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Entertainment Reporter
At least 20 contestants for ZBCTV’s upcoming entrepreneurial reality show “My Own Boss”, have been announced just eight days before they go into bootcamp. -
Innocent Ruwende Senior Reporter
A SOUTH AFRICAN Police Services forensic expert yesterday said the packaging used to keep debris collected from the scene of fire in which General Solomon Mujuru died by local policemen could have affected forensic results.The 34th witness, a Warrant Officer in the SAPS, Seonyatseng Jack Maine who is attached to the chemical section of the forensic department, made these revelations during the 11th day of Gen Mujuru's inquest at the Harare Magistrates' Courts.
South African experts, in their reports, said no ignitable liquids and explosives were observed on the debris.
Warrant Officer Maine was among three SAPS experts who -
FOLLOWING the tragic death of retired General Solomon Mujuru in August 2011 police carried out investigations whose findings were referred to the courts for an inquest which started January 16 2012. Follow the proceedings here.
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FOLLOWING the tragic death of retired General Solomon Mujuru in August 2011 police carried out investigations whose findings were referred to the courts for an inquest which started January 16 2012. Follow the proceedings here.
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Court Reporter
THE inquest into the death of General Solomon Mujuru resumes today with the pathologist who examined the remains expected to testify. This comes against the backdrop of a request by the family to call a South African forensic expert to give a -
Innocent Ruwende Senior Reporter
THE magistrate presiding over the inquest into the death of General Solomon Mujuru says he will only consider the family's request to bring in a foreign pathologist after the local expert who first examined the remains testifies in court.
The Mujuru family last week asked the court to call in a South African forensic expert to question the local pathologist.
The family said should questions arise, it might apply for the exhumation of the remains to enable the South African expert to conduct another examination.
However, in his ruling on the 10th day of the inquest at the Harare Magistrates' Courts yesterday, magistrate Mr Walter Chikwanha, said it was his prerogative to subpoena witnesses.
"In pursuance of this mandate, I have already subpoenaed all the witnesses who I think are relevant. These witnesses subpoenaed include a pathologist who examined the body at the scene and at One Commando Barracks and is yet to testify," he said.
He said the Mujuru family lawyer, Mr Thakor Kewada, was seeking a second opinion before the pathologist had given evidence.
"While I would not refuse the calling of other witnesses other than the ones I have subpoenaed, they should add value to the -
Innocent Ruwende Senior Reporter
THE Mujuru family has asked the court to call in a South African forensic expert to question the local pathologist who examined the remains of General Solomon Mujuru.The family said should questions arise, they might apply for the exhumation of the remains to enable the South African expert to conduct another examination.
This came out during the ninth day of the inquest into the death of Gen Mujuru at the Harare Magistrates' Courts.Gen Mujuru died in an inferno at his farmhouse in Beatrice in August last year, but policemen who testified yesterday ruled out foul play.
Presiding magistrate Mr Walter Chikwanha read out a letter -
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Innocent Ruwende Senior Reporter
TWO assault rifles were found on the floor in General Solomon Mujuru's bedroom on the day he died in an inferno while 15 other guns were in a gun cabinet close to the bedroom.
The investigating officer, Chief Superintendent Crispen Makedenge yesterday said they recovered 17 firearms and ammunition in the house.
He was testifying in the inquest into Gen Mujuru's death at the Harare Magistrates' Courts.
Chief Supt Makedenge, who is the Deputy Officer Commanding Law and Order, was the 28th witness.While being led by Mr Clemence Chimbare of the Attorney-General's Office, he said one of the recovered guns was an AK47 rifle.
Asked where exactly they recovered the weapons, Chief Supt Makedenge said they were on the floor.
He said investigations showed that the weapons were in Gen Mujuru's fitted wardrobe which was destroyed by fire.
"In total, there were 17 guns," he said. -
Court Reporter
HARARE Fire Brigade officers failed to ascertain the cause of the fire that killed General Solomon Mujuru because scores of people who visited the farmhouse during and after the accident destroyed the evidence. Fire Brigade station officer, Mr Clever Mafoti, made the revelations at the seventh day of the inquest into the death of Gen Mujuru at the Harare Magistrates' Courts yesterday.Mr Mafoti was responding to Mr Clemence Chimbare of the Attorney-General's Office who sought to know what could have caused the fire.
