ZIMBABWE’S military top brass on Thursday gave its final salute to the late former army commander Rtd General Solomon Mujuru who died aged 62 in a fire at his farm in Beatrice early Tuesday.
Mujuru’s casket was paraded in front of hundreds of soldiers and war veterans at the One Commando Barracks in Harare before the commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces General Constantine Chiwenga delivered a speech.
General Chiwenga, Zimbabwe National Army Commander Lieutenant General Philip Valerio Sibanda, Air Marshal Perence Shiri, Retired Major General Mike Nyambuya, Retired Air Vice Marshal Henry Muchena and Air Vice Marshal Abu Basuthu marched either side of General Mujuru’s flag-wrapped bay-coloured casket as it was brought to the barracks’ assembly point.
The casket was placed on table covered in a white cloth before General Chiwenga walked over and placed a wreath, retreating a few steps to salute the liberation war hero.
Vice President Joice Mujuru, the general's widow, arrived dressed in her Salvation Army church uniform, arms locked with her four daughters.
Defence Minister Emerson Mnangagwa and State Security Minister Sydney Sekeramayi were among the mourners, along with a few hundred members of the public.
With almost the entire Zanu PF top brass present, a pall of sadness descended on the army barracks – the hundreds present all still searching for answers over what triggered the fire which incinerated everything in its wake. General Mujuru’s remains, a heap of bones and ashes, were found close to a door of the 18-roomed property.
Police are under pressure to deliver answers over the tragedy, but they are giving little away.
Zanu PF, meanwhile, has banned all its officials from making media statements around the circumstances of General Mujuru’s death. Party spokesman Rugare Gumbo is the only official cleared to comment “if he can”, said the party’s secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa.
United front ... Vice President Mujuru flanked by her daughters on Thursday
Too much to bear ... The Mujurus' daughter, Kuziva, is comforted by a relative
Goodbye comrade ... General Chiwenga lays a wreath next to Gen Mujuru's casket
General Mujuru’s remains will be flown to his rural home in Chikomba, Mashonaland East, on Friday morning.
Later in the afternoon, an Air Force helicopter will take the body to the provincial capital of Marondera with thousands expected to turn up to pay their last respects.
It will be returned to Harare later in the evening to lie in state at the Mujurus’ family home in Chisipite before burial at the National Heroes’ Acre on Saturday.
South African President Jacob Zuma became the first foreign head of state to publicly extend his condolences following Mujuru’s death.
In a statement released by South Africa's department of International Relations and Cooperation, Zuma said "our thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Zimbabwe during this difficult time."
"It is with great shock and sadness that we learnt of the demise of Rtd General Solomon Mujuru on 16 August 2011," Zuma said.
"On behalf of the government and people of South Africa, we would like to take this opportunity to extend our heartfelt condolences and sincere sympathies to the Mujuru family, the government and people of Zimbabwe as they try to come to terms with the loss of this great son of Zimbabwe."
Speaking for the first time on the tragedy on Thursday, MDC leader Welshman Ncube said he had learnt with “shock and profound sadness” the news of general Mujuru’s death.
“General Solomon Mujuru will be remembered by all Zimbabweans as a true hero of the liberation struggle ... a man who demonstrated courage and resilience in the protracted armed struggle that gave birth to our independence from colonial rule,” Ncube said.