Constantino Chiwenga Biography| Age, Education, Zimbabwe National Army, Personal Life, Politics
Constantino Chiwenga, also known as Constantine Guveya Dominic Nyikadzino Chiwenga, is a Zimbabwean politician and former military general.
He currently holds the position of First Vice-President of Zimbabwe under President Emmerson Mnangagwa, a role he has held since 2017.
In August 2020, he also took on the additional responsibility of serving as the Minister of Health.
In 2017, he played a leading role in the Operation Restore Legacy Military Intervention that successfully ousted Robert Mugabe, who had been Zimbabwe’s president for 37 years.
Age
Constantino Chiwenga was born in 1956 in the Wedza District of Mashonaland East Province in Zimbabwe. He is 68 years old as of 2024
Education
He received his early education at St Mary’s Mission in Hwedza, where he completed his O Level studies alongside future Air Marshal Perrance Shiri and Brigadier General Shungurirai, among others.
Chiwenga later earned a Ph.D. in Ethics from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2015.
In 2016, he legally changed his name to Constantino Guveya Dominic Nyikadzino Chiwenga.
Personal Life
Constantino Chiwenga was first married to Jocelyn Jacobsen (née Mauchaza) in 1998, but they divorced in 2012. The couple did not have any children together.
In 2011, Chiwenga married Marry (Mary) Mubaiwa, a former model.
In December 2019, Chiwenga filed for divorce from Marry. In June 2022, Chiwenga got married to Colonel MIniyothabo Baloyi, who is a serving member of the Zimbabwe National Army.
In December 2023, Constantino Chiwenga, the Vice President of Zimbabwe, celebrated his union with Colonel Miniyothabo Baloyi in a vibrant ceremony held at St Gerard’s Roman Catholic Church in Borrowdale. The picturesque Venue Umwinzii in Harare hosted the wedding reception, graced by esteemed dignitaries.
The ceremony was attended by:
- President Mnangagwa: The President praised Chiwenga’s integrity and commitment to the nation.
- First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa: Acknowledged the significance of the occasion and the responsibilities ahead for Mrs Chiwenga.
- Vice President Kembo Mohadi: A prominent figure in Zimbabwean politics.
- Cabinet Ministers: Various government officials present to celebrate the occasion.
Foreign Diplomats: Representatives from other nations added an international dimension to the event.
The Zimbabwe Mail
Rhodesian Bush War
In 1973, he enlisted in the war effort and underwent training as a ZANLA fighter in Mozambique, assuming the war name “Dominic Chinenge.”
Progressing up the ranks, Chiwenga was eventually appointed as the Provincial Commander for Masvingo/Gaza Province, with George Chiweshe serving as the Provincial Commissar.
By 1978, Chiwenga had been promoted to the High Command and took on the role of ZANLA Deputy Political Commissar, serving as Josiah Tungamirai’s second-in-command.
Career In The Zimbabwe Military
In 1994, the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) was established, and Chiwenga was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General and appointed as the commander of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA). Following the retirement of General Vitalis Zvinavashe in 2004, Chiwenga was subsequently promoted to the position of Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.
On December 18, 2017, the Zimbabwean government announced that Chiwenga was due to retire and would be redeployed in a new role. The retirement took place on December 19th of the same year.
image credit: The Times
Subsequently, on December 28th, 2017, Chiwenga was sworn in as co-vice president of Zimbabwe, alongside former Security Minister Kembo Mohadi.
Political Career
On December 27, 2017, Chiwenga and Mohadi were confirmed as the state Vice-Presidents, with their swearing-in ceremony scheduled for the following day.
Chiwenga was appointed as the Vice President of Zimbabwe on December 28th, along with Mohadi who was appointed as the Second Vice-President.
Additionally, he was appointed as the Minister of Defence and War Veterans Affairs on the same day.
In August 2020, Chiwenga was appointed as the Minister of Health and Child Care, succeeding Obadiah Moyo who had been dismissed from his position a month prior due to corruption allegations surrounding the awarding of contracts for COVID-19 testing.
References
The Sunday Mail
