Ray Nkosi | Former President Robert Mugabe has opened up for the first time on the circumstances surrounding the late General Solomon Mujuru’s death, who he also accusses of causing Zanu PF’s election defeat to the opposition in 2008.

Speaking to The Independent, Mugabe says of Mujuru’s death, ” It was just a case of someone dying. He just died. And what is fortunate for the party is that it happened away, on his farm.”

There is no love lost between Mugabe and the late general as the former head of state goes on to graphically describe the latter’s harzadous smoking habits.

Mugabe links Mujuru’s death to “Israeli (business associates) who had issues with him,” goes further to say; “No. Ah, he was a terrible guy. Very selfish. And a smoker. A smoker, I think this is what killed him. In Geneva (Switzerland), we burnt down a hotel and it was Mujuru again. Well, we managed to avoid trial, but it was his smoking that almost got us killed in a hotel. He was a careless smoker. An investigation established that the fire started in his room. But we denied it and said no no.”

On the 2008 election loss to the MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai Mugabe says, “No, he knew we would be better. Do you know why we lost 2008 (the first round)? Again, a disease amongst us: bhora musango. The likes of (General) Mujuru were fed up with me, they said I was preventing them from benefitting from companies, so they said ‘let’s get rid of Mugabe’. Our supporters were told ‘ah, you don’t have to vote for the president.”