Joice Runaida Mujuru (
née
A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Mugari; born 15 April 1955), also known by her
nom-de-guerre
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...
Teurai Ropa Nhongo, is a
Zimbabwean
Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Moza ...
revolutionary and politician who served as
Vice-President of Zimbabwe
The vice-president of Zimbabwe is the second highest political position obtainable in Zimbabwe. Currently there is a provision for two vice-presidents, who are appointed by the president of Zimbabwe. The vice-presidents are designated as "First ...
from 2004 to 2014. Previously she had served as a government minister. She also served as Vice-President of
ZANU–PF
The Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF) is a political organisation which has been the ruling party of Zimbabwe since independence in 1980. The party was led for many years under Robert Mugabe, first as prime ministe ...
. She was married to
Solomon Mujuru
Solomon Mujuru (born Solomon Tapfumaneyi Mutusva; 5 May 1945 – 15 August 2011), also known by his nom-de-guerre, Rex Nhongo, was a Zimbabwean military officer and politician who led Robert Mugabe's guerrilla forces during the Rhodesian Bush Wa ...
until his death in 2011 and was long considered a potential successor to President
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe (; ; 21 February 1924 – 6 September 2019) was a Zimbabwean revolutionary and politician who served as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 1987 and then as President from 1987 to 2017. He served as Leader of the ...
, but in 2014 she was denounced for allegedly plotting against Mugabe. As a result of the accusations against her, Mujuru lost both her post as Vice-President and her position in the party leadership. She was expelled from the party a few months later, after which she formed the new Zimbabwe People First party.
Early life
Runaida Mugari was born in
Zimbabwe's Northeastern district of
Mount Darwin, a
Shona
Shona often refers to:
* Shona people, a Southern African people
* Shona language, a Bantu language spoken by Shona people today
Shona may also refer to:
* ''Shona'' (album), 1994 album by New Zealand singer Shona Laing
* Shona (given name)
* S ...
from the Korekore language group. She attended a
Salvation Army
Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
mission school, Howard High in Chiweshe in
Mashonaland Central Province
Mashonaland Central is a province of Zimbabwe. It has an area of 28,347 km² and a population of 1,152,520 (2012 census), representing about 8.5% of the total Zimbabwe population.
Geography
Background
Bindura is the capital of the ...
.
At eighteen years old, Mujuru was the only woman who trained in
Lusaka
Lusaka (; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Zambia. It is one of the fastest-developing cities in southern Africa. Lusaka is in the southern part of the central plateau at an elevation of about . , the city's population was ab ...
.
After completing two years of secondary education, she decided to join the
Rhodesian Bush War
The Rhodesian Bush War, also called the Second as well as the Zimbabwe War of Liberation, was a civil conflict from July 1964 to December 1979 in the unrecognised country of Rhodesia (later Zimbabwe-Rhodesia).
The conflict pitted three for ...
. She is said to have downed a helicopter with a machine gun on 17 February 1974 after refusing to flee. The helicopter downing incident has been vehemently denied by
War Veterans
A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular job, occupation or Craft, field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military.
A military vete ...
chairman,
Christopher Mutsvangwa
Christopher Hatikure Mutsvangwa (born 24 May 1955) is a Zimbabwean politician, diplomat and businessman. A veteran of the Rhodesian Bush War, Mutsvangwa served the government of independent Zimbabwe and the ZANU-PF party in a number of roles, i ...
after her expulsion from the party; other ballistic experts have also questioned the possibility of shooting down a helicopter with such a light weapon as narrated on her story. By 1975, she was the political instructor of two successful military bases. At 21, Mujuru was camp commander at the
Chimoio
Chimoio is the capital of Manica Province in Mozambique. It is the fifth-largest city in Mozambique.
Chimoio's name under Portuguese administration was ''Vila Pery''. Vila Pery developed under Portuguese rule as an important agricultural and tex ...
military and refugee camp in
Mozambique
Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...
.
She took the
nom-de-guerre
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...
''Teurai Ropa Nhongo'' (Shona for "spill blood"), and then rose to become one of the first women commanders in Mugabe's
ZANLA
Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) was the military wing of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), a militant African nationalist organisation that participated in the Rhodesian Bush War against white minority rule of Rhode ...
forces. In 1977, she married Solomon Mujuru, known then by his nom-de-guerre ''Rex Nhongo'', deputy commander-in-chief of ZANLA. That same year, she became the youngest member of the ZANU Central Committee, a member of the National Executive.
Her political activity made her a target for the Rhodesian security forces, which tried to capture her but were unsuccessful.
