Online Reporter
Brigadier-General (Rtd) Brave Matavire
THE late Brigadier-General Mpandasekwa Mzheri known by his pseudonym Khetani Khanye and popularly referred to as “KK”, was born in 1950 in Mberengwa District, Midlands Province, which also happens to be my home area.
He was raised under the strict cultural values and practices of the vaRemba tribe. For his early education, he attended Rengwe Primary School and later Mnene Boarding School for both lower and upper primary education.
He completed his secondary education up to Form Four at Chegato High School. Afterward, he briefly enrolled at the then Essexale (now Esigodini) Agricultural College in Matabeleland South Province, pursuing a diploma in agriculture before moving to Kwekwe, where he worked as a trainee plant operator at Sable Chemical Industries.
However, due to the brutal racial discrimination prevalent in the country at the time, he left his job in 1974 to join the liberation struggle.
We travelled together from Kwekwe to Francistown, carefully avoiding the numerous Rhodesian security force roadblocks along the way. After a brief stay in Francistown, we were airlifted, along with other recruits to Lusaka, Zambia, where we commenced our military training.
By 1975, the number of recruits had grown to over 800, and our group became popularly known within ZPRA as the Group of 800. Due to his diligence and leadership qualities, the instructors appointed KK as the trainee commander of the group.
Later, we were moved to Mboroma, where efforts were made to integrate ZPRA and Zanla cadres. However, the integration efforts quickly fell apart following clashes between the Zanla cadres and the Zambian Army personnel administering the camp. The Zanla cadres accused them of favouring ZPRA.
As a result, the cadres were moved to Tanzania to continue training. Half of the ZPRA recruits were sent to Mgagao (a Zanla camp), while half of the Zanla recruits were sent to Morogoro, the ZPRA training camp. Unfortunately, this arrangement also collapsed. Skirmishes erupted at Mgagao, leading to the deaths of some ZPRA cadres, which we were part of. When news of the killings reached Morogoro, the ZPRA cadres there retaliated, resulting in further violence and the deaths of some Zanla cadres.
This marked the total breakdown of the integration initiative. Our group, still about 800 strong, continued its training at Morogoro under ZPRA. KK retained his role as the recruit commander.
Upon completion of our training, KK was selected for further military training in the Soviet Union. After returning, he was deployed at Zimbabwe House in Lusaka, which served as the Zapu headquarters. His responsibilities included co-ordinating activities and relaying instructions between Zapu and ZPRA, with financial administration also part of his duties. He was part of the administrative support team during the Lancaster House talks.
Following the ceasefire announcement, KK remained in Lusaka to safeguard Zapu and ZPRA equipment. After independence, he was integrated into the Zimbabwe National Army with the rank of Colonel and was formally commissioned as a substantive Colonel in March 1981.
He was subsequently appointed Commander of Inkomo Garrison. Thanks to his versatility and deep understanding of military operations, Brig-Gen Mzheri went on to serve in several key roles within the Zimbabwe National Army. These included:
Commander, Harare District
Deputy Commander, 3 Infantry Brigade
Commander, 3 Infantry Brigade
Commander, 1 Infantry Brigade
Brigadier-General, Careers and Appointments
Despite his high rank, the late Brig-Gen Mzheri was a humble man who never flaunted his position. He always took time to listen to the concerns of others, regardless of their rank or status.
After his retirement, KK whom we had always maintained our friendship ventured into private business, where he achieved notable success.
He is survived by four children. He was a widower at the time of his passing.
