A high profile death – murder or accident?

The rumour mill, as was to be expected, almost immediately went into overdrive when the news of the gruesome and mysterious death of one of Zimbabwe’s most influential,  well-known and wealthiest citizens became public knowledge. It even overshadowed the crucial SADC talks on Zimbabwe’s political future that were taking place in Luanda, Angola.

It is ironic that in a country where over the last years, hundreds if not thousands, of people lost their lives under mysterious and gruesome circumstances, a man of the stature of Solomon Mujuru (67), met his fate in similar fashion.

In the early morning of 16 August 2011 Majuru, the revered hero of the liberation struggle and retired army general, high-ranking Zanu-PF politburo member, entrepreneur and husband of current Vice- President Joyce Mujuru, died alone in a fire that engulfed the house on the 3,500-acre farm he seized from a white farmer in 2001.

Liberation struggle Hero

Under his nom de guerre, Rex Nhongo, Solomon Mujuru was not only a senior leader of the guerrilla war that swept Mugabe to power but a true and most respected hero and icon of the Zimbabwe liberation struggle.

After independence in 1980 Mujuru became Zimbabwe's first black military commander and is well regarded for successfully steering the delicate integration exercise which brought together the warring armies of the Patriotic Front on the one hand, and the old Rhodesian Army on the other, moulding them into a new national defence force which he commanded until his retirement in 1992.

After retiring Mujuru joined the Zanu-PF politburo and became an influential and powerful role-player in the governing party. He used his position to good effect to expertly manage his wife’s election as Zimbabwe vice-president in 2004 and a possible future president.

Mujuru had an edge over other politburo members because he had solid credentials dating from his days as a commander in the liberation war as well as his key role in pushing Mugabe to the helm of Zanu-PF during the war.

Like Mugabe also a Zezuru, Mujuru helped the future president’s rise to power in the 70’s after some liberation fighters questioned Mugabe’s credentials. He stood by Mugabe despite fierce resistance. This is when Mujuru earned the nickname, “Kingmaker” and it is the reason why Mugabe always felt, despite later political separation, indebted to the former general.

Rumours of foul play

With investigations still underway to establish the cause of the fire and despite no immediate clear evidence of foul play, some circumstances surrounding the incident immediately gave rise to rumours of a conspiracy that the death was politically motivated and had all to do with the battle within Zanu-PF   to succeed President Mugabe.

Many in Zimbabwe wonder how the former army commander could have perished in a blazing bedroom only 50 metres away from where police guarding the premises, were stationed. Eyewitnesses claim it took the fire brigade five hours to reach the scene and when it arrived, it was without water.

When found, the body was burnt “beyond recognition” confirming what is being said - fire is an effective way of destroying evidence of foul play.

Official response

Grasping that Mujuru’s mysterious death could cause confusion and anxiety in the current strained political climate, Zanu-PF reacted quickly to try and dispel speculation and rumours. The Zanu-PF politburo banned all party members from commenting on the issue, except spokesman Rugare Gumbo while army commander General Constantine Chiwenga and Vice President Joyce Mujuru both appealed for calm.

At Mujuru’s state funeral on Saturday 20 August 2011, President Mugabe was at pains urging Zimbabweans to accept the death of Solomon Mujuru as an unfortunate and painful tragedy.

Speculation that the fire was started by a candle, or deliberately, are downplayed with the most likely cause put forward as an electrical fault.

Political friction

There has been talk that the fire that killed Mujuru involved political skulduggery by a regime that has a reputation for brutality and corruption as Zanu-PF prepares for national elections and finding a successor to Mugabe.

Insiders and analysts warn the issue could turn bloody if it was discovered that Mujuru’s death was a result of foul play.

Should this happen it will fortify the view of many ordinary Zimbabweans that the Zanu-PF song Zanu ndeye ropa (Zanu is a party of blood) now serves as indication that some party members are prepared to murder to serve their own interests, even if this means turning against their own.

Zanu-PF insiders say that Solomon Mujuru died fighting President Mugabe’s plan for life presidency and early elections.

Already in 2008 Mujuru was looking for an alternative to replace Mugabe as president. It is an open secret that Mujuru was one of the powerful politicians who supported Dr Simba Makoni in trying to challenge Mugabe for the presidency in 2008.

The Mujurus, seen by most as leading the moderate faction in Zanu-PF are considered by some Zanu-PF party members, especially the hardliners, as being too close to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and the opposition MDC.

Sources close to Mujuru also said that in opposition to formal Zanu-PF policy, the late general felt that the coalition government in Zimbabwe should be given more time. The economy was still performing badly and Zanu- PF was not yet in a position to fight and win an election.

This stance made Mujuru unpopular in certain circles and although President Mugabe might be annoyed by his old comrade’s view that he should step down and allow the party to choose a new leader for purposes of renewal, the bigger danger was the threat he posed to those with future presidential ambitions of their own.

Presidential aspirants

Joyce Mujuru and Emmerson Mnangagwa are largely viewed as the major contenders to Mugabe’s throne.

Solomon Mujuru’s campaign for his wife as Mugabe’s successor placed the Mujuru faction in direct opposition to the very powerful Defence Minister, Mnangagwa, who represents the more hard-line faction within Zanu-PF.

Both men exerted control over the country's military, which currently has a huge influence on Zimbabwe’s political direction. Their rivalry has a long history neatly interwoven with that of post- independence Zimbabwean internal politics.

It was largely through Mujuru’s efforts that John Nkomo emerged victorious over Mnangagwa in the contest for the position of Zanu-PF chairman in 1999. He also played a key role to ensure that during the 2004 Zanu-PF congress his wife defeated Mnangagwa to become vice-president of both Zanu-PF and Zimbabwe.

Mujuru's untimely death now leaves the field open for Mnangagwa, supported by most of the armed forces and the intelligence apparatus, to dictate who will succeed Mugabe unless Mujuru's widow can rally her forces. For the moment this seems doubtful.

Joyce Mujuru's biggest handicap excluding the loss of her husband’s influence and power, are doubts over her own capacity and strength of character to chart a coherent political and economic programme, with critics saying she is unconvincing.

Insiders and analysts also say there is no sympathy vote within Zanu-PF that Joyce Mujuru could hope to gain and with her husband dead, the support she had received (through her husband's machinations) is likely to drift steadily to the Mnangagwa-led faction.

At this moment there is no other politician in Zanu-PF to match the political stature of Emmerson Mnangagwa, “the crocodile” and legendary political survivor himself.

Uncertain future

There is a strong perception in Zimbabwe that the death of Solomon Mujuru will raise the tension between the different factions within Zanu-PF.

The well-known political scientist and critic of Mugabe and Zanu-PF, John Makumbe of the University of Zimbabwe, is of the opinion that Mujuru’s death leaves Zanu-PF in a shambles and more infighting in the party is to be expected.

For Mugabe the pressure keeps mounting. He must contain a fragile situation, largely of his own making, he will not find easy to handle. It might just happen that the statement by Titus Gwemende, Head of Programmes at Transparency International Zimbabwe, that sooner rather than later Zuna-PF will join Nkrumah and Kaunda’s political parties in the annals of the history of disgraced and defeated revolutionary parties, might really happen sooner than later.