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Faith Zaba
THE inquest into former army commander General Solomon Mujuru’s death entered its second week at the Magistrate’s Court, with revelations which can best be described as nothing else but explosive.
Mujuru was burnt to ashes under unclear circumstances at his Alamein Farm in Beatrice on August 16 2011 and the inquest will try to determine the origins of the fire and cause of his death.
The long-awaited inquest has raised more questions than answers into the death of one of Zimbabwe’s most influential politicians. He was one of the faction leaders and a kingmaker in Zanu PF. His death was not only robbed his faction, but also Zanu PF of the only remaining person who could challenge President Robert Mugabe openly and tell him to retire.
The inquest has unraveled shocking details of the night the national hero died.
Blue flame
Policemen who retrieved Mujuru’s remains from his farmhouse told the court this week that the body was engulfed in blue flames.
The fire was not easily extinguished and actually became ferocious when water was poured on it.
Constable Cletwell Garisai of Beatrice Police Station and the officer-in-charge, Inspector Simon Dube, who attended the scene, graphically described the hours after Mujuru’s body was found in his razed farmhouse.
Garisai said Mujuru’s charred body was engulfed in flames different in colour from those surrounding it. The bluish fire covered the body to a radius of about 30 cm around the body, which he said was lying face down with both legs and arms severely burnt.
The two told the court that the blue flames that engulfed Mujuru’s body blue were so intense that when they tried to put them out with water, they would re-ignite. They had to pour at least 10 buckets of water to douse the flames.
Garisai said: “Some of the people (who were gathered at the scene) identified a bluish flame in one of the rooms and I peeped through a window and saw an object which resembled a human body with …arms folded as if to cover the face, as it lay prostrate on the floor.”
“The bluish flame emanated from the body, suffice to say the colour of the other surrounding flames was different from that around the area of the body. And the flame was emanating from the remains of the body and also 30 cm around the body and there was smoke coming from the abdomen.”
Dube said: “Lungs and intestines were burnt extensively and the head was now just a skull.” He also stated that he had seen “strange blue flames” coming from the general’s abdomen.
Fire Brigade testimony
Station Officer for Harare Fire Brigade Clever Mafoti said indications were that the fire could have emanated from two sources, a phenomenon usually associated with cases of arson. In rare cases, the fire may be as a result of a short circuit.
After being asked whether it was possible to have two sources of fire, Mafoti said: “It is possible if it’s in cases involving arson when the fire has been started by a person with an unsound mind or in a situation where a short circuit of electricity would have occurred. This short circuit can happen where a number of electrical gadgets would have been overloaded at one point.”
The key factor
Mujuru’s maid Rosemary Short revealed last week that the key to the front door of the farmhouse was missing from the bunch of keys found in the bedroom. That was the same bunch of keys the General said he had left in Harare. In addition to the missing key, Mujuru’s car was parked near the front door, whose very key was missing. Short said this was an unusual, given that she had given him the key to the kitchen door. Short also said the car keys were still missing.
Gunshots
Short confirmed she heard what sounded like gunfire before she was alerted by a policeman, Constable Obert Mark, to the fire that killed Mujuru.
She said she heard three gunshot sounds prior to Mark’s arrival at her house at 2:45 am. However, upon quizzing Mark about the gunshots, he told her that the sound she heard was that of asbestos sheets bursting.
This corroborated testimony by another witness who testified last week, a security guard, Clemence Runhare, who worked at the farm also claimed that he heard two gunshot like sounds two hours before he was alerted to the fire.
Questions
The question which many Zimbabweans are now asking is why the fire on Mujuru’s body was blue and different from surrounding flames.
The forensic and fire experts should tell the court when they testify what produced the blue flame and under what temperatures such fire is produced. Can a mere candle, as was initially claimed by the police, produce different colours of the flames?
Here are some of the questions that beg answers from the fire and forensic experts.
