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Wongai Zhangazha
A SOUTH African police forensic analyst said it could be possible that accelerants or inflammable materials were present at the fire which gutted the late General Solomon Mujuru’s farmhouse in Beatrice last year.
Warrant Officer Seonyatseng Jack Maine told the ongoing inquest into the death of Mujuru, in Harare yesterday, that although he could not identify any accelerants in the debris he had examined, it did not lead to a conclusion that there were no inflammable materials.
Maine, who is experienced in chemical and fire debris analysis, said the packaging of debris at the scene was poor and, hence, could expose exhibits to heat thereby affecting results.
He revealed that the debris he received on September 23 2011 from Zimbabwe’s Criminal InvestigationDepartment (CID)included “burnt ashes, black solid material and cotton wool with black residue” which were collected from three areas in the burnt house, particularly the main bedroom and the mini lounge.
Maine said: “I was requested to examine the material in order to see the presence of inflammable materials or ignitable liquids that is any substance that can be used to accelerate fire, for example paraffin, petrol or diesel. The tests I conducted on the material did not detect any use of accelerants or inflammable material.
“However, it does not lead to the conclusion that no inflammables were in use. It could be possible that they might be present. I say so because when you attend a fire scene, the collection method is very important and the exposure to heat sometimes can affect the results.
When you collect exhibits from a scene, it must be either packaged in a container that is not corrosive or it must be collected and put inside an oven bag because it traps everything that might be useful in testing and finding results.”
State prosecutor Clemence Chimbare asked how the exhibits were packaged, to which the forensic analyst responded that the packaging was not up to normal standards used.
“They (exhibits) were packaged in plastic bags and chances are that the evidence might have been tampered with due to the type of packaging.”
Regional Magistrate Walter Chikwanha, who is presiding over the case, asked Maine to explain whether there could be other areas that could show accelerants were used apart from the three points that were collected.
“Mr Maine, you were given various packages to check whether they had flammable materials. The debris was collected from three areas in the house. Assuming that there was inflammable material on the dressing table but debris is collected from places surrounding the bed which does not have inflammable material, would you be able to detect from the debris collected on the bed that there was inflammable material on the dressing table,” asked Chikwanha.
Maine replied: “I won’t be able to detect. I don’t know tools or methods that they used to collect the debris. To which I assume that it was subjective opinion of investigative personnel. If there were multiple sources of fire and the debris was collected from those areas, chances are high that if collected properly you can detect whether inflammables were present or not. But if exhibits are packaged in a plastic bag like that, chances are high that you can’t detect anything. The debris was not properly packaged and it can affect analysis.”
The Mujuru family lawyer Thakor Kewada expressed concern that the way debris was transported to South Africa might have been tampered with.
“I am informed that if samples were taken from here to Pretoria if packaging was not adequate or if it was taken from, let’s say a boot of a car getting to the plane; arriving at the international airport in South Africa, put in the boot then to the South African police forensic labs, the heat in the boot of a car would it affect samples,” said Kewada.
Maine responded: “Based on the exposure of the heat it may be possible but I am not saying that’s what happened.”
Maine told the hearing that the keeping in Zimbabwe of debris for three weeks before they were sent to forensicswould not have affected results, especially if the exhibits were packaged properly.
The chief forensic analyst specialising in explosive materials Kgotlokgomang Ariel Lenong told the inquest that in exhibits he had examined, no explosive materials could be detected.
Lenong examined material taken from the main bedroom mattress, underneath the bed, the carpet where the body was found, pieces of cotton wool with black residue and pieces of burnt curtains recovered from Mujuru’s bedroom and mini lounge.
Lenong said: “I was requested to examine the exhibits for any explosives. I examined the exhibits with two techniques, ion and liquid chromatography. Of the techniques I used, there was no inorganic explosives (like) ammonium nitrate or potassium nitrate and organic explosives like military grenades or motor bomb that could be detected.”
Asked by Chimbare whether he could detect if gas explosives were present, Lenong said his investigations were only to do with chemical explosives and not gases.
Present at the inquest was prominent South African private forensic pathologist, Dr Reggie Perumal who sat next to Vice-president Joice Mujuru assisting the family lawyer with questions.
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