Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF), general Constantino Chiwenga, arrives to attend the Extraordinary Congress of the ruling party ZANU PF in Harare, Zimbabwe December 15, 2017. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo

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.