Does a burning human body naturally produce a blue flame was and why was this concentrated on Mujuru’s body and area surrounding it?
Under what circumstances would this happen?
What types of chemicals produce blue fire?
How long does it take for a body to burn to an extent where its left arm is burnt to ashes up to elbow level, both lower limbs burn to ashes up to knee level and most internal organs severely burn and some in cases, are absent?
How long would it take for the fire to burn a body to that level and at what temperatures?
There are too many pieces that need piecing. So what happened that night?
INQUEST TIMELINE. . .
Day 1
Clemence Runhare (security guard)
Gen Mujuru arrives at the farm at 8.00pm
He was in the company of an unidentified male partner
General not drunk
At midnight I heard gunshots
Augustine Chinyoka (Police officer)
Gen Mujuru was alone and appeared drunk
He had a suit at the backseat
At 2.00am I saw the fire
Had patrolled three times
Fire brigade arrived at 5am after I had phoned them at 2am
Obert Mark (Police officer)
Was in cottage at 11.00am
Mujuru was drunk because he stammered as he spoke and had bloodshot eyes
Mujuru went to sleep at 9pm, the same time as Hamandikari
Day 2
Inquest halted
Day 3
Rosemary Short breaks down in court while giving an account of her reaction on hearing that the farmhouse was on fire
She tells the inquest that the candle in Mujuru’s bedroom was about 7cm long and was properly secured in a saucer.
Vice-President Mujuru reveals that her husband’s vehicle had been suspiciously parked the day he died
Day 4
Rosemary Short (housemaid)
Tells the court that General Mujuru did not trust police guards and had considered replacing them
Relationship between Mujuru and the police had deteriorated after police severely assaulted a farmworker
Says Obert Mark told her the noise which she thought were gun shots was caused by bursting asbestos
She says Mujuru’s car keys were never recovered
The bedroom keys which Mujuru had said he forgot in Harare were found in his bedroom
Mujuru looked sober though it showed he had had a few drinks
She said she heard what sounded like gunshots but had thought it was normal as police had previously told her they fire shots to scare intruders or kill snakes
Day 5
Tawanda Madondo (gardener)
Told the court he was summoned by police officer at 02:20 am to go and show him the General’s bedroom
They took 30 minutes to get to the scene and several buckets of water poured on body to extinguish flames
Saw the general’s body through the window and it had been burnt
Day 6
Steven Harinyeni (clerk)
Concurred with Madondo and added that body was still on fire when he saw it
Mujuru family lawyer Thakor Kewada queried why police wasted time by running three kilometres to compound to ask workers to show them general’s bedroom instead of breaking windows and try and find the general
Day 7
Cletwell Garisai (Police)
Tells court he retrieved the charred remains of General Mujuru from his farmhouse
Disclosed that there was a gaping hole in the general’s abdomen
Also said the body was engulfed in bluish flames that were different in colour from the surrounding flames
Said the blue flames were so intense that they would re-ignite when water was poured on them
They poured at least 10 buckets of water to finally douse the flames
Flames came from body and the 30cm area around the body
Smoke was coming from the abdomen
Together with constables identified as Manokore, Gonti and Mhundwa, they were tasked by Deputy Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga to remove the General’s remains and put them in a plastic bag
Simon Dube (Inspector) concurred with Garisai and added that legs were burnt up to the ankles
Arms also burnt to area just before the wrists
Instructed to gather all debris that included hard objects and ashes which were taken to One Commando Barracks
Cordoned off the area after the arrival of VP Mujuru, Commander Perance Shiri, Minister Kembo Mohadi and David Parirenyatwa, who all viewed the charred body
Only the chest had bits of flesh
At One Commando mortuary, Doctor Annamore Jamu certified that the remains were those of a human being
Beatrice Police Station did not have transport from March to August 16 2011 and police were forced to ask for assistance from a neighbouring farm
Mujuru family lawyer, Thakor Kewada said it was unlikely the police guards would have phoned to report the fire
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