ZANU PF politburo member and retired army general Engelbert Rugeje was reportedly involved in a car accident in Mt Pleasant, Harare, last week.
According to sources, one of the wheels of his vehicle came off, but the car was prevented from overturning after hitting rocks. Rugeje was uninjured in the incident.
There are claims that efforts were made to keep the accident out of the public eye. However, photos of the damaged vehicle have emerged.
A source revealed, “Rugeje was involved in an accident during the night and was lucky to survive. There has been an attempt to keep this quiet as security services don’t want it discussed.”
When asked for comment, Rugeje expressed surprise, asking, “Who provided you with this information?” He declined to provide further details.
Since the military coup in 2017, Zimbabwe has reportedly lost over 25 serving and retired generals, some of whom were involved in the ousting of former President Robert Mugabe.
Many senior military figures, including Rugeje, played key roles in securing Mugabe’s power, particularly during the violent campaign before the 2008 presidential runoff.
Rugeje retired from the military in 2017 with the rank of lieutenant general and became ZANU PF’s political commissar, a position he held until 2019. He now serves as the party’s Secretary for Economic Affairs in the Politburo.
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