Mujuru’s children neglected in UK

via Mujuru’s children neglected in UK – Southern Eye by John Nyashanu

GUARDIANS of two children fathered by the late retired army general Solomon Mujuru with a Harare woman, have claimed that the delay in distributing his estate has left them struggling to provide for themselves.

Mujuru died in a mysterious inferno at his farm in Beatrice in 2010, but his estate believed to be worth millions of dollars, is yet to be distributed  because of alleged infighting in the family.

Christian Mahachi, brother to the children’s mother Simbiso Chisirimunhu, who died in 2011, yesterday told our sister paper NewsDay that no assistance had been give to Mujuru’s children born out of wedlock since the Zanu PF politburo member’s death.

Mujuru and Chisirimunhu had two children, Tawanda Ruzambu Mujuru (19) and Tsitsi Mujuru (20).

Tawanda, who shared his middle name with his late father, is at Leicester College in the UK where he is studying Advanced Level while Tsitsi is reading mass communication at Surrey University.

“These children are still in school and they naturally need to be taken care of,” Mahachi said.

“Support for them stopped immediately after their father’s death and we are using our own meagre resources to ensure they go to school.

“This is very unfortunate for children of someone like General Mujuru,” Mahachi said.

He said efforts to engage his widow Vice-President Joice Mujuru for assistance had hit a brickwall.

“I have pursued all avenues possible to talk to her but without success.  When I went to her office just after my sister’s death in 2011, I was referred to the family lawyer Thakor Kewada who in turn referred me to the VP’s eldest daughter Kumbirai,” he added.

“At first Kumbirai appeared co-operative, but later went unreachable as she changed her mobile number.”

The late retired general’s elder brother Joel refused to shed light on the latest position regarding Mujuru’s estate and invited NewsDay to his farm in Goromonzi.

“I suggest you come down here so that we can talk about this issue,” he said.

The family lawyer Kewada also refused to give details.

“At the moment I cannot say much on this case as I am still waiting for the will to be brought to me so that we can start the process,” he said.

Minister of State in the VP’s office Sylvester Nguni was not reachable on his mobile phone, as were Mujuru’s eldest children Kumbirai, Nyasha and Chipo.

Mujuru was Zimbabwe’s most decorated army chief and widely perceived to be the kingmaker in Zanu PF’s intricate succession battles.

Mujuru, who made his wealth using his vast political networks, had interests in sectors like agriculture, stock and money markets, construction and mining, among others.