Mujuru was a man of the people, say friends and relatives

Retired General Solomon Mujuru as a sociable man who did not discriminate against anyone.
Gen Mujuru’s elder brother, Cde Joel Mujuru said it did not surprise him when his brother took up arms to liberate the country which saw him appointed the first black army commander after independence.

He said Rtd Gen Mujuru had inherited fighting from his ancestors who fought during the First Chimurenga.
“Solomon is from the Mwendamberi tribe who fought the first Chimurenga at Murindi in Chikomba. It therefore did not surprise me when he was appointed army commander, I knew he had inherited that from the Mwendamberi tribe,” he said.

Cde Joel Mujuru said Rtd Gen Mujuru was good at fistfights, which gave him the courage to go to war and liberate Zimbabwe. “Solomon was very important in the family because he did not discriminate against anyone in the family. He loved his grand children and relatives. He was very approachable to any villager. He would mingle with the old and the young,” he said.
Another relative and business associate, Cde Tirivanhu Mudariki described Rtd Gen Mujuru as someone who was committed to the independence of Zimbabwe. He said on the eve of his death, the two had spent the better part of the day together and were due to travel together to Beitbridge, where they have some business interests in mining, the following day.

“My relationship with him is inextricably linked to politics. Apart from being a brother he was a friend and also a business colleague,” said Cde Mudariki, a former MP for Harare East (Zanu-PF).
Former Finance Minister Chris Kuruneri described Rtd Gen Mujuru as a complicated entrepreneur who had no formal business education yet successful.

“General Mujuru was my brother-in-law and my best friend. He liked sports like cricket and soccer. He was an entrepreneur of the highest order. He was a very generous man, very kind and selfless. General Mujuru would identify other businessmen’s weaknesses and advise them on what they were supposed to do to correct the situation. He was a very shrewd businessman and had an incredible capacity to do business,” he said.

Cde Kuruneri said Rtd Gen Mujuru was a successful indigenous businessman who had built his wealth through hard work.
“He is one of the few black Zimbabweans who funded his own indigenisation without waiting to receive handouts. Everything he had, he worked for it. The major reason he opted to get into business, he would say to us, was because he didn’t have academic preparation like others who had the liberty to choose which job they wanted. He said he was a pioneer entrepreneur in terms of knowledge of investing even without formal schooling in that area,” said Cde Kuruneri.

Zimbabwe Prison Services Commissioner Retired Major General Paradzai Zimondi said Gen Mujuru had a passion for agriculture and improving people’s livelihood. “I first knew him in 1975 at Mugagawo Training Camp in Tanzania. Some comrades were dying of hunger at the camp and others were stealing crops from nearby fields. When General Mujuru came, he emphasised that production was important in terms of farming crops and keeping pigs. Production was his passion even when we came back. He was encouraging people to produce crops and keep livestock,” he said.

Rtd Major Gen Zimondi said Rtd Gen Mujuru wanted people who always told the truth.
“If he gave an order he wanted it done. He wanted practical things. He did not like people who lied because he always said the truth. He was a very free person even to junior soldiers. He was very approachable. He was very free to mix with anyone. We need such leadership which people can easily approach. When he was commander, he would organise functions at his house using his resources to make soldiers mingle with civilians,” Rtd Maj Gen Zimondi said.

Turning to Rtd Gen Mujuru’s social life, Rtd Maj Gen Zimondi said, he was a person who always wanted people to be happy. “He would always crack jokes to make people laugh. He was always jovial. He had a passion for sports and that is the reason why under his tenure he formed Black Rhinos Football Club.”

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s son, Edwin who came to pay his condolences said as a young Zimbabwean he was saddened by the death of Rtd Gen Mujuru. “I feel sorry for the loss as a young Zimbabwean freed by the likes of Gen Mujuru.”

Buhera North MP, Cde William Mutomba (Zanu-PF) said Rtd Gen Mujuru’s death had brought a cloud of darkness for the country.

He said Rtd Gen Mujuru had demonstrated leadership qualities both in the army and as a businessman.
“Let’s learn from his leadership qualities,” he said.