Published: 17 July 2018

Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga yesterday disclosed that the military facilitated President Emmerson Mnangagwa's escape to Mozambique following his expulsion from both the party and government by former President Robert Mugabe last November.

Addressing mourners at the burial of Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander General Valerio Sibanda's mother Yowana Kubvoruno Sibanda in Mashayamvura village, Dera in Gokwe, Chiwenga said two soldiers were deployed to whisk Mnangagwa out of the country, as he fled from Mugabe's "running dogs."

He said Sibanda organised Mnangagwa's escort team.

"Today, I want to say something I have never told anyone, a secret that has been kept between me and General Sibanda," Chiwenga said.

"General Sibanda is truly a brave hero. When the then Vice-President was fired from the government last November, I was away in China on national duty. General Sibanda called me to advise me on the sad developments.

"I told him that Mnangagwa's life could be at stake, so please make sure he is safe. General Sibanda is the one who orchestrated our President's escape through the Mozambique boarder and he sent two soldiers, one of them did not have a passport.

"They managed to safely whisk him away through the border and they left him in Mozambique and came back using the same border. When I came back, we sat and insisted that we want this to be a peaceful operation. Sibanda coined the name Operation Restore Legacy."
- newsday

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