Vice President Joice Mujuru walks out of the Harare Magistrates’ Courts where an inquest into the death of her husband Retired General Solomon Mujuru opened yesterday.

AN inquest is a judicial inquiry into the cause of an unexpected death. Before the inquiry is held, police fully investigate the death and compile a docket which they then forward to the courts for the inquiry to be held.

Inquests into the cause of death of several prominent and ordinary people have been held in Zimbabwe.Such inquests include that for the then Minister of Youth Development, Gender and Employment Creation Border Gezi, who died in a road accident in 2001.

The inquest was held before a Gweru provincial magistrate sitting as a coroner.

Cde Gezi - who was also the Zanu-PF national political commissar - died on April 28, 2001, 10km outside Mvuma when his official Mercedes Benz veered off the road and uprooted two trees before stopping.Cde Gezi was declared a national hero and was buried at the National Heroes Acre.

The accident raised rumours and queries, so police and the Vehicle Inspection Department launched full-scale investigations to establish the cause of the accident.

The death was blamed on the negligence of officials of the Central Mechanical Equipment Department who fitted a wrong tyre to his vehicle.

Presenting his findings at the inquest of Cde Gezi and his driver Mr Nicholas Murondatsimba, the coroner ruled that the two died from injuries sustained in the accident.

He also stated that two CMED officials, Lemekani Chatama and Fidelis Muchenje, were negligent in fitting a wrong tyre on the minister's car.The two were convicted of two counts of culpable homicide and jailed for an effective 18 months each.

In passing sentence, the magistrate said the court considered that the two had lost their jobs as a result of the incident.

Another inquest that dominated the media was that of the late businessman Peter Pamire who died after his Mitsubishi Pajero overturned along Addi-ngton Lane, Ballantyne Park, Borrowdale on March 9, 1997.

The inquest opened on July 22, 1997 and at least 20 witnesses testified.This followed speculation by the businessman's family that he had been murdered.

Forensic experts testified that the brake hose of the ill-fated Pajero driven by the late Pamire was sabotaged before the fatal crash.

A provincial magistrate who presided over the inquest, recommended that the Attorney-General opens a full investigation into Pamire's death.

In another inquest, the Zimbabwe Republic Police was blamed for the disaster in which 13 people died and several were injured at a World Cup qualifier between Zimbabwe and South Africa at the National Sports Stadium in July 2000.

Tragedy struck when disgruntled fans threw objects onto the pitch when the visitors took a 2-0 lead with seven minutes of the match remaining. Police responded by firing teargas into the crowd, resulting in a stampede.