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Colonel Alphios Makotore
Director Army Public Relations
The Zimbabwe National Army is deeply saddened to announce the death of one of the country’s illustrious sons and decorated general, Major General Clever Shadreck Chiramba (Retired) who passed on at Parirenyatwa Hospital on 27 June 2021.
He was 66.
The late Major General Chiramba, whose Chimurenga name was ‘Simangaliso Gumede’, was born on February 2, 1955 in Chivi District. He did primary education at Jenya Primary School in Chivi from 1961 to 1968 before proceeding for secondary education at Temeraire Secondary School in Mashava from 1970 to 1971.
He could not complete his secondary education at Temeraire as his parents could not afford to pay school fees due to the racially discriminative system that marginalised the black majority.
Having dropped out of school, the late general was forced to seek employment in Gweru at a tender age. While working as a general hand, he enrolled with the Central African Correspondence College to continue with his education as a part time student during period 1973 to June 1974.
It was during that time that he came face to face with the racial brutality from the white colonial regime which manifested itself through inhuman treatment at work places and squalid living conditions in the then so called African Townships.
Spurred by the need to end colonial subjugation, Major General Chiramba, among other young black cadres, joined the liberation struggle in June 1974 when he crossed the border into Botswana through Plumtree. Some of the comrades that the late general was among when they crossed into Botswana included Paul Hamadziripi and Steven Nyamande.
Their group was subsequently conveyed to Zambia and later to Tanzania where they commenced military training at Morogoro Training Camp. It was at Morogoro that he met and trained together with the current Commander Defence Forces, General Philip Valerio Sibanda until November 1974. After distinguishing himself during the initial training, Major General Chiramba was among the few selected to undergo cadet light artillery weapons training in Ukraine, between November 1974 and October 1975, during the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics era. Upon completion of training in Ukraine, the late Major General returned to Morogoro Camp where he was later deployed to the front.
He operated in Mt Darwin under the Nyombwe Detachment in the Nehanda Sector, initially as a 60mm mortar operator and later as a logistician up to 1978. He was subsequently promoted to become a member of the ZANLA General Staff, responsible for operational logistics at the rear, a position he held until cease-fire in 1979. Just before independence in 1980, the late general was attested into the Zimbabwe National Army on 16 April 1980 and was commissioned as a colonel.
The late general played an instrumental role in the integration of the former warring parties to form the Zimbabwe National Army. After integration, he was appointed commanding officer Mashonaland Services Corps from 1981 up to December 1983. Later, in 1984, he was appointed commander Bulawayo District until 1985 when he was appointed deputy commander 5 Infantry Brigade.
Major General Chiramba was to remain with 5 Infantry Brigade until January 1988, when he was posted to 3 Infantry Brigade as acting commander.
In December 1988, he was appointed commander Engineer Corps, a post he held until March 1990 when he bounced back to 3 Infantry Brigade as commander. He was later appointed commander 5 Infantry Brigade in 1993 before he was subsequently promoted to the rank of brigadier general in 1994.
He remained with 5 Infantry Brigade until the end of 1996 when he was posted 2 Infantry Brigade as the brigade commander.
The late Major General commanded 2 Infantry Brigade up to 1998. Following the outbreak of war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, he was seconded as deputy managing director Senga Senga Mines in the Central African country, a post he held until 2004 when he retired from the Zimbabwe National Army. In recognition of his illustrious career as a general officer in the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, the late general was promoted to the rank of major general from his last date of service in the organisation.
During his service spanning for more than two decades, he did several military courses, among them, the standardisation course at the Zimbabwe Staff College in 1983, Senior Officers’ Signals Course at the School of Signals in 1984, National Defence Studies Course in India in 1989 and the Command and Staff Course at the Zimbabwe Staff College in 1992.
In recognition of his selfless and exemplary service to the nation, the late general officer was awarded the Liberation Medal, Independence Medal, Ten Years’ Service Medal, Long and Exemplary Service Medal, Mozambique Campaign Medal, Democratic Republic of Congo Campaign Medal and the Grand Officer of the Zimbabwe Order of Merit Award.
At the time of his death, Major General Chiramba was pursuing farming ventures in Karoi as he had been allocated a piece of land during the Land Reform Programme. He had become a successful farmer specialising in soya beans and maize crop production.
Major General Chiramba is survived by wife Beatrice, eight children and fourteen grandchildren.
Online Reporter