Mujuru’s remains may be exhumed

By Tichaona Sibanda
27 January 2012

The remains of retired General Solomon Mujuru may be exhumed to allow for an independent examination by a foreign based pathologist, his family hinted on Friday.

Family lawyer Thakor Kewada has filed a court application to allow a pathologist to travel to Zimbabwe, to examine all the evidence gathered after Mujuru suspiciously died in a farmhouse inferno.

Kewada told Magistrate Walter Chikwanha, who is presiding over the ongoing inquest into Mujuru’s death, that this re-examination request was inspired by past experiences, where results from more than one pathologist ‘usually differed.’

The investigating officer Chief Superintendent Crispen Makedenge told the inquest this week that a DNA test had established that the remains found in the farm house where Mujuru died were a 99, 9% match to the deceased. The DNA tests were matched against some blood samples extracted from one of Mujuru’s daughters, Kumbirai Rungano and some flesh taken from the charred remains found in the farm house.

But the General’s family, especially his elder brother, Joel has long argued why the veteran liberation war hero was laid to rest before DNA tests results had come out. The DNA tests were availed three weeks after Mujuru’s burial at the national Heroes acre in August last year.

SW Radio Africa correspondent Simon Muchemwa said on Friday that if an independent pathologist’s report comes out different, there was a strong case the remains of the ZANLA commander would be exhumed.

“Kewada requested from the magistrate that their application be granted as doctor has been identified and he is prepared to come and examine all the evidence,” Muchemwa said, adding the magistrate will make his ruling on the application next Monday.

Meanwhile Chief Superintendent Makedenge concluded his testimony by ruling out foul play into the death Mujuru.

“We have got no tangible evidence to suspect any foul play and police have found nothing to suggest the late Mujuru could have been assassinated,” Makedenge said.

He added: “No one came with any evidence that would have suggested any foul play. That was the case even from the reports that we got from ZESA, Fire Brigade and forensic science laboratory.”

Commenting about the 17 firearms recovered among the debris in
Mujuru’s burnt house, ballistics expert Detective Inspector Admire
Mutizwa, said all but one gun were “commercial weapons”, which can be
owned by none military persons for hunting purposes.

Mutizwa, the 29th witness in the high profile inquest, said among the
17 weapons, an AK47 assault rifle belonged to the army. He further told the court that 6kg of ammunition were also recovered in Mujuru’s house, with all the bullets having exploded due to intense heat.

He spoke of having examined each and every bullet and establishing
that none had been fired from a weapon.