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Tendai Mugabe and Daniel Kachere Harare Bureau
A postmortem conducted yesterday on former Zanu-PF provincial chairman and Cabinet Minister, Amos Midzi’s body which was recovered from his car at his farm in Beatrice on Monday, revealed that he died of poisoning.
The postmortem was carried out by a team of three doctors.
In a statement last night, police chief spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said further samples were taken for toxicology tests. “A postmortem was conducted on Midzi’s body yesterday,” she said. “Three doctors concluded that the death was due to market pulmonary oedema due to poisoning and some further samples have been taken for toxicology and we’re waiting for the results.”
Police recovered a one-litre bottle of poisonous methamidophos and sleeping tablets from Midzi’s vehicle, raising fears that he could have committed suicide.
A cup containing a bluish liquid was also recovered from the car, a Ford Everest registration number ACY 3329, grey in colour, which had all doors locked.
Midzi will be buried on Saturday at Glen Forest cemetery.
The death of Midzi saw the resurfacing of former Vice President Joice Mujuru since she disappeared from the public eye in December last year. Mujuru was last seen during the body viewing of national hero Cde Lloyd Kotsho Dube at Stodart Hall on December 7, 2014. She was at Midzi’s residence yesterday where she paid her condolences.
Mujuru was in the company of her close confidantes who were also expelled from Zanu-PF, Didymus Mutasa and Rugare Gumbo. Others accompanying Mujuru were former Minister of State in her office, Sylvester Nguni, former Minister of State for Masvingo Province Kudakwashe Bhasikiti and former Zanu-PF Central Committee member Munyaradzi Banda.
The cabal allegedly led by Mujuru is fronting a political outfit trading under the banner of “Zanu People First” which has indicated that it will challenge Zanu-PF in 2018.
Speaking to our Harare Bureau, self-imposed spokesperson of the Mujuru cabal, Gumbo said they were saddened by Midzi’s untimely death.
“We’re saddened by the sudden death of Cde Midzi,” he said. “He was a gallant fighter and he had a bright future in politics.
“Cde Midzi did a lot for Zimbabwe as ambassador and recently as a Member of Parliament he was involved in issues relating to foreign affairs. We want to convey our heartfelt condolences to the Midzi family.”
Gumbo said although Midzi belonged to a faction that was kicked out of Zanu-PF for plotting to unseat President Mugabe illegally, they did not suspect any foul play.
The MDC Renewal Team also sent a condolence message to the Midzi family. “The MDC Renewal Team notes with concern the death of Zanu-PF’s Amos Midzi on Tuesday at his farm in Marirangwe under unclear circumstances.
“As the MDC Renewal Team we are concerned that Midzi’s death comes at a time when there is total disregard of the rule of law by the Zanu-PF regime with the recent callous abduction and disappearance of human rights activist Itai Dzamara still fresh in our minds and remaining unsolved.”
Midzi’s young brother, who is also the family spokesperson, Stanley Midzi, told our Harare Bureau that they were waiting for Midzi’s children who are in the US to arrive for the burial.
“We’ve since contracted Nyaradzo Funeral Services and burial is set for Saturday at Glen Forest cemetery,” he said. “We’re also waiting for his children who are in New York and California and they’re arriving on Friday.”
Online Reporter