General Solomon Mujuru, Zimbabwe's retired military chief and husband of the current vice president, has died at his farm outside Harare.

Initial reports say Mujuru, who was in his mid-to-late 60s, was killed in a house fire.

Mujuru led the guerrilla war that won Zimbabwe its independence from Britain in 1980, and served as military commander under President Robert Mugabe for more than a decade.

He was married to Vice President Joice Mujuru, the leader of a faction of Zimbabwe's ruling party who is vying to succeed the 87-year-old Mugabe once he steps down from office. The other faction is led by Defense Minster Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Mr. Mugabe entered into a power sharing agreement with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in 2008 after disputed elections were held.