President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his wife Auxillia today visited Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga at his Borrowdale home ending speculation that he had snubbed his deputy who returned from China this morning where he was receiving treatment for the past four months.
Chiwenga was welcomed by his family and China’s Deputy Ambassador to Zimbabwe Zhao Baogang. There were no senior government officials.
A twitter handle said to be that of Mnangagwa’s spokesman George Charamba said: “ED who is Head of State and President of Zimbabwe does not – repeat – DOES NOT receive his Deputy. In the same vein, the Chinese Ambassador who personifies the Chinese State here in Zimbabwe WILL NOT receive a Vice President of the State to which he is accredited. The protocol does not allow both cases. For the record, President Mnangagwa and his Deputy enjoyed daily communication while the VP was away.”
According to the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, Mnangagwa thanked President Xi Jinping of China for ensuring the recovery of Chiwenga.
“The Vice President was sick and it was bothering us, at first we made arrangements that he goes to South Africa for medical treatment and after that we made arrangements that he go to China for treatment and we spoke with the President of China our brother Xi Jinping who is also our close ally, who said he could assist,” Mnangagwa said.
“I am very grateful to my brother President Xi Jinping whom I talked to and had said he would do his best to instruct his system to do their best to look after the Vice President and that has been done. As we speak, I have sent a letter to thank him for assisting my Vice President.
“In my personal capacity I am extremely relieved that my brother is back and is in good health, it was something that affected me personally, now as the President I am happy that the Vice President is back and is fit.
“The Vice President received treatment as you can see how he is fit and has fully recovered, the whole Zimbabwe should know that he is fit and ready to work and assist us in resuscitating the economy.”
Chiwenga said he was ready to resume duty and thanked Mnangagwa for arranging to have him treated in China.
“I want to personally thank my president, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, if he had not intervened when I was in South Africa, I would have died. I could really see the difference when I arrived in China. He did not only act in his personal capacity as the President but as my brother as he did everything humanly possible to save my life,” Chiwenga said.
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