GOZ BURIES ANOTHER HERO

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 001208

SIPDIS

AF/S FOR B. NEULING
SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR C. COURVILLE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/29/2015
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL ZI
SUBJECT: GOZ BURIES ANOTHER HERO


Classified By: Ambassador Christopher Dell for reasons 1.5 b/d


1. (U) Minister of Indigenization and Empowerment and
ZANU-PF Politburo member Josiah Tungamirai died on August 25
in a South African clinic reportedly of kidney failure. The
GOZ quickly named him a national hero and buried him on
August 28 at Hero,s Acre. According to local media
accounts, Tungamirai had been plagued by kidney problems for
at least the past five years ) he received a transplant from
his brother in 2000. Retired General Solomon Mujuru,
effective head of the dominant Zezuru ethnic sub-group
clique, played an uncharacteristically public role in
Tungamirai's funeral.

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COMMENT
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2. (C) The death of Zimbabwe's respected first black AIR
Force commander comes as a blow to the regime,s morale.
Tungamirai's liberation war credentials, wide popularity, and
relative youth (57) made him a pivotal ally of the Mujuru
clique in historically divided Masvingo. His passing leaves
retired General Vitalis Zvinavashe ) an Emmerson Mnangagwa
ally also from Masvingo ) as the Zimbabwe,s most preeminent
war hero and retired military officer.
DELL