As part of Operation Dingo, the ZANLA camp in Chimoio was attacked by Rhodesian soldiers on November 23, 1977. Mujuru managed to elude capture by hiding in a well-used communal pit latrine. In 1978, when her camp came under attack, Muruju—nine months pregnant at the time—was still an active combatant. She gave birth only days later.
Upon return from the war, little was known of the origins of her name and her real name. Her mother, in an interview for The Sunday Mail newspaper at her rural Mount Darwin home, spoke exclusively to journalist and media anthropologist Robert Mukondiwa, to whom she revealed that Joice was a name she had also adopted during her time away at the war. Her actual name, he was told, was Runaida, which had been her late paternal aunt's name.
The Mujurus now live on a requisitioned farm,
Alamein Farm
Alamein Farm, also known as Ruzambu Farm, is a 5,000 hectare farm at Beatrice, in the Mashonaland East area of Zimbabwe, 72 km south of the capital Harare. It was a highly productive commercial farming operation, employing around one thousan ...
, south of Harare, which has been found by the Supreme Court in Zimbabwe to have been illegally seized from the farm owner.
Political career
At independence in 1980, Mujuru became the youngest cabinet minister in the cabinet, taking the portfolio of sports, youth and recreation. She fitted secondary school in between her busy schedule after she was appointed minister.
As Minister of Telecommunications, she tried to stop
Strive Masiyiwa
Strive Masiyiwa (born 29 January 1961) is a London-based Zimbabwean billionaire businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder and executive chairman of international technology groups Econet Global and Cassava Technologies.
Masiyiwa has pro ...
from establishing his independent cellphone network Econet. Masiyiwa had been given an ultimatum by the cabinet to sell his imported equipment to his rivals. On 24 March 1997, Mujuru decided to issue Zimbabwe's second cellular telephone licence to the previously unknown Zairois consortium Telecel, cutting out Masiyiwa. The Zairois consortium included her husband Solomon and President Robert Mugabe's nephew Leo. After many legal fights, Masiyiwa won his licence in December 1997.
Vice-President
The ZANU-PF Women's League resolved at its annual conference held in September 2004 to put forward a female candidate for the party's vice-presidency, a position left vacant following the death of
Simon Muzenda
Simon Vengai Muzenda (28 October 1922 – 20 September 2003) was a Zimbabwean politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister from 1980 to 1987 and as Vice-President of Zimbabwe from 1987 to 2003 under President Robert Mugabe.
Early life and ed ...
.
Mugabe bowed to pressure from a ZANU-PF faction led by Mujuru's husband, General Solomon Mujuru, to give a woman the second vice-presidency post—effectively sidelining Speaker of Parliament
Emmerson Mnangagwa
Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa (, American English, US: (); born 15 September 1942) is a Zimbabwean politician who has served as President of Zimbabwe since 24 November 2017. A member of ZANU–PF and a longtime ally of former President Robert Muga ...
, widely seen as his favoured heir. This ZANU-PF reshuffle was dubbed "the night of the long knives" by the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation.
Mujuru was sworn in as Vice-President of Zimbabwe on 6 December 2004.
Mujuru was nominated as ZANU-PF's candidate for the
House of Assembly
House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level.
Historically, in British Crown colonies as the colony gained more internal responsible governme ...
seat from
Mt. Darwin West in the
March 2008 parliamentary election. According to official results she won the seat by an overwhelming margin, receiving 13,236 votes against 1,792 for Gora Madzudzo, the candidate of the
Movement for Democratic Change Movement for Democratic Change or MDC may refer to:
* Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai (MDC–T), the former main opposition party in Zimbabwe
** Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai Congress 2006, the second MDC–T congress ...
(MDC) faction led by
Morgan Tsvangirai
Morgan Richard Tsvangirai (; ; 10 March 1952 – 14 February 2018) was a Zimbabwean politician who was Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from 2009 to 2013. He was President of the Movement for Democratic Change, and later the Movement for Democratic C ...
. This ran contrary to earlier claims from the MDC that Mujuru had lost the seat. After the election, she was again sworn in as Vice-President by Mugabe on 13 October 2008, together with Msika.
She is the subject of personal sanctions imposed by the United States.
Joice Mujuru was implicated in a 2009 attempted sale of up to 3.5 tonnes of gold from the
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
to a European company, in contravention of European Union sanctions on the part of that company.
She currently lives on
Alamein Farm
Alamein Farm, also known as Ruzambu Farm, is a 5,000 hectare farm at Beatrice, in the Mashonaland East area of Zimbabwe, 72 km south of the capital Harare. It was a highly productive commercial farming operation, employing around one thousan ...
