March 28 Harare: President Robert Mugabe's Aide De Camp, Winston Changara, 52, who died in Harare Monday after a "sudden" short illness might have been poisoned, relatives allege.

The suspicion comes after Changara was admitted at Parirenyatwa Hospital in the capital last week and had what a police spokesman said was a "sudden" death, without giving the cause of his death.

However, Mugabe, on state television said Changara told him he was having problems with sinusitis and at one time had to go to South Africa for treatment. Relatives said he appeared well until the weekend when it deteriorated.

Their suspicion comes in the wake of the late head of the Police Protection Unit’s re-admission into the Close Security for Mugabe after he had been initially expelled last year.

Changara was removed from Mugabe's security team reportedly after First Lady, Grace, claimed he had made sexual advances towards her, but Changara denied this and claimed that he was framed for knowing the first lady's "sexual escapades” with exiled businessman, James Makamba.

Makamba and Changara were "homeboys" from the same area in Mt Darwin where Vice-President Joyce Mujuru also comes from.

The second-in-charge of Close Security, Moses Chihuri who had taken over while Changara was suspended was also demoted without explanation.

Meanwhile, Police Commissioner, Augustine Chihuri has said Changara deserves a national hero status. He has already written to the Politburo, Zanu (PF)’s highest decision making organ, recommending Changara for Heroes’ status for his role in the war which earned him four medals.

Changara was born in Mt Darwin on July 17, 1954 and joined the liberation struggle in 1970, training at Mgagau in Mozambique.