LIVE: National hero Cde Chaunoita burial – Nation bids farewell to a true patriot

President Mnangagwa presides over the burial of the late National Hero Cde Ezekiel Tobias Musiiwa Chaunoita at the National Heroes Acre. He passed away on 4 May 2024 at his home in Harare after a long illness. He was 65. Follow and share your thoughts in the comments section below.

10: 00 – Vice Presidents Dr Constantino Chiwenga and Cde Kembo Mohadi have arrived at the National Heroes Acre.

10:05 – President Mnangagwa has arrived at the National Heroes Acre for the burial of national hero Cde Ezekiel Tobias Musiiwa Chaunoita

10:13 – Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Kazembe Kazembe is now leading the proceedings.

10:23 – President Mnangagwa is now addressing mourners. He begins with salutations.

10:29 – President Mnangagwa says we are laying to rest another dedicated cadre barely a fortnight after laying to rest three other heroes at the National Heroes Acre.

10:30 – He expresses deepest and heartfelt condolences to the Chaunoita family.

10.36 – President Mnangagwa is now chronicling Cde Chaunoita’s history from his early life, his role in the liberation struggle and his post-independence political life.

10:39 – “In December 1979, Cde Chaunoita escorted the late General Magama Tongogara from Maputo to Chimoio where the latter was supervising ceasefire duties assigned to his troops. Sadly, on their way back, Cde Chaunoita together with Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri survived a horrific car accident that claimed the life of General Tongogara,” says the President.

10 : 41 – After independence, Cde Chaunoita returned to Zimbabwe as a member of the General Staff and ADC to the late Vice President Muzenda. He was in charge of liaison duties between the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU PF) and the President’s Department. On 21 November 1981, Cde Chaunoita was attested into the President’s Department as a Senior Security Officer (SSO) in the Internal Branch. On completion of his initial training at Robert Gabriel Mugabe School of Intelligence (RGMSI), he was deployed to the
Central Intelligence Office (CIO) Headquarters. In December 1981, Cde
Chaunoita was sent to Romania for seven months where he trained in the field of clandestine investigation. He exhibited a high sense of responsibility and always led by example. He had a great passion for his work and was a true leader and team player. These attributes saw him being appointed
Officer – In – Charge at the then Harare International Airport Station in 1982.

10:42 – Cde Chaunoita’s maturity, experience and exemplary behavior had a huge impact in the organisation and this saw him being further elevated to the rank of Intelligence Officer (IO) in July 1983. His continued patriotism and dedication to duty saw him being promoted from the Internal Branch to Security Branch where he was appointed Deputy Director Security on 1 July 1984. As a Deputy Director Security, he had an oversight role of ensuring that all divisions worked efficiently and in harmony.

10:45 – “In recognition of his diligent service to the nation, Cde Chaunoita was promoted to the rank of Director Security on 1 October 2000. In all these assignments, he continued to exhibit an exceptional flair for intelligence and security operations, which saw him being redeployed to the Director General Office as Director on 1 July 2002. This is the post he held at the time of his retirement on 30 June 2020,” says President Mnangagwa.

10:48 – President Mnangagwa has urged all Zimbabweans to preserve our hard-won independence and calls everyone to work hard in building the country “Brick by brick, Stone upon stone”.

10:52 -He says youths as vanguards of the country should emulate the late Cde Chaunoita and protect the country from its erstwhile enemies and economic saboteurs. He says the late was a hardworking and honest individual.

10: 54 – He concludes his address by paying tribute to the late sons and daughters of the soil buried at the National Shrine.