Ex-army boss to be sworn in as Zimbabwe vice president on Thursday

HARARE (Reuters) - Retired army chief Constantino Chiwenga and veteran politician Kembo Mohadi will be sworn in as Zimbabwe's vice presidents on Thursday, state-run Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation said on Wednesday. The pair, appointed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, were elevated to similar positions in the ruling ZANU-PF party on Saturday. Chiwenga retired from the military this month. His appointment was expected as a reward for leading a de facto coup in November that ended Robert Mugabe’s 37-year rule and brought Mnangagwa to power. It also adds to signs of a consolidation of power for the army since it turned against the 93-year-old Mugabe. Mnangagwa has appointed several senior military officers to his cabinet and the ruling party's top decision-making body, the Politburo. Mnangagwa is under pressure from opposition parties and the public to implement political reforms. (Reporting by Alfonce Mbizwo; Editing by Ed Stoddard and John Stonestreet)