General Chiwenga marries former supermodel

By Faith Zaba and John Nyashanu

Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces General Constantine Chiwenga, whose marriage to combative businesswoman Jocelyn ended acrimoniously, has found new love, it has emerged. Her name is Mary Mubaiwa, a 28-year-old former supermodel and daughter of Dynamos Football Club chairman Kenny Mubaiwa.

Mary is the ex-wife of former Zimbabwe national soccer team striker Shingi Kawondera, and since the powerful defence forces chief paid the bride price (lobola/roora) a few months ago, she has been seen moving around with bodyguards, especially when attending public functions.

It has also emerged Chiwenga paid between US$45 000 and $47 000 in bride price for the former catwalk queen in a traditional ceremony, which close friends and family members reportedly said was held in Dema, Seke communal lands. A close relative of Chiwenga who preferred anonymity told NewsDay.

“We went as a five-member delegation about three months ago to Dema where the ceremony was held and everything went well.” Another source said the general had moved out of the matrimonial home in Harare’s plush Borrowdale Brooke suburb and was now living with Mary in the same neighbourhood.

“They have been living together for the last three months,” the source said. “It’s now common knowledge that they are living together with Mary.” Although Mary’s father Kenny confirmed the traditional marriage, his daughter said she was not married. Said the father: “You are late (for the ceremony), but everything went on well.”

Earlier our sister paper Zimbabwe Independent contacted Mary’s father and he said then: “Yeah, but call me later after the meeting so that we can discuss the matter.”

But when phoned later, he said: “What has that got to do with you? That is private life. We can discuss football matters, but I don’t discuss such (family) matters in the newspapers. If you get married, will that come out in the newspaper?”

Mary was seen being picked up by the military chief at Harare International Airport on September 20 upon her return from South Africa. She had just alighted from South African Airways flight number SA 24.

Chiwenga was clad in a dark designer suit and surrounded by several bodyguards when he welcomed Mary in the arrivals lounge. She was smartly dressed in a black and blue dress, black stockings and matching blue shoes.

Chiwenga was in a jovial mood as he lavishly paid attention to Mary, patting her several times, holding her hand and chatting intimately with her while his bodyguards milled around.

After collecting her luggage, the couple headed for their vehicle and sped off in a three-car convoy. Speculations has been swirling that a divorce settlement has been reached with Jocelyn, with whom the general has no children.

She would get to keep the couple’s mansion in Borrowdale Brooke, not far from where Chiwenga is renting a house for Mary. Chiwenga’s friends and family members said Mary and the defence forces chief were likely to tie the knot soon. Jocelyn, who has refused to discuss Chiwenga’s new-found love, is said to be now concentrating on her philanthropic work.

Repeated efforts to get hold of Chiwenga proved fruitless as he was said to be out of the country. NewsDay