By Political Reporter- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said that the late former CIO director in the President’s office, Ezekiel Chaunoita, witnessed the assassination of General Josiah Magama Tongogara in 1979 in Mozambique.

Mnangagwa said this at the burial of Chaunoita at the National Heroes Acre Friday.

Gen Tongogara died on December 26, 1979 in Mozambique in a car accident.

Mnangagwa said Oppah Muchinguri and Chaunita were there when Tongogara died:

“On December 26 1979, he was part of the team that escorted our late Commander, General Josiah Magama Tongogara, from Maputo to his base in Chimoio to supervise the ceasefire. It was on that fateful day, that the late Cde Chaunoita together with our current Chairman of Zanu PF and Minister of Defence, Cde Muchinguri- Kashiri survived a horrific car accident that claimed the life of General Tongogara,” he said.

Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri was in the same vehicle in which Tongogara died while they were preparing to return to Zimbabwe following a ceasefire agreement signed by leaders of two liberation movements – Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo of Zapu and Zanu’s Robert Mugabe – and the Rhodesian government led by Ian Douglas Smith.

The late CIO boss was also an aide to the late former vice President Simon Muzenda.