Mnangagwa speaks on Solomon Mujuru

Headlines, News — By admin on August 22, 2011 7:08 am

Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa says General Solomon Mujuru who died in an inferno at his farmhouse in Beatrice on Tuesday was a gallant soldier who contributed immensely to Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle.

Speaking to journalists at One Commando Barracks in Harare yesterday when the remains of Gen Mujuru were about to be flown to his rural home in Chikomba, Minister Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe had lost one of the finest soldiers and pioneer of the liberation struggle.

“I knew Gen Mujuru since 1974 when I came out of prison. We met in Zambia where we worked together until today. Yes, the Mujuru family may say they have lost a father, brother cousin, and uncle and so on but indeed the nation has lost a gallant fighter.

“As a country, we are poorer without him. In Zanu-PF there are few veterans left who can tell the true story of the liberation struggle and Rex was one such solid cadre.

“We in the military have lost one of our strategists. During the war he was one of the commanders we relied on when it comes to strategising. Throughout the war we had great respect for him and we largely depended on him,” he said.

Gen Mujuru’s widow Vice President Joice Mujuru, his brother Joel, service chiefs and Mashonaland East Zanu-PF provincial chairman Cde Ray Kaukonde among others, accompanied the body.

Minister Mnangagwa said due to his prowess, Gen Mujuru was instrumental in the integration of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces at independence in 1980.

“During integration of the three armies that is Zanla from Zanu, Zipra from Zapu and the Rhodesian army because I was chairman of the Joint Operation Command, I found his wisdom was very solid. He was a man of unusual foresight and vision. I depended on him extremely on many issues,” said.

On the political side, Minister Mnangagwa said: “Since 1977 when we became members of the Central Committee, he was deputising General (Josiah) Tongogara. Again he was one of the officers we had who preached the gospel of Mao tse Tang that politics should command the gun and not the other way round.

“That we can only survive by being fish in the water and that the revolution must be accepted by the masses for it to survive. He said the masses must embrace the revolution and we must be understood in prosecuting the correct grievances that the masses have.

“In all our commissariat work, we emphasised this and it was himself and Cde Josiah Tungamirai who were the head of the commissariat department in the High Command who were instrumental and key figures in the prosecution of the war.”

Minister Mnangagwa said VP Mujuru had not only lost a loving husband, but a colleague in the armed struggle. He said Gen Mujuru’s death was a huge blow to Zanu-PF in the present political arena.

“We in Zanu-PF have lost a gallant fighter and a revolutionary. We knew that when we sit together to see where we are going as a party, we counted on him giving clarity and vision of where the revolution is going,” he said.

As the nation mourns Gen Mujuru, Minister Mnangagwa said it was important for the youths to embrace the legacy he left and defend the country’s sovereignty.

“My message to the party is that we all come and go and this was his destiny. For those left behind, the most important thing is to understand the journey we have travelled. How we have survived for the past three or four decades. 

“We hope that we shall continue to pass this message to the younger generations that the survival of this country, the dignity and sovereignty of this country depends on us standing up and being counted and making sure that we got this independence through shedding of blood of our sisters and brothers,” he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara described Gen Mujuru’s demise as a great tragedy for Zimbabwe. However, he said the nation should draw lessons from his life.

“Lesson one is that individuals do make a difference, individuals do make history. When you look at the role he played after the assassination of Herbert Chitepo, you will see individual effort.

“When you look at how the challenges in Mozambique in 1977-8 were resolved, you can see the input of Gen Mujuru. When you look at how Zipra, Zanla and Rhodesian soldiers were put together, you can see individual efforts and outcomes which were due to the role of Gen Mujuru,” said DPM Mutambara.

He described Gen Mujuru as a nation builder who played a role in the formation of the inclusive Government. “People should not be helpless and say I am an individual, you can make a difference. The second lesson we can learn from him is that we must respect and tolerate political diversity.”

“You can see the role he played in Zipra and Zanla. You can see that spirit of unity up to today. He was accessible to all formations of the MDC. He was always encouraging us to unite and work together. 

“I had a personal conversation with him and I learnt a lot about nation-building and the liberation struggle. At personal level, his death was a big loss,” he said. DPM Mutambara said Gen Mujuru exhibited excellence and expertise in everything.

“He was an icon of the liberation struggle, a soldier par excellence, a statesman, a distinguished politician, a farmer and an accomplished businessman. He was an expert in everything . . . there are a few of us who are like that. This is the moment to close ranks and not to break them,” he said.

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