Harare(ZimEye)As Zimbabwean coroner Walter Chikwana turned down an appeal by the family of a late former army general Solomon Mujuru to have his remains exhumed for re-examination by an independent pathologist, it emerged that the current army supremo Constantine Chiwenga provided a strong hint and what may be compelling grounds for an exhumation of Mujuru’s body.
The army boss caused a scene when he connected Mujuru’s death to political violence during the late Gen Mujuru’s funeral parade. This was also the first time in Zimbabwe’s history that a serving army general vocally denounced the practice of violence in Zimbabwe, something that only politicians are known to do.
During the procession in August, Chiwenga surprised people by referring to political violence while in the official act of conducting the funeral parade for Mujuru at the One commando barracks in August last year.
Concerned with the horrific level of political violence, the army commander even stated that Mujuru was at the forefront of distilling the political violence, giving a hint that this may have cost the death of Zimbabwe’s most revered retired army General.
“He (Mujuru) was at the fore front of denouncing all forms of violence and I call upon all Zimbabweans to desist from such acts of lawlessness as these violate the core values of the liberation struggle. We must defend what he stood for. We must defend Zimbabwe’s independence and sovereignty at all costs, uphold peace and values that the late general has left us,” Chiwenga said.
Despite Chiwenga’s hint, the commander has been himself accused of instructing junior soldiers during the bloody June 27 2008 Presidential run-off elections to butcher suspected MDC supporters.
Last Friday the Mujuru family lawyer Kewada lodged an application asking magistrate Chikwanha to order that Mujuru’s remains be exhumed so that a professional autopsy can be conducted by the family’s South African pathologist.
This came after Reggie Perumal, the South African forensic scientist hired by the Mujuru family, raised doubts on the hurried autopsy conducted by Cuban pathologist, Gabriel Gonzales Alvero. Perumal said Alvero had not used the appropriate tools and also queried why Alvero did the autopsy when he is not registered in Zimbabwe on the medical practitioners list, a thorny find in the Inquest which stretched into the second week many days further than originally intended.
During the inquest hearings, Kewada repeatedly told the court there were many unanswered questions on how Mujuru’s remains were identified as well as the establishment of the cause of death at his farm last August.
Vice President Mujuru and the widow to the deceased, the last witness (number 39) in the inquest, was not asked to take to the witness’s stand but her affidavit was read in court.
Mujuru, in a written statement to the inquest described the response by fire fighters at the general’s farmhouse as “totally ineffective”.
The fire department told the court earlier the tanks of all its fire trucks leaked water.
In his determination, the magistrate blasted Kewada for attempting to arm twist him into doing what the Inquest act does not empower him to do.
The Mujuru family lawyer Thekor Kewada would soon state that he accepted any criticism against him:
“Whatever criticism was made of me I have got broad shoulders, I take it on,” Kewada also told journalists after the court’s verdict.
“I think we have played our part I will accept the magistrate’s criticism as he puts it. I don’t think he intended to say anything other than saying well ‘look this is what the Act says and what the rules say,” he said.
“What is important is that through the inquest we have managed to reveal important information to the public. Those who have been following the inquest will agree with me. On the issue of the exhumation request yes I am aware that we have to apply to the Ministry of Home Affairs, and we will wait for the recommendations which the presiding magistrate is going to make to the Attorney General before and take it from there,” he said.
Mujuru was found dead after a mysterious fire outbreak which gutted his Beatrice farm house in August last year. He had resigned in the army, entered into politics, and later stepped down as MP in 1995 to concentrate on his private businesses. (ZimEye, Zimbabwe)
20 Replies to “Chiwenga connects General Mujuru death to Political Violence”
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Instead of engaging in “online violence” concerning the Chiwenga headline, it is better we analyse the motive of this headline. This headline clearly tells Chiwenga s comments were some kind of an intelligent but indirect signal that spelt something should be done to prove beyond reasonable doubt what was real cause of Mujuru s death or may be behind it. This headline also links with the content of the article when it says Chiwenga s comments were a ‘hint.’ This is called “the writer’s licence.” A writer has freeplay to use all kinds of styles, be it figurative, and so on. The notion that this headline is all about business or marketing this article is not only false but unfounded. Most media in the world is commercialised therefore how will one find the oddity of Zimeye’s intentions and opt to isolate it. People must learn to read poems, magazines, novels, etc, not just reading The African Heritage then somebody now wants to impose some sort of code of ethics in how articles should be written. Read Jekanyika, Umzilakawulandelwa, House Of Hunger, The Herald, The Daily News, You, The Reader’s Digest, Stephen King, The Economist, House Of Hunger, the list goes on. Once you have ensured a culture of reading it automatically boosts you into a budding researcher, your mindset will be at ease and learn to view different writings with different views, not just a bird’s view. Gifted columnists or writers like this one are sought by the wise ones of this world, writing should have hooky, catch phrases that should create a certain degree of suspense to urge somebody to read on. If one is not satisfied then with the content versus headline, rather test yourself by writing your own article, headline it and give others to read. Gone are the days of silencing journalists or drying their pens’ ink.
dont blame mdc for your killing . Please free mdc activist in prison they are innocent people .
Muj is not late,,,
vana Anonimous u hv alotoff energy indeed why rewriting your own newspaper article .rewriting what we hav been reading in newspapers all along.
Harare – An inquest to clear up the cause of a fire that killed an
influential former general in Zimbabwe’s army has left many questions
unanswered, amid suspicion he was assassinated.
The last testimony to a commission of inquest on the death of Solomon
Mujuru, aged 66, was given on Monday. The magistrate heading up the
investigation would not say when a final report would be issued.
Mujuru, a veteran of the liberation war against the whites-only government
in former Rhodesia, was regarded as one of the most influential and wealthy
figures in the southern African country.