, a productive and high-value operation illegally requisitioned as part of the
land reform programme from Guy Watson-Smith in 2001, as found by the Zimbabwe High Court and international courts. In 2001 the Mujuru family became the subject of the first legal action against any member of Mr Mugabe's inner circle implicated in the illegal seizure of land and assets. The seizure of Alamein Farm was ruled illegal by the
Supreme Court of Zimbabwe
The Supreme Court of Zimbabwe is the highest court of order and the final court of appeal in Zimbabwe.
The judiciary is headed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who, like the other justices, is appointed by the President on the advice o ...
.
Mujuru was considered a potential successor to President Mugabe, competing against Emmerson Mnangagwa. She rallied support among the
politburo
A politburo () or political bureau is the executive committee for communist parties. It is present in most former and existing communist states.
Names
The term "politburo" in English comes from the Russian ''Politbyuro'' (), itself a contraction ...
, central committee and the
presidium
A presidium or praesidium is a council of executive officers in some political assemblies that collectively administers its business, either alongside an individual president or in place of one.
Communist states
In Communist states the presidi ...
, and the provincial party chairs. She also garnered support from the general Zimbabwean population, indicated by the election of her loyalists to the youth league. However, her succession was expected to be challenged at the December 2014 congress, where the members of all politburo and central committee cadres were expected to seek re-election.
Expulsion and new political party
In late 2014, Mujuru was accused of plotting against Mugabe and became an outcast within ZANU-PF. She lost her positions in the party leadership at the December 2014 congress, and shortly afterward, on 8 December 2014, Mugabe dismissed her from her post as Vice-President, along with ministers who were identified with her faction. In comments published on 9 December, the same day the dismissals were announced, Mujuru said that the claims that she had plotted against Mugabe were "ridiculous".
On 10 December 2014, Mugabe appointed Mujuru's long-time rival in the succession battle,
Emmerson Mnangagwa
Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa (, American English, US: (); born 15 September 1942) is a Zimbabwean politician who has served as President of Zimbabwe since 24 November 2017. A member of ZANU–PF and a longtime ally of former President Robert Muga ...
, to replace her as Vice-President.
Mujuru was expelled from ZANU-PF on 3 April 2015 and subsequently moved on to form the Zimbabwe People First party, in opposition to ZANU-PF. In 2017 after expelling seven senior members of the ''Zimbabwe People First'' party, she changed its name to ''National People's Party'' when the expelled members challenged ownership of the Zimbabwe People First name.
Joice Mujuru signed an alliance with 20 smaller parties during the run up to the 2018 Presidential election. This was believed to be a counter to Tsvangirai's MDC alliance that is to give her a large bargaining power on the coalition table. The Lucia Matibenga-led People's Democratic Party (PDP), Dumiso Dabengwa's Zapu and the NPP unveiled a coalition pact to challenge Zanu PF in Matabeleland in the 2018 elections. The Zapu, NPP and PDP leadership said they would not contest each other for any parliamentary seats in Matabeleland, before noting that "doors were still open" for a broader coalition with other opposition parties, raising fears that the MDC Alliance, which was announced recently, could have hit turbulence.
She was part of the 23 candidates that ran for the Presidency.
[https://m.news24.com/Africa/Zimbabwe/mujuru-promises-to-leave-no-stone-unturned-in-finding-missing-mugabe-critic-20180405 , Mujuru promises to leave no stone unturned in finding missing Mugabe critic , News24]
Positions held
*
Minister of Community Development and Women's Affairs (1980–85)
*
Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (1985–88)
*
Minister of Community Development, Cooperatives and Women's Affairs (1988–92)
*
Resident Minister and Governor for Mashonaland Central (1992–96)
*
Minister of Information, Post and Telecommunication (1996–97)
*
Minister of Rural Resources and Water Development (1997–2004)
*
First Vice-President of Zimbabwe (2004–14)
References
External links
Official website"Mujuru Story" websiteMujuru.com
BBC NEWS website ProfileBBC
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mujuru, Joyce
1955 births
Living people
20th-century Zimbabwean politicians
21st-century Zimbabwean politicians
African women in war
Candidates for President of Zimbabwe
Government ministers of Zimbabwe
Sports ministers of Zimbabwe
Members of the National Assembly of Zimbabwe
People from Mashonaland Central Province
Shona people
Vice-presidents of Zimbabwe
Women in warfare post-1945
Women vice presidents
ZANU–PF politicians
Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army personnel
Zimbabwean revolutionaries
Zimbabwean Salvationists
21st-century Zimbabwean women politicians
Female revolutionaries