Fresh doubts over Mujuru death

By Tendai Kamhungira

HARARE – Revelations by the family of the late retired army general Solomon Tapfumaneyi Mujuru that it buried his body without confirming his identity, as well as sharply conflicting witness statements in the ongoing inquest, have raised fresh questions about whether he was in fact murdered.

Yesterday relatives and close friends of the late general said the inquest had created a crisis which was threatening to spiral out of control because of the shocking and contradictory revelations that were emerging. Mujuru’s widow, Vice President Joice Mujuru, is expected to testify at the inquest this week, amid allegations by close relatives that they are convinced that there may be a deliberate attempt to cover up for his death.

“There are many doubts and these have been fuelled by conflicting statements from witnesses. But the biggest shock has been that the results of the DNA were not revealed to the family which proceeded to bury what could have been or might not have been the body of the late retired general.

“This is a sore point which gives all of us the belief that foreign investigators could unlock the puzzle. It is not the right time for the family to be speaking about its future steps,” said a family friend of the Mujurus yesterday.

On Friday, the ninth day of the inquest, Mujuru’s daughter — Kumbirai Rungano Mujuru — cast doubts on the exact identity of her father’s body, whose remains were interred at the National Heroes Acre without conclusive DNA results of the body.

“The DNA tests results have not been disclosed to the family,” she said. “On August 24 last year, my blood samples were taken by Dr Fusire and were referred to Police General Headquarters.”

“They said they wanted to match them with my father’s DNA, but I was never told the results. I didn’t know the body was my father’s. Maybe the police knew who it was and as family we just accepted it was my father’s remains and we buried him,” she told the hushed court on Friday.

She had also told the court that at the farm she had seen a “black frame of the body, skull and shoulders that looked like a human being”. Dr Fusire admitted to taking blood samples but said he did not know or hear about the results. He also confirmed handing over blood samples to the investigating officer.

Mujuru’s brother, Joel has also questioned how authorities determined that the charred remains were the general’s when no test had been conducted before burial of the body. Joel also said the family was still not sure whether the person they buried was that of Retired General Mujuru.

The doubts by the Mujuru family adds more questions about what could have happened to the decorated former freedom fighter While officially, police at the time of the announcement of his death said Mujuru was killed by a fire which might have been started by a candle, his maid Rosemary Short has drilled holes in that sentiment.

She ruled out the candle conspiracy by telling the court that she did not leave a matchbox in Mujuru’s bedroom when she left for her quarters and claimed that there was no way the late general could have carried a matchbox since he was not a smoker. An electricity expert who conducted investigations at Mujuru’s farm ruled out an electrical fault while a fire specialist suggested that the fire might have been an act of arson.

Some witnesses, including Short and a neighbour, have said they heard gunshots the night the general is said to have died. A security guard from a private firm said Mujuru was accompanied to his house by a male passenger, although a police officer said he entered the farm alone. Political analysts say while Mujuru’s death is suspicious, this does not have much bearing on how Zanu PF will perform in future elections.

Professor Lovemore Madhuku said Mujuru’s death would not be of any significance to Zanu PF.

“It will not be anything in Zanu PF. You can see that Vice President Joice Mujuru is not even on leave. You will also remember that the other time she said she was called by the president while at the inquest. They are not taking it seriously.”

“Zanu PF can only be affected if Mugabe is involved. It is an internal thing and normally does not affect the party. When Zanu PF loses in the forthcoming elections, it won’t be about squabbles but that the party can no longer sell itself to the electorate,” Madhuku told the Daily News on Sunday yesterday.

Charles Mangongera said that Zanu PF would only be affected by Mujuru’s death depending on the outcome of the inquest.

“The inquest comes with an outcome that exposes any kind of foul play and it depends who is fingered. It’s not new in Zanu PF. You remember when Tongogara died there was suspicion that it was a politically-motivated death but after that the party soldiered on,” said Mangongera.

He, however, said things could change if another faction within the party was to be fingered in Mujuru’s death.

“There are obviously factions. We know he (Mujuru) was the power broker in the Mujuru faction, putting forward his wife.” For instance, if another faction is fingered, I can’t imagine what will happen.

“What we already have is a seeming case of cover-up. They are simply scratching the surface. I doubt if there is going to be conclusive evidence,” said Mangongera. Daily News