Open letter to Gen Solomon (Rex Nhongo) Mujuru

Dear Rex.

Greetings to you in the name of the people's revolution. It has been long ever since you left us, when you perished in a mysterious inferno at your farm in Beatrice, Harare. A story which I don't believe up to now, four years after you passed on. But before I go straight to an update which I want to give you can I also use this opportunity to ask you the following questions;

-Rex what really happened to you? It is only you who can tell us your story because up to now no one can tell what really happened to you. You were a great soldier, one of our greatest warriors and freedom fighter who liberated our country Zimbabwe from the chains of colonialism. But how come you then got burnt beyond recognition in a house which had very big windows and numerous exits? You survived a lot of deadly attacks from the Rhodesian army during the liberation struggle and am failing to believe that you then failed to escape when your own house caught fire to an extant of getting burnt beyond recognition. I don't believe this Rex only you can tell us what really happened. I smell a rat in your story and what transpired in ZANU PF a few years after your death leaves me with no other option other than suspecting that you were killed.

- The fire which gutted down your house is said to have been sparked by a candle which you allegedly didn't blow off when you fall asleep and it started the inferno which burnt you beyond recognition. Rex, a brave and great fighter like you were burnt in your sleep and you failed to feel the heat of a burning house in your 'deep sleep'? Again I don't believe this story Rex. They say you were allegedly drunk, I also drink beer Rex and I don't believe that one can get drunk to an extant of failing to feel the heat of a burning house till he/she is burnt beyond recognition. There is nothing like that! I suspect you were killed, thrown into your house and then the house was set on fire to destroy the evidence of your bruised body. Any way these are suspicions only, it's you only who can tell us the exact story of what really happened on that fateful day. I pray that one day you will rise up and tell us the correct version of your ordeal because the one we have right now I don't believe it at all.

Let me not bother you with a lot of questions that's not the purpose of this letter. Am writing to precisely give you an update of what happened in Zimbabwe from the day you left us four years ago. Firstly I would like to inform you that your wife Joyce Teurai Ropa Mujuru is no longer the first Vice President of Zimbabwe and neither does she hold any position in government anymore and to add salt to a bleeding wound she was even expelled from ZANU PF a party she has ever known in her entire life. She was humiliated, embarrassed and sacked from the party and the government. I wish you were still here Rex because honestly your wife was humiliated, undressed and embarrassed. Grace Mugabe the First Lady of Zimbabwe or maybe for you to recall very quickly that young lady who used to be a typist in President Mugabe's office, was funded by the state to go all over the country decampaigning and degrading your wife. Star rallies were hold all over the country and your wife was the main topic. Of all the senior people in the party and former freedom fighters, such a role of damaging your wife was played by Robert Mugabe's wife Grace. She (Joyce) was being accused of corruption, planning to oust and assassinate President Robert Mugabe among other crimes which to me sound like trumped up charges which were cooked to find a way of firing her from government. Today she is now an ordinary citizen in Zimbabwe and an outcast in a country which she liberated.

Secondly your name (reputation) no longer has any respect or protection which you used to have during your days as a former army commander. These days if I see your name in the newspaper I know it's something negative. Stories of how you built a vast empire through corrupt means, your concubines and other children which you allegedly did outside your marriage and scrambles for your estate are topical issues these days. ZANU PF and the Mugabes whom you helped ascend to power after the liberation struggle have done enough to damage your reputation. In today's papers (state papers) you are portrayed as a corrupt comrade, looter, polygamist and a kleptocrat who used his military powers to build a vast empire and a womanizer who had lots of kids outside marriage. I know you were not perfect and no one is, but my point is ZANU PF no longer protects your image like what it used to do but they are working hard to damage the Mujuru name and it is sad you can't stand up and defend yourself but I know you rattling in your grave. Your legacy is now in the dustbins and no one cares about you any more especially in ZANU PF your fellow Cdes betrayed you. It is sad how they have decided to dump you after all you did for them, not forgetting Robert whom you single handedly helped to ascend to power. He is President because of you Rex but he has betrayed you and he is working day in day out to make sure your legacy is destroyed forever. What a great betrayal Rex?


Rex Nhongo (Solomon Mujuru) and the 'Black Russian' Dumiso Dabengwa during the transitional period from Rhodesia to Zimbabwe.
 

Do you remember these days Rex when we got our independence in 1980? When you and Emmerson Mnangagwa took Robert Mugabe to introduce him to the mass as the ZANU candidate in the first majority polls after the liberation struggle. It sad today how both President Mugabe and Emmerson Mnangagwa (who is now the country's Vice President) betrayed you, they both no longer cares about you let alone your poor widow whom they chased from both the party and government.

Robert Mugabe is still the President of Zimbabwe but he is now very old. He is 91 years old as I write. If you see him walking and presenting a speech you can feel pity for him. Am not sure why he still clings to power, he has become an embarrassment not only to Zimbabwe but to himself as well. If you see him in cabinet these days chairing young boys like Saviour Kasukuwere you will feel sorry for the old man and try to find out why he is punishing himself to that extant.
 


