CHIWENGA — THE GENERAL'S COUP | The Life and Wars of Constantino Chiwenga (Documentary)
Upright Films
2,740 views
CHIWENGA — THE GENERAL'S COUP | The Life and Wars of Constantino Chiwenga
In September 2016, General Constantino Chiwenga was asked in his car whether the army would pick Robert Mugabe's successor. "Absolutely nonsense," he said — then quoted Section 212 of the constitution: the army, he said, is the organ that upholds it. Period. Fifteen months later his tanks rolled into Harare and Mugabe's 37-year rule was over in five days.
This Upright Films documentary follows the schoolboy from Wedza who became a ZANLA guerrilla, a brigadier at twenty-five, the commander who decided who ruled Zimbabwe, the vice-president who survived a mystery illness, a family war, and — in 2026 — the fight of his life against the 2030 project that rewrote the constitution around him.
CHAPTERS
0:00 His own words
0:34 The boy from Wedza
2:05 Part One: The Boy From Wedza
3:49 Part Two: Dominic Chinenge
5:27 Part Three: The Soldier And The Shadow
7:30 Part Four: The Kingmaker's Doctrine
10:07 Part Five: Five Days In November
12:35 Part Six: The Oath And The Guns
15:00 Part Seven: The Body
17:00 Part Eight: The Family War
19:12 Part Nine: The War For 2030
22:06 Part Ten: The Reckoning
24:05 Closing & credits
FAIRNESS NOTE
Allegations referred to in this film are allegations only. Constantino Chiwenga has never been convicted of any offence; the Gukurahundi allegations against him have never been adjudicated; the poisoning and assassination-plot stories have never been confirmed. Marry Mubaiwa was convicted only of fraud (fine); her attempted-murder trial continues and she denies all charges.
SELECTED SOURCES
BBC · Reuters · The Guardian · Al Jazeera · The Times · Washington Post/AP · HRW · Motlanthe Commission report · ZimLive · NewZimbabwe · NewsDay · The Africa Report · Africa Confidential · SABC · VOA
PRODUCTION NOTES
Produced by Upright Films. Narration is an AI-generated voice (Kokoro text-to-speech). Music: an original score composed for this film. Archive footage excerpts are used for news reporting, criticism and review. Enjoyed this film? SUBSCRIBE to Upright Films and turn on the bell — new documentaries every week.
PHOTO CREDITS (Wikimedia Commons, author details on each file page)
Константино Чивенго (21-02-2024) (CC BY 4.0); A tank in harare during the coup (CC0); Citizens In the Streets of Harare, Zimbabwe, November 19, 2017 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Emmerson Mnangagwa 2017 (Public domain); MountStMarysMissionWedzaZimbabwe (CC BY-SA 3.0); 1970s Jameson Avenue, Salisbury, Rhodesia 6875739032 (CC BY 2.0); Chimoio by sunset (CC BY-SA 4.0); Rhodesian African Rifles, Lake Kariba, December 1976, 4 (CC0); Great Zimbabwe Ruins (CC BY-SA 4.0); Chimoio train station (CC BY-SA 4.0); ZANLA provinces and sectors (CC BY-SA 3.0); Chimoio Airport, Mozambique (CC BY-SA 4.0); Rhodesian African Rifles, Lake Kariba, December 1976 (CC0); Josiah Magama Tongogara Cenotaph (CC BY-SA 4.0); Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe Prime Minister 1980 (CC BY-SA 2.0); Performing for newly installed President (CC BY-SA 4.0); Bulawayo City Hall (CC BY 3.0); Robert Mugabe Official Portrait (Public domain); Provinces affected Gukurahundi (CC BY-SA 3.0); Bulawayo, Rhodesia -- 1976 (Public domain); MPCV Zimbabwe (CC BY 4.0); Heroes Acre, Harare, Zimbabwe (1) (CC BY 2.0); Robert Mugabe, Bestanddeelnr 930-4987 (CC0); Mugabe 1979 a (CC BY-SA 3.0 nl); Harare Munhumutapa Bldg (CC BY-SA 4.0); Grace Mugabe 2013-08-04 11-53 (cropped) (CC BY-SA 3.0); VP Emmerson Mnangagwa (Public domain); Government House, Salisbury (Public domain); Sibusiso Moyo, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Republic of Zimbabwe (cropped) (CC BY 2.0); Harare CBD (CC BY-SA 4.0); Heroes Acre Monument, Harare, Zimbabwe (CC BY 2.0); Emmerson Mnangagwa (2019-01-15) (CC BY 4.0); PLA General Hospital at dusk (CC BY-SA 4.0); Outpatient building of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital (CC BY-SA 4.0); Vladimir Putin and Emmerson Mnangagwa (2019-01-15) (CC BY 4.0); Parliament of Zimbabwe Building (CC0); Robert Mugabe Official Portrait (4x5 cropped) (Public domain); Harare - Harare3510 (CC0); Harare aerial view (CC0); Zimbabwean Flag in Beads (CC0); Great-zim-aerial-looking-West (CC BY-SA 4.0)
#Chiwenga #Zimbabwe #OperationRestoreLegacy #Documentary #Harare #ZimbabwePolitics #UprightFilms
1 Comments
CHIWENGA — THE GENERAL'S COUP | The Life and Wars of Constantino Chiwenga (Documentary)
Upright Films
2,740 views
CHIWENGA — THE GENERAL'S COUP | The Life and Wars of Constantino Chiwenga
In September 2016, General Constantino Chiwenga was asked in his car whether the army would pick Robert Mugabe's successor. "Absolutely nonsense," he said — then quoted Section 212 of the constitution: the army, he said, is the organ that upholds it. Period. Fifteen months later his tanks rolled into Harare and Mugabe's 37-year rule was over in five days.
