Questions arise over Mujuru death

By Taurai Mangudhla

HARARE – Mystery shrouds circumstances that led to the death of retired army general and national hero Solomon Mujuru (62), husband to Vice President, Joice in an inferno at his Beatrice farm yesterday.

Mujuru, one of the most respected war veterans in the country, helped President Robert Mugabe’s rise to power in the 70s after some liberation fighters questioned the 87-year-old leaders’ credentials. He stood by Mugabe despite fierce resistance.

This is when Mujuru earned the nickname, “Kingmaker” and it is the reason why Mugabe still feels indebted to the late former army general. Mujuru died yesterday at his Beatrice farm when the house he was sleeping in went ablaze but it was not clear what caused the fire with conflicting statements coming from farm workers, politicians and the police.

Added to the mystery is the fact that Mujuru’s bedroom is 50 metres away from where police guarding the premises were stationed. Some workers interviewed by the Daily News at the farm said the fire was started by a candle, others said it was an electrical fault while others claimed it was deliberately started by Mujuru’s enemies although they did not provide evidence.

Given the bitter succession battle which is escalating in Zanu PF, most Zimbabweans yesterday questioned how the former army commander could have perished in a fire. A visit to the Mujuru farm by the Daily News yesterday points to the fact that Mujuru could have been trapped in the house when it caught fire.

The remains of the late Zanu PF politburo member were found near the door of the family’s home, a sign that he was trying to escape from the inferno. This was confirmed by farm workers at the scene.

“When we got to the scene, most of the fire was around the bedroom area where he was sleeping,” said a worker who requested not to be named. There were rumours that gunshots were heard before the inferno but this was quickly shot down by the workers saying it could have been windows and the roof exploding.

Normally, when asbestos is exposed to extensive heat, it produces sounds, which in this particular case, could have been mistaken for the gunshots. Mujuru’s farm clerk, Steven Arineyo told the Daily News that workers noticed the fire — which eventually wrecked most of the roof — around 1am yesterday.

The workers finally managed to gain entry into the house two hours later.

“I noticed that the house had caught fire and we started fetching water to put it out from a stream about two-and-a-half kilometres away. It was difficult to stop the huge fire without firefighting equipment,” said the farm worker.

“We managed to get to him at about 3am but it was too late as he had already died. He was burnt beyond recognition and was glued to the floor that workers had to use shovels to remove his charred remains.”

What further creates more questions is how Mujuru, known to have taken part in the vicious liberation war, failed to help himself out of the house at the particular moment when it caught fire.

A man who was with Mujuru a few hours before he died claimed the former army general had taken three beers at a local motel before deciding to go and rest at around 7pm.

“I was with the general myself and he only took three or so beers before he retired to bed. He told me that he was set to travel for some business in Polokwane the following morning (Tuesday),” said one source.

Other stories revealed that Mujuru had to get spare keys from his housemaid who resides at the farm’s compound as he had forgotten his set of keys in Harare. Farm workers confirmed that Mujuru arrived at his farmhouse alone.

In a condolence message, President Robert Mugabe said Mujuru’s death had left a void in the country. “I learnt with a deep sense of shock and sorrow of the death of General Solomon Mujuru Tapfumaneyi in a fire mishap at his Beatrice farm early this morning (yesterday).”

“This horrific tragedy, the full details of which are still coming, has robbed the nation of a veteran commander of our war of national liberation.”

“As we grieve his tragic departure, we recall and celebrate the exceptional leadership he showed in the run-up to our independence, most markedly in 1979 as we drifted into the uncertainties of Ceasefire and subsequent tense General Elections of 1980.”

Above all, we recall with the admiration how he successfully steered the delicate Integration Exercise which brought together the three warring armies of the Patriotic Front on the one hand, and the remnant Rhodesian Army on the other, moulding both into one solid and disciplined national defence force which he commanded until his retirement in 1992.

“Today, Zimbabwe boasts a professional defence force traceable to his pioneering command,” said Mugabe. Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said Mujuru was an undisputed national hero who would be remembered for his sterling role in the liberation struggle and his outstanding and distinguished service in the country’s military.

“It is indeed tragic that we have lost a patriot who served his country with honour and distinction. The painful national story of our liberation cannot be told without mentioning the name Rex Nhongo, a true and gallant son of the soil,” he said.

Meanwhile, investigations into the cause of the fire and Mujuru’s death are underway. Police forensic unit personnel at the scene told journalists that results of the inquiry would be made public in due course. Daily News