ZANU PF is now in tatters following the expulsion of your wife Joyce and all who were allegedly backing her faction (if that was true that it ever existed). The name ‘Mujuru' is now criminalized in the party and associating yourself with that name leaves you unsafe and no one wants to be associated with that name anymore. All provincial chairpersons were fired in the run up to the 2014 ZANU PF congress and they were all allegedly behind your wife. To cut the long story short ZANU PF is in pieces and it is now in the hands of amateurs like Grace Mugabe who are doing nothing good for the party other than destroying it more. We are now heading towards 2018 elections and that will be the mother of all tests for ZANU PF. Either Emmerson Mnangagwa (who replaced your wife in the Presidium) or the First Lady and ZANU PF Women's League boss Grace Mugabe will represent the party in the 2018 elections. I am not sure Robert Mugabe who will be then 94 years of age will contest. But the challenge is I don't see any convincing candidate from ZANU PF who can be voted for. Do you think Emmerson or Grace Mugabe can win a Presidential election in Zimbabwe? That will be the biggest lie of our generation unless if the elections are stolen as usual.

Companies are still closing down and the rate is even worse since 2013 when Mugabe won that sham election. Investors no longer have any trust in the ZANU PF government and they are shutting down their companies increasing the rate of unemployment. We are now a nation of vendors, 90% of our people survives on vending in the streets and the informal sector is now the backbone of our once flourishing economy. We are now a basket case not the bread basket of Africa.

Rex, ZANU PF accuses you of being behind the formation of Mavambo Kusile Dawn (MKD) and Movement for Democracy Change (M.D.C) led by Simba Makoni and Morgan Tsvangirai respectively. They say all these opposition parties were all formed in your house. These are some of the allegations which came out soon after your death. Is this true Rex if so that will also add to the suspicion that I have, that you were possibly assassinated?

The MDC is no longer party of the government, I think when you passed on we had an inclusive government but it changed in 2013 when we had the last harmonized elections and ZANU PF ‘won' the majority and formed the government. Whatever trick they used to steal that election remains unknown to date but what I can tell you is that in areas like Matebeleland South which were highly affected by Gukurahundi genocide and which are known to be anti-ZANU, voted for ZANU PF  for the first time in 2013 and everyone has a question over what happened but like I said before ‘only ZANU PF can tell this story about how it stole the 2013 polls'.


From left; Morgan Tsvangirai then Prime Minister, the late Gen Solomon Mujuru and Joyce Mujuru then Vice President.


One of the demonstrations organized at ZANU PF headquarters to humiliate your wife Joyce.


Some of the hired youths demonstrating against your wife Joyce, look at the quality of these placards, do you think these poor youths can afford to pay for the printing of such placards? NO!!! I think there were some heavy weights from within ZANU PF with fat pockets who were funding all this.

Rex things are not well in Zimbabwe and in ZANU PF as a party. Amos Midzi the sacked provincial chair of Harare was found dead in his car at his farm. He was one of the party officials perceived to be your wife's top allies, a faction derisively known as Gamatox in ZANU PF. He allegedly committed suicide although I personally don't believe that story the same way I don't believe yours. Grace Mugabe is now all over the place and ZANU PF is being ruled from the bedroom, am not sure if you were going to accept such a set up if you were still alive. There was a bedroom coup and both ZANU PF and the government are now in Grace Mugabe's hands. She is doing whatever she wants with the country of Zimbabwe. I am sure if you were still alive you wouldn't have accepted such an embarrassing set up.

It is speculated that Joyce in collaboration with all those senior officials who were fired from ZANU PF are planning to form their political party, an outfit to be known as the People's First (PF). It is still speculation and Joyce has neither confirmed nor denied as of yet. However I think if she takes that step that will be a bold step towards putting an end to ZANU PF's authoritarian rule. Am sure Joyce can win against any candidate from ZANU PF, may be her challenge can only come from the opposition MDC T. If Joyce can have a pact with other opposition parties and form a coalition which will challenge ZANU PF in 2018 that will be the end of ZANU PF's rule. ZANU PF can later on think of re-engaging her before we reach the 2018 polls and try to lure her back into ZANU PF, if she agrees to that ummmmm that will be the greatest mistake of her life time. I will update you about this issue as we draw closer to the 2018 plebiscite but I just wish you were around to give Joyce courage and a shoulder to lean on. She now looks very lonely in the political terrain despite the fact that her political outfit might bring in a new twist in Zimbabwe's politics.

I will conclude this letter by once again thanking you for liberating this country and providing leadership to ZANLA forces till Zimbabwe got it's independence. I tried to organize a memorial lecture for you and I was asked a lot of questions by the police and state agents the C.I.Os.  I could see that they did not want it to go ahead so I decided to drop down the plan but I was hurt to realize how your legacy is now in the dustbins and how your name has been criminalized.


Rex Nhongo (Solomon Mujuru) and British Colonel Andrew.

How are things over there?  Maybe there are some issues which I might have forgotten to update you in this letter, try to go to the registrar of where you are and ask them to help you find Dzinashe Machingura (Wilfred Mhanda),Edward Chindori Chininga or Amos Midzi they left this world and they are where are you are. Kindly look for them if you have not met them already, they can update you more about what is happening in Zimbabwe and the internal issues within the dying ZANU PF.

Looking forward to meet you one day.

Stay blessed and Rest In Eternal Peace.
 
Your Son and fellow Revolutionary

Nkosilathi Emmanuel Moyo Snr
Human Rights Defender and Democracy Activist
Kwekwe, Republic of Zimbabwe.