|
| President | Emmerson Mnangagwa |
| Preceded by | Emmerson Mnangagwa |
| Minister of Defence and War Veterans | |
|
Assumed office 29 December 2017 |
|
| President | Emmerson Mnangagwa |
| Preceded by | Kembo Mohadi |
| Vice President and Co-Second Secretary of ZANU–PF | |
|
Assumed office 23 December 2017 Serving with Kembo Mohadi |
|
| President | Emmerson Mnangagwa |
| Preceded by | Post Established |
| Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces | |
|
In office December 2003 – 19 December 2017 |
|
| President |
Robert Mugabe Emmerson Mnangagwa |
| Preceded by | Vitalis Zvinavashe |
| Succeeded by | Philip Valerio Sibanda |
| Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army | |
|
In office 1994 – December 2003 |
|
| President | Robert Mugabe |
| Succeeded by | Philip Valerio Sibanda |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Constantine Guveya Chiwenga 25 August 1956 Wedza, Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (now Hwedza, Zimbabwe) |
| Nationality | Zimbabwean |
| Political party | ZANU–PF |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Military service | |
| Nickname(s) | Dominic Chinenge |
| Allegiance |
 Zimbabwe Defence Forces
|
| Service/branch |
Zimbabwe National Army Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army |
| Years of service | Until 2017 |
| Rank | General |
| Battles/wars | Rhodesian Bush War |
Constantino Guveya Dominic Nyikadzino Chiwenga (born Constantine Guveya Chiwenga; 25 August 1956) is a retired Zimbabwean general officer currently serving as Vice-President of Zimbabwe since December 2017. He also serves as the Minister of Defence, Security and War Veterans, and as the Vice-President of the ruling ZANU-PF party since December 2017. He is the former Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army.
He was born in 1956 in the Wedza district of Mashonaland East Province. General Chiwenga was educated up to O Level at St Mary's Mission in Hwedza, together with Air Marshal Perence Shiri and Brigadier General Shungu, Commander Mechanised Brigade. On 29 July 2016, he changed his name to Constantino Guveya Dominic Nyikadzino Chiwenga.
He joined the war in 1973 and was trained in Mozambique as a ZANLA militant. Chiwenga adopted the war name of "Dominic Chinenge". He rose through the ranks to become a Provincial Commander for Masvingo/Gaza Province deputised by George Chiweshe who was the Provincial Commissar. He was later promoted to the High Command in 1978 to the post of ZANLA Deputy Political Commissar as Josiah Tungamirai's deputy.
In 1981 he was attested to the newly formed Zimbabwe National Army as a brigadier commanding First Brigade in Bulawayo. He was later promoted to the rank of major general and reverted to his original name of Constantine Chiwenga.
In the early 1980s after failing basic Officers course at the Zimbabwe Staff College he bribed a junior officer to give him answers for practical Intermediate Staff Course. It is alleged the he accepted a green coded paper with suggested solutions which are available only after the exam. Chiwenga was expelled from the course after refusing to name the junior officer who had given him the paper. He then went on to shoot himself through the right shoulder in an attempt to end his life and was admitted at Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare.
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Wikipedia