"When we eventually arrived at the scene, most leads had been destroyed by people present," he said.
Mr Mafoti said the fire could have started from the bedroom or the main lounge because peeling off of plasters and cracking showed that the fire had been in the two rooms for a long time.Asked how fire could start from two rooms, Mr Mafoti said it was possible in cases of arson or short circuit.
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Innocent Ruwende Senior Reporter
POLICEMEN from Beatrice Police Station yesterday said the fire that burnt General Solomon Mujuru was bluish in colour and different from ordinary flames that were in other parts of the house.Inspector Simon Dube and Constable Clatwell Garisayi said this at the inquest into the death of Gen Mujuru at the Harare Magistrates' Courts.
Const Garisayi, who was the 23rd witness, said on the fateful day, Gen Mujuru's maid Rosemary Short phoned him to report that the farmhouse was on fire.
"The caller identified herself as Rosemary Short and I asked her if they had managed to locate the General and she said -
Senior Reporter
SEVERAL buckets of water were poured over the body of General Solomon Mujuru to extinguish the ferocious fire that killed him at his farm last August, a witness told the court yesterday.
Mr Tawanda Madondo, a gardener at Gen Mujuru's Ruzambo Farm, had been asked by Mr Tendai Mundawarara - the General's nephew - if the burning body was extinguished when water was poured over it."We poured a number of buckets of water for the body to be extinguished."
Earlier on, Mr Madondo, who was the 15th witness in the inquest, had told the court that he did not see the General on August 15.
"I was at home resting on August 15 last year and sometime after midnight a policeman knocked on my door and I came out."He told me that the General's house was on fire and wanted me to show him where his bedroom was. I pointed to the bedroom upon arrival at around 3am, but we realised that it had been gutted by fire," he said.
He asked people present if they had seen the General, but they said they had not.
Mr Madondo then moved round the house, peeping through the windows hoping to see the General.
After failing to see the body, Mr Madondo and a policeman from Beatrice Police Station switched off the mains. -
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Lovemore Chikova and Innocent Ruwende
GENERAL Solomon Mujuru was not happy with three policemen on guard at his farmhouse the night he died. The trio would reportedly fire guns at will and assaulted a farm worker. Gen Mujuru's maid, Ms Rosemary Short, said relations between her boss and the policemen had deteriorated to an extent that he stopped her from giving them food.She said constables Obert Mark, Augustinos Chinyoka and Lazarus Handikatari disturbed peace at the farm.
Ms Short was testifying at the ongoing inquest into the death of Gen Mujuru in a fire on August 15 last year.
The hearing is being presided over by provi-ncial magistrate Mr Walter Chikwanha at the Harare Magistrates' Courts."The police officers' relations with Gen Mu-juru were sour," said Ms Short.
"He told me that the officers were avoiding him and he wanted them changed, but he let them stay because they had only a few days left.
"Gen Mujuru was always concerned with security at the farm and at one time he told me that there was virtually no security at the farm -
Lovemore Chikova and Innocent Ruwende
A STAR witness in the ongoing inquest into the death of General Solomon Mujuru yesterday told the court that the General sometimes slept in his car and had contemplated doing so the day he died in an inferno that gutted his house.Gen Mujuru's maid, Ms Rosemary Short, said when the General left the farm on August 11, he said was going to Harare.
He returned on August 15, and died that night in the inferno.
She had knocked off early that day because she was unwell, but a child told her around 8pm that there was a vehicle outside her house, which was in the workers' compound about 3km from the farmhouse. -
Lovemore Chikova and Innocent Ruwende
GENERAL Solomon Mujuru was alone in his car when he drove home the night he died in a fire at his Beatrice farmhouse in August last year, one of the police constables at the gate told the inquest yesterday.But Const Obert Mark said there had been a jacket hanging over the backseat.
In his evidence while being questioned by Vice President Joice Mujuru, Const Mark conceded security at the farm was inadequate.He and Const Augustino Chinyoka spoke of delays in raising alarm and trying to seek help.
Const Mark and one of the other two constables on duty had