Paul Armstrong Gunda

Death

Gunda died in mysterious circumstances on 21 June 2007, after his car reportedly collided with a goods train at a rail/road crossing near Watershed College outside Marondera, a version which has been challenged by his widow. He was declared a national hero.

Following his release on 1 March 2014, after completing his three-year jail term over an attempted jailbreak following his detention for allegedly plotting to topple Robert Mugabe, former army captain Albert Matapo told NewsDay that Paul Armstrong Gunda was assassinated by state security agents who falsely linked him to the alleged plot. ^[2]

An eye-witness who spoke to a local publication said Armstrong Gunda was murdered. The source was quoted by the publication to have said:

"We were about 50 metres from the rail-road crossing and observed a vehicle approaching the crossing at the same time a siren sounded from the goods train, as a warning,” the source said. “The vehicle slowly moved to the crossing and to our utter surprise parked right at 90 degrees – exactly at the intersection of the railway and the road. We thought it had developed a fault, but also wondered if the driver was mad or something. Suddenly, someone jumped out of the car and disappeared into the dark a few moments before the train arrived and smashed the vehicle. The train didn’t stop and a person arrived at the scene to attend to the wreckage of the vehicle before a police truck arrived moments later."

^[3]

A board of inquiry set up under the defence force's disciplinary regulations found no foul play.^[4]

References