This Upright Films documentary follows the schoolboy from Wedza who became a ZANLA guerrilla, a brigadier at twenty-five, the commander who decided who ruled Zimbabwe, the vice-president who survived a mystery illness, a family war, and — in 2026 — the fight of his life against the 2030 project that rewrote the constitution around him.
CHAPTERS
0:00 His own words
0:34 The boy from Wedza
2:05 Part One: The Boy From Wedza
3:49 Part Two: Dominic Chinenge
5:27 Part Three: The Soldier And The Shadow
7:30 Part Four: The Kingmaker's Doctrine
10:07 Part Five: Five Days In November
12:35 Part Six: The Oath And The Guns
15:00 Part Seven: The Body
17:00 Part Eight: The Family War
19:12 Part Nine: The War For 2030
22:06 Part Ten: The Reckoning
24:05 Closing & credits
FAIRNESS NOTE
Allegations referred to in this film are allegations only. Constantino Chiwenga has never been convicted of any offence; the Gukurahundi allegations against him have never been adjudicated; the poisoning and assassination-plot stories have never been confirmed. Marry Mubaiwa was convicted only of fraud (fine); her attempted-murder trial continues and she denies all charges.
SELECTED SOURCES
BBC · Reuters · The Guardian · Al Jazeera · The Times · Washington Post/AP · HRW · Motlanthe Commission report · ZimLive · NewZimbabwe · NewsDay · The Africa Report · Africa Confidential · SABC · VOA
PRODUCTION NOTES
Produced by Upright Films. Narration is an AI-generated voice (Kokoro text-to-speech). Music: an original score composed for this film. Archive footage excerpts are used for news reporting, criticism and review. Enjoyed this film? SUBSCRIBE to Upright Films and turn on the bell — new documentaries every week.
PHOTO CREDITS (Wikimedia Commons, author details on each file page)
Константино Чивенго (21-02-2024) (CC BY 4.0); A tank in harare during the coup (CC0); Citizens In the Streets of Harare, Zimbabwe, November 19, 2017 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Emmerson Mnangagwa 2017 (Public domain); MountStMarysMissionWedzaZimbabwe (CC BY-SA 3.0); 1970s Jameson Avenue, Salisbury, Rhodesia 6875739032 (CC BY 2.0); Chimoio by sunset (CC BY-SA 4.0); Rhodesian African Rifles, Lake Kariba, December 1976, 4 (CC0); Great Zimbabwe Ruins (CC BY-SA 4.0); Chimoio train station (CC BY-SA 4.0); ZANLA provinces and sectors (CC BY-SA 3.0); Chimoio Airport, Mozambique (CC BY-SA 4.0); Rhodesian African Rifles, Lake Kariba, December 1976 (CC0); Josiah Magama Tongogara Cenotaph (CC BY-SA 4.0); Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe Prime Minister 1980 (CC BY-SA 2.0); Performing for newly installed President (CC BY-SA 4.0); Bulawayo City Hall (CC BY 3.0); Robert Mugabe Official Portrait (Public domain); Provinces affected Gukurahundi (CC BY-SA 3.0); Bulawayo, Rhodesia -- 1976 (Public domain); MPCV Zimbabwe (CC BY 4.0); Heroes Acre, Harare, Zimbabwe (1) (CC BY 2.0); Robert Mugabe, Bestanddeelnr 930-4987 (CC0); Mugabe 1979 a (CC BY-SA 3.0 nl); Harare Munhumutapa Bldg (CC BY-SA 4.0); Grace Mugabe 2013-08-04 11-53 (cropped) (CC BY-SA 3.0); VP Emmerson Mnangagwa (Public domain); Government House, Salisbury (Public domain); Sibusiso Moyo, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Republic of Zimbabwe (cropped) (CC BY 2.0); Harare CBD (CC BY-SA 4.0); Heroes Acre Monument, Harare, Zimbabwe (CC BY 2.0); Emmerson Mnangagwa (2019-01-15) (CC BY 4.0); PLA General Hospital at dusk (CC BY-SA 4.0); Outpatient building of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital (CC BY-SA 4.0); Vladimir Putin and Emmerson Mnangagwa (2019-01-15) (CC BY 4.0); Parliament of Zimbabwe Building (CC0); Robert Mugabe Official Portrait (4x5 cropped) (Public domain); Harare - Harare3510 (CC0); Harare aerial view (CC0); Zimbabwean Flag in Beads (CC0); Great-zim-aerial-looking-West (CC BY-SA 4.0)
#Chiwenga #Zimbabwe #OperationRestoreLegacy #Documentary #Harare #ZimbabwePolitics #UprightFilms