President Emmerson Mnangagwa has granted a State assisted funeral for his close ally from the corporate world, the late Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) boss Douglas Munatsi, who died in a suspicious house fire on Monday.
The former BancABC CEO was killed at around 4AM at his 9th floor Northfields flat at the corner of Fifth Street and Josiah Tongogara and the police are currently investigating the fire.
In a statement on Thursday, chief secretary in the President’s Office Misheck Sibanda said Mnangagwa granted the Munatsi family a State-assisted funeral.
“His Excellency, the President, Cde Dr E.D Mnangagwa, has directed that the late Douglas Munatsi who passed on earlier in the week be accorded a State-assisted funeral.
“The Office of the President and Cabinet will liaise with the bereaved Munatsi family to ensure this directive by His Excellency the President is effected,” read the statement.
Two days ago, the police said they had launched a manhunt for a woman who was recorded on the security checkpoint book as Coleta NFPK, believed to have arrived at about 1905 hours on Sunday and the guard escorted her to the now deceased’s flat.
She is also believed to be the last person to visit and see Munatsi.
Mnangagwa on Monday said circumstances around Munatsi’s death were not “clear” and he awaited completion of the police investigation.
Details gathered by Nehanda Radio from sources reveal that Munatsi was yet to present a report on the list of money laundering, minerals and commodity cartels in the country before he died. He had an appointment with Mnangagwa at 7.20 am on Monday.
In their last memo, the police say they had already interviewed the informant and neighbour Charles Gardner (32) who resides on the 10th floor while Munatsi occupied the 9th floor, a security guard at the flats Shupai Zifunge (47) and Martin Chitura (41) of Borrowdale who was employed by Munatsi as a personal driver.
They also interviewed Saurosi Marichambo (53) who was employed by the now deceased as a chef since 2020 and the deceased’s younger brother Cardmelon Munatsi (47) of Kunatsa Estates, Matepatepa area. Nehanda Radio
