adminON this day, 14 years ago, the nation was robbed of yet another illustrious son of the soil, Cde Standrek Chitekedza who died at the Metropolitan Clinic in Harare after a short illness. He was 50.
The Brigadier-General was first buried at the Harare Provincial Heroes Acre on August 17 2001 and his body was exhumed and reburied at the National Heroes Acre on September 4 2004.
Born of peasant farmers on June 6 1951 in Mount Darwin, Standrek was the second born in a family of five boys and one girl. He attended primary education at Matatsva School from 1959 and later moved to St Albert’s Mission where he got educated up to standard six.
As he grew up, he looked for employment in the capital city of Harare and in 1968 to 1972 he worked as a moulder at FIBRO Plastics. It was during this time when he was at FIBRO Plastics that the young Standrek became conscious of the injustices that white settlers perpetrated against the black population.
He developed the attitude of fighting for his country and this led him to leave the country. He then crossed the crocodile-infested and mighty Zambezi River in May 1973 to join the liberation struggle in Zambia.
That same year he underwent training at Chakwenga Training Camp in Zambia. As soon as he completed his basic military training, Standrek was deployed in Tete Province (North Eastern Front) where he served as a Zanla Section Commander.
From October 1974 to March 1975, he went for advanced training at Mgagao Training Camp in Iringa District of Tanzania.
Brig-Gen Chitekedza was fortunate to be trained by renowned cadres who included Lt Gen Constantine Chiwenga, Air Marshal Perrance Shiri and Major General Amoth Chingombe.
To complement his efforts Brig-Gen Chitekedza was assigned to specialise in Anti-Air Craft Weaponry at Mgagao Training Centre. In mid 1975 he was appointed Instructor at the same camp.
Later that year, Brig-Gen Chitekedza was absorbed as member of the Zanla general Staff and he became the Camp Security Officer.
In 1976, Brig-Gen Chitekedza was reassigned to serve as the Chief Instructor at Tembwe Zanla Training Camp in Mozambique.
Applying his developed military skills, the late Brigadier General successfully commanded some daring attacks on the Rhodesian Security Forces at Mudzi and Mutoko Camps in March 1977 and later that same year, respectively.
Brig-Gen Chitekedza spearheaded re-opening of the Percy Ntini Operational Sector in the Tete Province in 1977. In 1978, he accompanied six combatants who attacked the fuel tanks in Salisbury, a historical bombardment which sent shivers down the spine of the then Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith.
The attack on the Salisbury Fuel Depot marked the turning point of the liberation struggle in Zimbabwe which had intensified and entered the towns which were once regarded as security zones.
The incident severely dented the Rhodesian economy and psychologically affected the settler community.
Still in 1978, some of the military accomplishments by Brig-Gen Chitekedza included the opening of the operational provincial base in the Takawira Sector. He was appointed Provincial Field Operational Commander of the Tete Province in 1979, taking over from Air Marshal Shiri.
He served as the Provincial Field Commander until the declaration of cease-fire and thereafter he was reassigned to command the Zanla forces at Dendera Assembly Point.
After the attainment of Independence in 1980, the process of integrating the armed forces led to the formation of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and Brig-Gen Chitekedza joined the Air Force of Zimbabwe as a Squadron Leader.
To enhance his abilities as a leader, he was sent to attend the 1980 Anti-Air Defence Commander’s Course in Scotland.
He was Later transferred from the Air Force of Zimbabwe to the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) in March 1981 where he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Brig-Gen Chitekedza was deployed in the Eastern Front on Operation Sovereign Legitimacy in the Democratic Republic of Congo, on February 1 1999. He commanded all troops deployed on the Kabongo-Kabalo axis, where some of the fiercest battles were fought.
The brave soldier planned and executed operations along his axis expertly to the marvel of both OSL Commander and other Sadc Allied colleagues. In recognition of this achievement, he was duly rewarded and promoted to the rank of Brigadier General and appointed Commander 2 Brigade.
During his service with the ZNA, Brig-Gen Chitekedza proved his dedication towards the development of his leadership skills as he attended a variety of military courses which included the 1981 Command and Staff Course which was held in Tanzania, the Senior Officers All Arms Signals Course in Bulawayo, the 1987 Junior Staff Course at the Zimbabwe Staff College and the Company Commanders’ Course which was conducted at the Zimbabwe Military Academy in Gweru.
In pursuance of his studies, he also obtained a qualification in Human Resources Management with the Institute of Personnel Management of Zimbabwe (IPMZ).
Source: A guide to the National Heroes Acre
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