By A Correspondent – Vice President Constantino Chiwenga on Wednesday addressed African Heads of State and Government on the continent’s cholera crisis, delivering a virtual speech on behalf of President Emmerson Mnangagwa during the Extraordinary High-Level Meeting on Cholera Response and Elimination.

In the address, Mnangagwa urged African leaders to shift from reactive measures to proactive strategies aimed at permanently eliminating cholera from communities. 

Chiwenga’s role in the continental engagement, coupled with his increasing visibility on both local and international platforms, has fuelled speculation that Mnangagwa is grooming him for succession.

Chiwenga’s appearance came just a day after the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) announced a controversial three-day military drill in several Harare suburbs, including Glen View, Kuwadzana, Dzivarasekwa, Mt Hampden, and Westgate. 

The exercise, said to be part of routine field training, immediately triggered public anxiety given its timing and symbolic locations—especially along Solomon Mujuru Road.

The military presence has revived memories of the November 2017 coup that toppled the late Robert Mugabe. 

That intervention, orchestrated under the guise of “restoring order,” was led by then-General Chiwenga, who later assumed the vice presidency after helping Mnangagwa ascend to power.

Although officials have dismissed this week’s exercise as non-political, it comes amid mounting Zanu PF factionalism and persistent rumours of a rift between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga. 

The ruling party has been marred by succession battles, with the military-aligned Chiwenga faction increasingly asserting influence.

Observers say Mnangagwa’s decision to let Chiwenga represent him at such a high-level forum may be a calculated move to manage internal power dynamics and placate the military establishment, which remains a critical force in Zanu PF politics.

The public has been urged to remain calm and direct any concerns to the ZNA’s Public Relations office.