The government of Zimbabwe says Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Retired Lieutenant General Sibusiso Moyo is in hospital where doctors are expected “to do a small procedure on him today.”
Moyo, who announced the military intervention last November that eventually led to former President Robert Mugabe’s ouster, was admitted Wednesday at Avenues Clinic in Harare.
Latest reports indicated that attempts were being made to move him to a specialized hospital outside Zimbabwe.
His admission set social media on fire with some people claiming that the minister, affectionately known by his legion of fans as General Bae or the People’s General, had died. But Deputy Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Energy Mutodi, told the state-controlled Herald newspaper that Moyo is in stable condition.
The newspaper quoted Mutodi as saying, “I went to see him this morning and he is recovering well from a minor illness. I am sure doctors are going to do a simple procedure on him this afternoon. He is in a stable condition and when I arrived he was chatting with his relatives. We hope that he will be treated and discharged soon so that he will be back at work.”
VOA Studio 7 was not allowed to see Moyo at Avenues Clinic and Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa, Moyo’s wife and some of his close associates were not available for comment.
Moyo, a former combatant under Zapu’s armed wing, the Zimbabwe Revolutionary People’s Army, rose through the Zimbabwe National Army ranks to become a major general before his retirement last year and became the face of the military intervention.
He was appointed foreign affairs minister soon after Mnangagwa was sworn-in last year.