Were Tungamirai and Mujuru allies?

Retired general Solomon Mujuru played an uncharacteristically public role at the funeral of Josiah Tungamirai when he died in August 2005, raising questions as to whether the two were allies.

According to the United States embassy, Tungamirai was a pivotal ally of the Mujuru clique in Masvingo.

His death left retired general Vitalis Zvinavashe, an ally of Emmerson Mnangagwa, as Zimbabwe’s most pre-eminent war hero and retired military officer.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 05HARARE1208, GOZ BURIES ANOTHER HERO

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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

291510Z Aug 05

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 001208

SIPDIS

AF/S FOR B. NEULING

SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR C. COURVILLE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/29/2015

TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL ZI

SUBJECT: GOZ BURIES ANOTHER HERO

Classified By: Ambassador Christopher Dell for reasons 1.5 b/d

¶1. (U) Minister of Indigenization and Empowerment and

ZANU-PF Politburo member Josiah Tungamirai died on August 25

in a South African clinic reportedly of kidney failure. The

GOZ quickly named him a national hero and buried him on

August 28 at Hero,s Acre. According to local media

accounts, Tungamirai had been plagued by kidney problems for

at least the past five years ) he received a transplant from

his brother in 2000. Retired General Solomon Mujuru,

effective head of the dominant Zezuru ethnic sub-group

clique, played an uncharacteristically public role in

Tungamirai’s funeral.

——-

COMMENT

——-

¶2. (C) The death of Zimbabwe’s respected first black Air

Force commander comes as a blow to the regime,s morale.

Tungamirai’s liberation war credentials, wide popularity, and

relative youth (57) made him a pivotal ally of the Mujuru

clique in historically divided Masvingo. His passing leaves

retired General Vitalis Zvinavashe ) an Emmerson Mnangagwa

ally also from Masvingo ) as the Zimbabwe,s most preeminent

war hero and retired military officer.

DELL

(34 VIEWS)