Farewell son of the soil

Zimbabwe the Rtd General Solomon Tapfumaneyi Mujuru.
Different people from all walks of life have said a lot about their encounters with this gallant son of Zimbabwe and I too have vivid memories of our encounter which I shall share.
I was once involved in a situation with the Army and it was only the straightforwardness of General Mujuru that prevailed and rescued me from this situation.

The Army in its quest to refurbish its fleet ordered armoured personal carrier vehicles and they required 6×6 vehicles literally meaning vehicles with six wheels.
When the vehicles were bought, they sought my opinion of the technical specifications of this type of vehicle which led me to conclude it was not a 6×6 but rather 4×4.
In simple terms the rear four wheels were joined onto one axle and hence restricted mobility rendering them unfit for the purpose that they were meant for.

The senior staff never appreciated my argument as one of them simply ordered that I count the number of wheels on the vehicle.
The answer was six wheels and hence he argued that they were correct to call them 6×6.
After much deliberation the matter was brought to the Army Commander, then Lt-General Rex Nhongo.

The purpose of the meeting was to arrange that I accompany the Army personnel to Mozambique to demonstrate my point in the operational area on the defects of these vehicles. This meant that there was a high possibility that we could encounter action during this excursion.
I again explained my position on the evaluation that I had made on the vehicles to the Commander and he appreciated my concern.

He understood that as much as these vehicles were 6×6 they should have been fitted with two independent axles or suspension at the back to facilitate their smooth movements in rough terrain. This was critical to ensure that in the event that if one of the rear wheels was to land in a ditch, the other would most likely be on firm ground and this would help the vehicle pull itself out without much effort or human assistance.

This in my view was critical especially in a war situation where the vehicle is supposed to keep moving. I also argued that since the rear four wheels were joined onto one axle instead of two axles, these wheels were linked into one hence in practical terms they were two wheels rather than four in totality which meant that the entire vehicle was a 4×4.
The General understood this and the issue was resolved without me having to go to the bush. Without his involvement my career and reputation would have been in jeopardy.

These are some of the memories that I have of the late retired General – his ability to see through the, murky waters or unclear issues.
To this end we salute and celebrate his life and in the same vein extend our heartfelt condolences to Vice President Joice Mujuru and the entire Mujuru family on the loss of this gallant fighter and son of the soil.

• Contact us on above numbers and or from G. Mbeya 0774 215 505. PROUDLY ZIMBABWEAN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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