Observers considered him a king-maker within the ruling Zanu-PF party. He
was reportedly pushing for his wife, Joice – one of two vice-presidents – to
become the country’s leader after long-serving President Robert Mugabe.
Zimbabwe’s president, aged 87 and believed to be in poor health, has stated
his intention to retain his seat and contest the next election.
The country will likely go to the polls this year or next, although
political squabbling has prevented a date from being set.
One evening in August 2011, the retired general – who owned mining interests
in the south of the country – is said to have gone to a local bar. Mujuru
drank whiskey with other patrons before announcing he would turn in for the
night at his nearby farm.
In the middle of the night, police guards awoke to find Mujuru’s house an
inferno. The general was declared dead and an inquest was opened into the
incident.
Highlighting his popularity across the country’s political divides, Mujuru’s
closed-casket funeral drew tens of thousands – one of the largest such
gatherings in Zimbabwe since independence in 1980.
The former guerilla commander – who seldom spoke and cut an enigmatic
figure – had a reputation as one of the few within the ruling party who
would criticize Mugabe to his face.
‘The Mujuru affair has the potential to severely destabilize Zanu-PF in the
months before the election,’ warned a Western diplomat, requesting
anonymity. ‘They really needed a clear-cut outcome of accidental death.’
A police statement at the opening of the inquest stated there was no
evidence of foul play, but the 37 witnesses who gave testimonies at the
hearings painted a more complex picture.
During the three-week inquest it emerged that the police had mishandled
crucial evidence, using a contaminated plastic shopping bag to bundle up the
remains of Mujuru’s carbonized body.
His security guards were unprepared for the fire, lacking even radio
equipment to call for help, the commission was also told.
The fire department too was tardy in responding. The truck that eventually
arrived was useless, as it had a leak in its water tank and showed up empty.
Further fueling suspicion of foul play, Mujuru’s housekeeper, Rosemary
Shoti, said she heard gunshots two hours before the fire was discovered. An
AK47 assault rifle lay near the burned body.
Police pathologist Gabriel Alvero even admitted he was uncertain the corpse
he examined was that of the general, as he lacked equipment and access.
Critics of Mugabe, including some former fighters in the liberation war, say
they would not be surprised if scores were being settled.
They cite a long list of prominent political figures who they claim were
killed by Zanu-PF since the battle against the white minority-led government
kicked off in 1975.
Magistrate Walter Chikwanha, in closing the testimony phase of the inquest,
also rejected calls by Mujuru’s family for the body to be exhumed for
independent examination.
We want justice in General Mujuru’s death pliz stop killing people and dont blame innocent people .
@ Binya you raise a valid point. Some of their reporting is riddled with so many inaccuracies..instead of being a vehicle for information it is fast becoming like Jonathan Moyo an agent for mis-information. If we cant “trust” you to report correctly on fairly simple things like correct headline what more of the content?
You report “current army commander Constantine Chiwenga” really when was he demoted? I thought current army commander is Lt Gen Sibanda, No? You then go on to say “The respected army boss” well i think thats a minor infraction…it shows (reporter & editor)you have a sense of humour. Cat didnt even pass first hurdle at staff college & under his watch a professional army has been reduced to a party militia.
If indeed Chiwengwa was not mis-qouted on this violence thing…its highly commendable of him saying zanu should desist from violence as it violates the ideals of the struggle…now he needs to walk the walk & stand up to his CIC when he is next ordered to go and victimise povo. True soldiers have moral courage!
binya uri right…hapana musanyanyochema imboko inofunga kuti kungotuka chinhu chinoshamisira stereki… mughodhoyi !!!
Zanu maiona vakomana navasikana vana mai navana baba inorwa hondo mu zimbabwe…..
Binya might be right. I also get confused by these headlines. All the same, Zimeye is one of the best online reads. And to you Binya, give the editors benefit of doubt – that’s the marketing piece in journalism. They want you to at least read the story by using eye-catching headlines. Remember they are in business!
This is a poor article, for a minute I thought it was breaking news, only to realise it’s a 6 month old statement being repeated to make news!
Chiwenga (Zim2) himself is a suspect, he has the degrees in violence, ask Jocelyn. What can a crocodile tell u about not eating meat?
So chiwenga one of those who engineered the 2008 political violence is now ‘respected’ because he implied that mujuru was at the fore front denouncing political violence.Interesting!
“He (Mujuru) was at the fore front of denouncing all forms of violence …., uphold peace and values that the late general has left us,”
This paragraph bolsters the headline, and it’s written in simple English, mangojaira criticising ana Bhinya. The late General raive bhinya but violence he never supported it, no wonder why aityisa. The question now is if Chiwenga condemns violence when his bosses advocate for it, that may justify his wanting to replace the will-be-late dictator, isn’t it?
Hapana nyaya apa
Lol
I totally agree with you Binya, i thought the purpose of a headline is to hint someone on what to expect in an article.Journalism has gone to the dogs.
wanabhinya ndimi munouraya vanhu y u read the paper then.
Some pple like to come and insult on zim eye comment why munogarisana nevamwe mamunogara here imi kana kuti?
If u hav a problem with a newspaper why read it u fool. If you hav a problem do you want all.of to hav a problem. Get lost idzakutsaku nguwe. Abantu bayabulawa wena usitshela ngomusuzo wakho loJonathan Moyo. Suka lapha. NXAAAAAAAAAA
Gentlemen i now have serious problems with this paper the way they headline their stories. 1st it was Tsvangirai now wants elections in 2012, then we had the word dictator in the TB Joshua story and now this headline. i repeatedly read the story but there’s nowhere where Chiwenga hinted about exhumation. The words attributed to him were actually said before even the burial. This is frustrating