Two years after the death of Doug Munatsi, the former chief executive officer of the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA), his friend and former MP Temba Mliswa has questioned the silence of the state security agencies and demanded answers for his mysterious demise.
Munatsi was found dead in his penthouse at the Northfields apartments in Harare on November 29, 2021, after a reported explosion and fire. However, it was later revealed that the fire did not kill him and he had scars on his feet and hands, suggesting foul play.
Mliswa, who described Munatsi as a brother and a patriot, said he would not rest until the truth was revealed and justice was served. He said Munatsi was a leading banker, visionary business leader, and outstanding farmer who had represented the country well on the international arena.
He also hinted that Munatsi was set to present a report on Zimbabwe’s land audit to President Emmerson Mnangagwa days before his death, raising suspicions of a possible assassination.
“For who he was and what we shared as brothers it would be amiss and immoral to acquiesce to dark forces by being silent when answers are yet to be given for his death. I will continue asking for answers to bring dignity to his death and memory,” Mliswa wrote on X.
“In that vacuum of silence, many conspiracies still float around and it’s understandable why it should be so. The finality of his death created a lot of questions that any self-respecting nation should have worked hard to resolve and answer.”
Munatsi’s death was one of the several cases of unexplained deaths of prominent Zimbabweans in recent years, which have raised concerns about the state of human rights and the rule of law in the country.
According to the Human Rights Watch World Report 2023, Zimbabwe continued to face serious human rights challenges, including arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings of activists, journalists, and opposition members.
The report also noted that the government had failed to implement key reforms to ensure accountability for past and present abuses, and to restore public confidence in the justice system.
Munatsi was accorded a state-assisted funeral by Mnangagwa, who promised an expedited investigation into his death. However, two years later, no progress has been made and no suspects have been arrested.
The police said the case was being investigated under ZRP Harare Central Case Number IR 112047, but declined to give any further details.
Munatsi’s family and friends have appealed to the authorities to speed up the investigation and bring the perpetrators to book. They have also called for an independent and transparent inquiry into the circumstances of his death.
Munatsi’s legacy lives on in his contributions to the development of Zimbabwe’s economy and society. He was the inaugural CEO of ZIDA, a one-stop investment project that aimed to improve the investment climate and ease of doing business in the country.
He was also the founder and former CEO of ABC Holdings, the parent company of BancABC, one of the leading commercial banks in the region. He was also a successful farmer and a philanthropist who supported various causes.
Munatsi’s death was a tragic loss for Zimbabwe and a reminder of the need for justice and human rights for all.
Source: New Zimbabwe
