President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said Vice President Constantino Chiwenga saved his life when he was poisoned at a ZANU PF rally in Gwanda in 2017.
Mnangagwa was speaking at his birthday anniversary dinner hosted by the first lady, Auxillia Mnangagwa, at State House on Friday.
The event was attended by members of the first family, Chiwenga and his wife, Vice President Kembo Mohadi, Cabinet Ministers, Senior Government officials, senior ZANU PF officials, members of the Diplomatic community, friends, and relatives.
Mnangagwa, who was celebrating his 81st birthday, said that after he was poisoned in Gwanda, Chiwenga and the first lady arranged that he be airlifted to South Africa for treatment. He said:
God has been very kind to me because most of my colleagues are long gone. I had a taste of death several times including recently when I was poisoned in Gwanda. But I am still here and I want to give credit to VP Chiwenga. He and the First Lady were able to rush me to a hospital in South Africa and I survived. I want my family to know that Chiwenga saved me, he took it upon himself.
According to a report, at the birthday bash, Mnangagwa received gifts of paintings, and from his sons, an all-expenses paid fishing trip on which they will join him.
His daughters-in-law gifted him a three-tier cake, with each tier significant — the first represented the president’s farm, the second “special moments in the president’s life” and the third his “determination overcoming trials and tribulations”.
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