Chingunji was murdered in Angola in 1991[6] under circumstances still not fully understood. Some blamed his murder on UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi, who purportedly viewed Chingunji as a political threat. Fred Bridgland, Savimbi's biographer and longtime supporter, claimed that between 60 and 70 of Chingunji's relatives were killed following his own execution, including his own children who were swung against trees.[7] Savimbi, however, suggested Chingunji's killing was more likely the work of UNITA dissidents or the Central Intelligence Agency, which, Savimbi argued, had supported Chingunji in an effort to overthrow him.[8]