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Joseph Madzimure, Senior Reporter
A funeral parade was held yesterday at Manyame Airbase for Brigadier-General (Retired) Elasto Madzingira who died at his home on August 8 after a short illness.
He was 65.
Speaking at the funeral parade, Commander Air Force of Zimbabwe Air Marshal Jacob John Nzvede said Brig-Gen Madzingira served his nation with distinction.
“Allow me to express my heartfelt condolences to the relatives and friends of the late Brig-Gen (Rtd) Madzingira,” he said.
“The late Brigadier-General (Rtd) Madzingira was born on August 4, 1959 in Gomba Village, Chivi District, in a family of 11 children. He was the sixth child in the family and three of them abandoned their studies to join the liberation struggle.
“This ladies and gentlemen, shows that his family nurtured the spirit of patriotism in the late Brigadier-General and his siblings.”
Air Marshal Nzvede said the Madzingira family supported Brig-Gen Madzingira in getting knowledge that would be useful in the liberation struggle and after the attainment of independence.
While for most people retirement from the ZDF would have marked an end of service to the nation, Brig-Gen Madzingira embraced that as a new chapter to serve his nation in a different capacity, Air Marshal Nzvede said.
“He chose to complement the efforts by the Government to improve the welfare of citizens by embarking on social responsibilities in philanthropic work,” he said.
Family spokesperson and brother, Wing Commander (Rtd) Wilmore Madzingira, described him as an intelligent soldier.
“My brother was very intelligent in his educational career. He was also a family man,” he said.
A close friend, Director General Administration AFZ, Air Commodore Selebale Masere, said Brig-Gen Madzingira was a hardworking man.
Some of the projects he championed include road and dam construction, skills development for youths in agriculture, and fish and pond projects in Chivi District.
The political leadership recognised his unwavering dedication to serve Zimbabwe and he became a member of the Central Committee of the ruling Zanu PF for Chivi in 2023.
Brig-Gen Madzingira, whose Chimurenga name was Ronald Zvenyika, is survived by wife and six children.
He was a liberation stalwart and general officer in the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.
He did his primary education in Chivi at Mukotosi and Jaka schools.
With the colonial education system bottlenecked during that time, Brig-Gen Madzingira demonstrated academic prowess such that he was selected to continue with his secondary education at Fletcher High School from 1972 to 1977.
In recognition of his immense academic talent, he was awarded a Word University Services Scholarship in 1978.
The scholarship gave him access to study at any university of his choice within the Commonwealth countries.
However, he chose to be enrolled for a Pharmacy degree at the then University of Rhodesia, now University of Zimbabwe.
However, a few months into his studies in 1978, Brig-Gen Madzingira decided to abandon his studies to join the liberation struggle in Mozambique.
He joined ZANLA forces in Bikita through the underground network of the late national hero, Dr Simon Mazorodze.
He was in a group of five other university students; two of whom were his brothers.
At that time, he demonstrated political awareness and commitment beyond his age that the guerrilla commanders singled him out to train at the front while the other four were taken directly to Chimoio, Mozambique.
Brig-Gen Madzingira operated for five months under the leadership of Air Marshal (Rtd) Henry Muchena.
He then proceeded to Mozambique where he received military training.
The Brig-Gen later assumed the role of Medical Training Officer where he trained troop medics at the rear.
Some of his trainees were later integrated into the Ministry of Health as State-Registered Nurses and Radiographers at Independence.
He later moved to Inamhinga and during the ceasefire in 1979, he was deployed to ZANLA headquarters in Maputo where he joined the Secretariat.
He returned to Zimbabwe in August 1980 and was later sent to Yugoslavia in November that year where he studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Zagreb.
However, he could not complete his studies due to ill-health and then returned to Zimbabwe in March 1982.
The same year, he resumed his studies at the University of Zimbabwe under the auspices of the Ministry of Manpower Planning. He did his Bachelor of Accountancy Degree at the University of Zimbabwe from 1983 to 1985.
Soon after completing his undergraduate studies, he was attested into the Air Force of Zimbabwe as a Flight Lieutenant on January 4, 1985 and promoted to Squadron Leader on July 1, 1987, Wing Commander on July 17, 1989, Group Captain on January 22, 1992.
With his qualifications and expertise, Brig-Gen Madzingira worked in finance and rose to become the Director Finance before his retirement.
In 1992, he sustained serious injuries while on duty which left him wheelchair-bound, resulting in his retirement on medical grounds.
He was transferred to the ZNA and promoted to the rank of Brig-Gen for retirement purposes.
Brig-Gen Madzingira was decorated with the following honours; Independence Medal, Ten Years’ Service Medal, Mozambique Campaign Medal, Liberation Medal, Long and Exemplary Medal.
He was also an accomplished academic, with qualifications such as a Bachelor of Accountancy Honours degree, Masters in Business Administration and Registered Public Accountant Zimbabwe. He was also an associate member: Corporate Institute of Zimbabwe, among others.
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