General Mujuru, husband to the current Vice President Joice, was burnt to death in the blaze on Monday night which police sources say is being treated as “suspicious”.

Zimbabwe’s top police investigators, Central Intelligence Organisation officers and military police swarmed Mujuru’s farm in Beatrice, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) west of Harare, on Tuesday seeking urgent answers to the general’s death.

Unconfirmed reports say “shots were fired” moments before the fire, but police investigators say witnesses may have heard exploding asbestos and windows. It has also been claimed that he was not alone at the time.

State Security Minister Sydney Sekeramayi openly wept as he appeared on national television to announce the news. He said Mujuru was “burnt beyond recognition”.

Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander General Constantine Chiwenga, also appearing emotional, said: “The general did not deserve to die this way.”

A senior Zanu PF official speaking on Tuesday morning said: "The implications of the tragedy are as far reaching as those of the death of Herbert Chitepo in 1975 and Josiah Tongogara in 1979. It's very serious."

Mujuru, seen for a long-time as a power broker in Zimbabwean politics, is an independence war hero who first enlisted with the Zimbabwe African People’s Revolutionary Army (Zipra) in the 1960s, before joining the Zimbabwe National Liberation Army (Zanla) in 1971.

Then known as Rex Nhongo, he became acting commander-in-chief of Zanla in 1975 and joint commander of the Zimbabwe People’s Army (Zipa) – a united force of Zipra and Zanla in 1976.

In 1977, he became Deputy Secretary of Defence for the Zimbabwe African National Union (Zanu) and eventually became Zimbabwe National Army commander in 1981.