Zimbabwe’s first black military commander after independence, General Solomon Mujuru is dead

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Submitted by Selbin Kabote on Tue, 16/08/2011 - 9:58pm

Zimbabwe’s former military chief, General Solomon Mujuru 62, has died in a fire at his home about 35 miles south-west of Harare in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Under his nom de guerre, Rex Nhongo, Mujuru was a leader of the guerrilla war that swept President Mugabe to power and became Zimbabwe's first black military commander after independence. The general was married to Joice Mujuru, the vice-president of Zimbabwe.

The United Kingdom Guardian newspaper has quoted the Zanu –PF spokesman, Rugare Gumbo, as saying "What we know is he died in a fire accident at his home this morning. The police are looking into the cause and they will inform us.

State radio said Mujuru's wife visited the farm where its reporter saw the main building razed to the ground. Family members and friends said an electrical fault may have ignited the blaze. Police said a worker at the house told them Mujuru went to bed and neighbours were woken later as fire swept through the house, state radio reported.

Mujuru had evidently tried to escape but was overwhelmed by flames and smoke.

General Constantine Chiwenga, the current military chief, also visited the farm and told state radio: "The way he has gone is difficult to comprehend. He was such a fine fighter."

President Mugabe is scheduled to attend a summit of regional presidents this week in Angola, at which the Zimbabwe political crisis is high on the agenda. Regional leaders have recently taken a firmer stance against violence and other obstacles to democratic reforms.