Mujuru lawyers request for a second autopsy

The lawyers representing the Mujuru family are saying they will press on with their request for a second autopsy to determine how the late retired army general Solomon Mujuru died, whether it was indeed his body buried at the national shrine.

Thakor Kewada, the Mujuru family lawyer has previously indicated that they wanted a second post-mortem and would approach the co-Ministers of Home Affairs, Theresa Makone and Kembo Mohadi with the request.

This week, Kewada said there was no let up on this position, adding that if the second autopsy is granted, they would work with Cuban doctor, Gabriel Aguero Alvero, who conducted the first post-mortem.

"We will do it (the second post- mortem) with the Cuban pathologist. (Reggie) Perumal is a very principled man and would want to follow due process," said Kewada.

Perumal is a South African pathologist whom the Mujuru family intends to call in to conduct the second autopsy.

The South Africa pathologist who was brought in by the Mujuru family during the inquest advised that the "best thing was to have a second post-mortem".

Medical experts who spoke to The Financial Gazette this week said there was enough compelling evidence for a second post-mortem given that there were a lot of gray areas on the first autopsy.

The inquest revealed that Alvero was not properly registered to      practice in the country. More importantly, Alvero even admitted he was uncertain the corpse he examined was that of the retired general, as he lacked equipment and access.

Why the government had to opt for an unregistered Cuban pathologist remains a mystery.

An official at a private medical laboratory told this newspaper that Zimbabwe has about four pathologists with one of them being a woman.

It also emerged during the inquest that the police had mishandled crucial evidence, using a contaminated plastic shopping bag to bundle up the remains of Mujuru's carbonised body.

Research by this newspaper indicates that every post-mortem should be performed diligently as if there was going to be a second one.

As such, "second autopsies are usually requested to confirm or refute particular findings or the cause of death," reads a section in a book Forensic Pathology: Principles and Practice by David Dolinak, Evan W Matshes and Emma O Lew.

The scientists point out that second autopsies are commonly requested by family members in "high profile" cases such as the current one

However, they note that the pathologist who performs the second autopsy is at a disadvantage because "in addition to previous injury, medical intervention and autopsy artifact, there may be progressive decompositional changes and or embalming artefact".

The renowned scientists also stated that it is important that during the second autopsy, the original pathologist be present and cooperative and willing to discuss original autopsy findings with the second pathologist.

In any case, the second pathologist is able to render an opinion on only what has been made available for review.

The late Mujuru died in August last year in a fire at his farm in Beatrice under yet to be determined circumstances.

Varying testimonies were made during the inquest.

Mujuru's maid, for example, reported hearing gunshots well before the fire broke out.

Private security guards who were stationed about 300 metres from the house, also thought they heard gunshots, but could not be sure.