Harare, – Concerns arose for Vice President Kembo Mohadi’s health on Thursday after he appeared to collapse while delivering a lecture at the University of Zimbabwe.
Mohadi, 74, was in the midst of his address when he suddenly seemed disoriented and requested water. Witnesses reported that his knees buckled shortly after, prompting his aides to rush to his aid.
“He couldn’t stand, so they helped him to a chair. He spoke briefly afterward, and following animated backstage discussions, his presentation was cut short,” a witness said.
Journalists present at the event were instructed by Mohadi’s aides from the Central Intelligence Organisation to stop filming and taking pictures.
The vice president was delivering a lecture titled ‘Liberation Movements and African Unity: Why Resilience Matters for Sustained Transformative Possibilities.’
Notably, Mohadi was absent later when President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the second Vice President Constantino Chiwenga attended the launch of 17 schools in Chikomba, constructed with assistance from the OPEC Fund for International Development.
George Charamba, the spokesperson for the presidency, stated that he was unavailable throughout the day and requested more time to gather the facts. He had not responded to inquiries at the time of writing.
A Zanu PF official briefed on the incident told ZimLive: “He was reading his speech and then asked for water. He had to be helped to sit down. He then continued his speech while seated. He did not necessarily collapse. In essence, he broke the collapse.”
The official also criticized the event organizers, including higher education minister Prof Amon Murwira, for the length of the speech.
In 2018, Mohadi was treated for injuries sustained from a grenade explosion at a Zanu PF rally at White City Stadium. A year later, he was flown to South Africa after falling ill from an undisclosed ailment. – ZimLive
