Solomon Mujuru made Robert Mugabe what he is today

When Herbert Chitepo was assassinated in March 1975, Zanu went into disarray. Most of the commanders among them Josiah Tongogara were arrested in Zambia.
The war at the front came to a standstill. Robert Mugabe, Enos Nkala, Edgar Tekere and Maurice Nyagumbo were in detention. Ndabaningi Sithole renounced the armed struggle.

At that same time, Mozambique had just become independent. Samora Machel had offered Zapu to open bases in his country. 

Rex Nhongo (Solomon Mujuru) who was a Zipla commander at the time was tasked with the opening up of bases in Mozambique. 

Zipla was also very active in the northern border – that is Dande, Guruve, Kariba and Muzarabani. With Zanu in disarray and torn apart by leadership squabbles, had Zapu managed to operate from Mozambique, Zanu would have become just another party.

At the same time, Bishop Abel Muzorewa had been brought as a bridge by Zanu to recruit youth who wanted to join the war and help them cross the borders. Muzorewa's ANC was in charge of the internal process. 

In his paper delivered at the University of Zimbabwe in 1992, Dumiso Dabengwa says Rex Nhongo left Zapu to join Zanu while opening up bases in Mozambique. Because of Nhongo's action, Zapu lost the bases to Zanu. But Samora Machel still believed that the bases were being set up by Zapu because he had agreed with the party's leadership.

With the eastern front securely in the hands of Zanu (stolen from Zapu and delivered to Zanu by Rex Nhongo if you like), Zanla cadres relocated to Mozambique including Tongogara and all those with whom he had been arrested.

Back in Zimbabwe, Mugabe, Tekere, Nyagumbo and Nkala were released from detention. The detainees had already forced Mugabe to take over as the leader of the party. They also tasked him together with Tekere to skip the country and go to Mozambique to lead the struggle.

Mugabe refused to accept the position arguing that it was against the party constitution. But the others argued that with Chitepo dead and Sithole against the armed struggle, Mugabe as the secretary was the most senior. So Mugabe and Tekere skipped the country with the help of the late Chief Rekayi Tangwena. 

Nyagumbo – true to his autobiography titled With the People – stayed home. 

Once in Mozambique, according to Tekere, Mugabe still believed that Muzorewa and his ANC were still part of the armed struggle deal. Tekere said Mugabe insisted that they should tell the people that they were in Mozambique at the behest of the ANC.

Since Samora Machel knew Zapu cadres, he was surprised to be introduced to Mugabe and Tekere. Suspicious, Machel sent the two to the coastal town of Quelimane.

The late freedom fighter, Wilfred Mhanda said in 1976, Rex Nhongo supported Robert Mugabe against the majority of the comrades over the Zimbabwe People's Army (Zipa) that had both Zipla and Zanla cadres.

Zipa was formed when Zanla commanders were in custody after the assassination of Chitepo. Zipa had the blessings of Julius Nyerere who was the chairman of the Frontline States.

But Mugabe did not want Zipa to continue and he ordered Mhanda to disband it. In his autobiography - Memories of a Freedom Fighter – Mhanda who was known as Dzinashe Machingura said Mugabe summoned him and other young military leaders at the Lusaka summit held in October 1976 and delivered a simple message: disband Zipa.

Mhanda said he responded by saying the decision on the matter could only be made by former Tanzanian president Julius Nyerere as chairman of the Frontline States.
“Mugabe was not in the least amused by my intervention, one could see his body language.” Mhanda said, adding Rex Nhongo hardly said a word and sat motionless throughout the meeting, Mhanda said.
“It was clear he (Rex Nhongo) was having consultations with Mugabe behind our backs,” wrote Mhanda.
Even when the went to consult Nyerere over Zipa, Mhanda said Mujuru did not accompany them.
“Mugabe now saw me as the chief obstacle to the imposition of Zanu PF’s leadership on Zipa’s military committee”, he wrote, adding that it was clear to the other Zipa leaders that the late Mujuru had entered a secret alliance with Mugabe while at the same time appearing to be supporting the cause of his military colleagues.
Mhanda also said:

• Zipa insisted Mugabe was still secretary general of Zanu and a new president would be elected at a congress after liberation.
  
• Zipa also opposed Mugabe’s unilateral decision to form a Zanu PF central committee packed with handpicked members, in violation of the party’s constitution.
  
• Zipa also saw unity with Zapu as central to thwarting imperialist machinations. Mugabe was vehemently opposed to unity with Zapu.
  

But Mugabe with Rex Nhongo's support resisted Zipa. Mhanda and all other commanders were then arrested and detained in January 1977 by Mugabe.
Mhanda said: Mujuru was “complicit in the treacherous scheme” to arrest the Zipa commanders, as he left early for camps to pacify the fighters ahead of the arrests.