Colonel Miniyothabo ‘Minnie’ Baloyi Chiwenga on Skyz Metro FM’s show “Women of Fortitude” (also called “Flowers of Fortitude”), which highlights influential women from Bulawayo and Matabeleland. Minnie is the Wife of Zimbabwe Vice President, General Chiwenga. She is Multilingual, speaking 5-6 languages including English, Shona, Ndebele, Zulu, French, and Mandarin. She has founded a school for farm workers’ children and engaged in various business ventures alongside military career and family responsibilities.
A highlight of the interview is when she explains how soldiers at a parade laughed when she was introduced as their commander. Minnie said she made the soldiers run every lunch time and made sure she was ahead of them every time they ran.
In the interview, Minnie discusses her upbringing in a rural community where she was shaped by the values of Ubuntu (community care and extended family support). She attributes much of who she is to being raised in an environment where communal support, sharing, and humility were paramount. She shares lessons from her grandmother , uMangena, about selflessness and caring for others.
She reveals that when her father died, she was left with over 10 children to take care of and she had to travel to Botswana and South Africa to buy and sell goods to support the family as she could not do it on a civil servants salary.
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1976: Born in Filabusi, Matabeleland South Province, Zimbabwe (Ugodlwayo Omnyama, Umahlaba Utwale). She was at Ntunteni, where she did the first two years of her schooling. She then went to Sabhabha Primary Shchool where her father was a teacher and later on became a headmaster there.
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Early Years: Attended Secondary school at Ekusileni Mission in Filabusi for her form one to form four. Later attended JZ Moyo High School for Lower and Upper six.
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1996: Joined the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) following completion of secondary education and joined the Zimbabwe Military Academy. Became one of the first female officer cadets in the late 1990s. She discussed her decision to join the military with her father. In the military she faced gender stereotyping. On the first day she was introduced as a platoon commander, the guys who were on parade laughed.
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2005-2009: Studied at PLA University of Foreign Languages in China, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chinese, Chinese Mandarin, and French.
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2009: Began work as a government linguist (noted from LinkedIn profile dated August 2009).
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2016-2018: Pursued and earned a Master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Zimbabwe.
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2019: Promoted to the rank of Colonel in the Zimbabwe National Army.
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2019: Visited then-future husband Constantino Chiwenga during his medical treatment in China.
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June 2022: Married Vice President Constantino Chiwenga; their marriage publicly announced on June 15, 2022.
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Throughout Career: Multilingual, speaking around 5-6 languages including English, Shona, Ndebele, Zulu, French, and Mandarin.
Minnie explains that joining the military was an accidental decision inspired by a newspaper advert, but it became a defining moment that shaped her into a strong woman determined to prove that women can excel as military commanders despite gender stereotyping and doubts. She recounts challenges faced as one of the first female officer cadets, including resistance and skepticism from male peers, which she overcame through discipline and proving her capabilities.
She also talks about growing up in the rural areas and how it may have limited her exposure and resources but shaped a strong character and values that helped her succeed. She encourages young women not to use their backgrounds as excuses and highlights the power of education and determination.
Minnie describes her entrepreneurial journey, motivated by needing to support an extended family after the death of her father. She started businesses that allowed her to provide for her siblings and engage in community projects, such as opening a school for farm workers’ children to ensure quality education.
She speaks about balancing her career, business, and family life through time management and delegation. She mentions speaking multiple languages, shaped by her upbringing and career opportunities, including learning Chinese through a scholarship.
On inspiration and resilience, Minnie shares a story about surviving a serious car accident that strengthened her faith and spirituality. She is committed to causes such as combating substance abuse, improving education for the underprivileged, and promoting green energy and water provision in rural areas.
Regarding her marriage to the Vice President, she acknowledges the unwanted public attention but also the platform it gives her to advocate for social causes.
Her key advice to young women is to be disciplined, work hard, trust the journey, and be kind to others, emphasizing that success requires character and persistence.
