Mysterious fire at Mnangagwa's home

A mysterious fire broke out at Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa's home in Tynwald, Harare and ravaged some sections of the sprawling property before the City of Harare fire tenders battled to put out the blaze which was nearing the main house.

The house is guarded by State residences security personnel which, according to the vice president's family, was better qualified to comment on the fire.

No one was injured in the fire which the Mnangagwa family said was discovered on the property at around 11:00 am.

The fire broke out as Mnangagwa is recovering from surgery following alleged poisoning by his rivals in the fractious Zanu-PF during an interface rally in Gwanda two weeks ago.

Mnangagwa, who turns 75 next month, is no longer living at his Tynwald home after he relocated to the northern suburbs a few years ago.

According to witnesses, the fire broke out on the right side of the property from the main entrance and quickly spread towards an old compound, fowl runs and the sheds housing tractors and other agricultural equipment.

The fire brigade water tenders arrived on the scene but struggled to put out the fire immediately as a result of the wind which kept fanning the dry grass, according to the officials.

"It's a grass fire. Our teams are still out there at the VP's home.  When we think we have put out the fire, it is re-ignited so firefighters are still trying to completely put out the fire," a firefighter told the Daily News before referring the paper to City of Harare spokesperson, Michael Chideme for an official comment.

Chideme, however, refused to comment.

"When it comes to high profile issues, I will have to ask the town clerk. It is the town clerk who deals with those issues," said Chideme.

Mnangagwa's children, who are living on the property referred the Daily News to the police.

National police spokesperson Charity Charamba confirmed the fire and said they were treating it as a veld fire.

"Moto wasvika 100m away from the homestead, hanzi uchibva nedirection inoitirwa church nemapostori (The fire was within 100 metres' reach of the main house and came from the direction where vapostori  hold their church meetings.

"Moto wacho waitwa put out nevefire brigade. Police yatonotorera report pascene, vari kuto opener inonzi RRB. Saka hauna kubva pamba varikutoi categoriza kuti it might be a veld fire (The fire brigade put out that fire and police were on the scene to take a report  but the fire did not emanate from the house. We are categorising it as veld fire," said Charamba.

Three years ago, Mnangagwa's son, Emmerson Junior, had his Kwekwe farm house gutted by fire which was said to have been caused by an electrical fault.

In 2011, the country was plunged into mourning when Zimbabwe's revered libration icon and first black military commander — Solomon Tapfumaneyi Mujuru died in a mysterious inferno at his farm house outside Harare — which authorities said had been started by a candle.

His family was to be hit by another fire in September 2014 when a blaze destroyed property worth thousands of dollars at Tarisa Farm in Ruwa, destroying a nine-roomed thatched house and at least one other outhouse.

In 2015 fire also gutted former vice president Joice Mujuru's Beatrice farm and destroyed fowl runs before killing 32 000 chickens.

Also in 2015 former minister of Higher Education Olivia Muchena was left homeless after a fire gutted her thatched farmhouse in Goromonzi where her child was sleeping.

No deaths were recorded.

Former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono was a victim of mysterious fires on more than two occasions.

Flamboyant businessman Phillip Chiyangwa's imposing house was also extensively damaged by a fire.

This year, Zanu-PF youth leader Kudzanai Chipanga lost property worth thousands of dollars when his farm house in Rusape caught fire.