'Explain Mujuru death,' says brother

The late Solomon Mujuru's elder brother, Joel, says Zanu-PF's increasingly violent factional succession wars have cast fresh doubts on the circumstances surrounding his young brother's much-debated death in a mysterious inferno three years ago.

As a result, he told the Daily News in an interview at his humble homestead in Goromonzi yesterday that it may be a question of time before "the truth comes out" and the perpetrators of the heinous 2011 act are "smoked out".

Joel said the family was also deliberating whether to take the disputed circumstances surrounding his young brother's death back to the courts, but would probably hold on to a final decision until after President Robert Mugabe had made a "substantive comment" on the current goings-on in Zanu-PF.

The soft spoken elder Mujuru also said there was "a clear and well-orchestrated assault" on Solomon's widow, Vice President Joice Mujuru, and it was a matter of time before the names of the people who stood to benefit the most from his brother's death and the victimisation of his widow were known publicly.

Solomon's remains, whose liberation war nom de guerre was Rex Nhongo, were found after a mysterious inferno that gutted his Beatrice farmhouse.

Although a lengthy inquest into his death eventually ruled out foul play, the Mujuru family still strongly believe that the decorated liberation icon, who was also widely regarded as the kingmaker in Zanu-PF, was eliminated by ambitious rivals angling to hijack the party.

"Vanezvinangwa zvavo vanhu ava, Solomon haasi benzi kwaari ikoko (His murderers had an aim, and Solomon is not a fool wherever he is). He cannot leave those who killed him enjoying life. These attacks (on his widow) are tell-tale signs that soon they will confess to killing him," said the emotional Joel.

"As the Mujuru family we have people, relatives who are now looking into these matters regarding the death of Mujuru and also the allegations against the VP.

"We will weigh our options and decide soon whether to take the case to court or not. For now we await the President's response before we do that," Joel said.

Asked if his brother, who helped convince the guerrillas to accept Mugabe as their civilian leader in the late 1970s would be happy with the situation obtaining in Zanu-PF and by extension in the country as a whole, he said Rex would be unfazed by the rumblings of some "few women who are being used by some men".

"General Mujuru is not the type to fear this. Even though the women have some people behind them, what we are seeing are two snakes that are twisting facts," Joel said.

Politely asking Mugabe to show where he stands on Zanu-PF's ugly goings-on, the Mujuru family spokesman said they had confidence that reason would ultimately prevail in the party and that all the "current contrived lies" would be debunked.

"As the Mujuru family we are waiting. There is nothing we have heard so far from the president. The president fought the war with our son Solomon and the two know how difficult things were during the war.

They know what they went through even after independence," he said.

He spoke fondly about his brother, whose "inexplicable death" appears to be still vividly etched on his mind.

He also emphatically exonerated his sister-in-law, the under-fire VP, from the "false accusations" that she harboured coup thoughts against Mugabe.

"Teurai ndakamuziva kwenguva huru. Ndini ndakamutambira kubva kuhondo ane mwana anonzi Chipo. Chipo akachema kwezuva rese ndikabisa dollar rekumunyaradza ndatambira amai vake Teurai auya na the late Air Marshal Josiah Tungamirai. (I have known Teurai for a long time, I received her together with a child named Chipo. Teurai was accompanied by the late Air Marshal Josiah Tungamirai).

"Haana-PFungwa yekuti angafunge kudeura ropa remumwe munhu. (She has no intention of killing anyone). I have never heard about that," Joel said.

With one of the most powerful names in the country now soiled by a ruthless propaganda war churned by State media, Mujuru said Mugabe should stop the madness, which has now affected even their children.

"The President should warn these people to stop making these frivolous allegations. We have heard the allegations and it's time for the law to take its course," he said.

He added that only Mugabe and his sister-law could decide whether to call it a day in politics.

"Teurai haana kunzi nangana enda kuhondo, akaenda ega. Teurai haafi akabiswa pachigaro nemumwe munhu, asikuti anoita zvaanonzwa iye. (She volunteered to join the struggle, no one will remove her from power, she can only resign.)

"And I know she wants to serve Zimbabwe. She has a boss, President Mugabe, he is the only one who can say turn left, turn right, jump to Teurai, kwete mumwevo munhu zvake akazvarwa namai vake nababa vake," (Not any other nonentity) Joel added.

Anxiously waiting for Mugabe, who is yet to make a formal comment on the dangerous goings-on ripping Zanu-PF apart, Joel said the family did not even mind if their brother's remains were exhumed and removed from the Heroes Acre.

"If there are war veterans out there, who spend sleepless nights along with Solomon, who are still alive, can they stand up and vapupure huipi hwaSolomon hwabuda nhasi. (War veterans who fought alongside Solomon must come and defend his legacy).

"They should tell us whether Solomon deserves to be at the Heroes Acre as there is no other hero who has been attacked as is happening to Solomon," he said.

Observers say the beleaguered VP is paying for the late Mujuru's "sins" and control over Zanu-PF before his inglorious demise in the inexplicable inferno in August 2011.

"We hereby challenge vaMutsvangwa kuti vataure nekuti takazonzwa vakutaura kuti vamwe havana kudonhedza ndege. (Mutsvangwa must also comment as he is doing).

"Ngavatiudze vaibata-PFuti six vamwe vachibata imwechete. (Mutsvangwa must tell us who was a good fighter and who was not). He should tell us whether we should remove Solomon from the Heroes Acre."