Zimbabwe's ex-military chief Solomon Mujuru has died in a fire at his farm, the state security minister has said.

津巴布韦国家安全部长称，前军事统帅所罗门·穆菊茹在其农场的一场大火中丧生。

Solomon Mujuru has always kept a senior role in President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party
Mr Mujuru, 62, was one of Zimbabwe's most senior politicians and married to Vice-President Joice Mujuru.

Analysts¹ say his death is likely to intensify² turmoil³（混乱） in President Robert Mugabe's party over the question of who will succeed the 87-year-old leader.

Under his nom de guerre（假名） , Rex Nhongo, he was the director of Mr Mugabe's forces during the 1970s' war of independence.

State Security Minister Sydney Sekeramayi said Gen Mujuru died in a fire at his farmhouse⁴ in Beatrice, about 80km (50 miles) south of the capital, Harare, in the early hours of Tuesday.

"We came here early in the morning after we were told what had happened. I still thought he might have been badly burnt, it was difficult to reconcile that he actually died - burnt beyond recognition," Mr Sekeramayi told state-run ZBC television.

"Rex Nhongo, Gen Solomon Mujuru, was just a charred⁵ body - one of Zimbabwe's greatest sons," the minister said, struggling to hold back his emotion.

Powerbroker

Pathologists（病理学家） and police are investigating the cause of the fire at the 3,500-acre farm that had been seized from a white farmer in 2001.

A close relative told the BBC the family had no idea what caused the fire which eventually engulfed⁷ the farmhouse.

It began when the general was alone. Guards noticed plumes⁸ of smoke and called the maid, the relative said.

They tried to get into the house but the flames were so fierce they could not enter, they said.

When the fire service arrived the general's body was found close to the front door apparently⁹ overcome by the fumes¹⁰, the relative said.

The BBC's Brian Hungwe in Harare says Gen Mujuru was a senior politburo（政治局） member in the Zanu-PF party and regarded as a moderate.

He was a strategist and rumoured¹¹ power broker⁶ in divisive Zanu-PF succession politics, he says.