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Herald Reporter
The late Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement Minister Air Chief Marshal Perrance Shiri (Retired) was one of the greatest military strategists, who was particular about military discipline which he not only demanded, but demonstrated in the way he conducted himself.
Further, he led by example to inspire officers and members to attain academic qualifications, and was passionate about the welfare and development of officers and members in the Air Force of Zimbabwe.
This was said by Air Force of Zimbabwe Commander, Air Marshal Elson Moyo following the passing on of national hero, Rtd Air Chief Marshal Shiri, who had been assigned the Agriculture portfolio after leaving the military in 2017, and was subsequently promoted to the rank of Air Chief Marshal, which he held until death.
Air Marshal Moyo said the AFZ family was saddened by the death of “our former commander and gallant son of the soil who dedicated his entire life to the service of Zimbabwe”.
Born on November 1, 1955 in Chikomba District, Air Chief Marshal Shiri (Rtd) did his secondary school at Mount St Mary’s in Wedza and in 1973, he left school and joined the liberation struggle.
Air Chief Marshal Shiri (Rtd) did his military training in Zambia and Tanzania where upon completion, he was appointed a member of the General Staff and assigned duties of an instructor at Mgagau in Tanzania in 1975. Later in 1976, he was appointed director of training at Mgagau and in 1977, he was appointed provincial field commander of the Tete Province and member of the zanla High Command.
In 1979, Air Chief Marshal Shiri (Rtd) was sent to Romania for a nine-month artillery battery commander’s course and during the ceasefire period in 1979/1980, he was commander of Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Assembly Points before being attested into the Zimbabwe National Army in September 1980.
He was appointed Joint High Command liaison officer and posted to HQ 4 Brigade in Masvingo.
In April 1981, Air Chief Marshal Shiri (Rtd) was posted and appointed Deputy Commander 2 Brigade in Harare before he was posted to 5 Brigade as the founder-commander in September 1981.
In January 1983, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier and in 1984 he completed the intermediate staff course at the Zimbabwe Staff College. In October 1984, Air Chief Marshal Shiri (Rtd) was laterally transferred to the AFZ in the equivalent rank of Air Commodore and appointed director general supporting services. His transfer to the AFZ was necessitated by the realisation by the Government that there were problems in the transformation of the AFZ.
“While the political leadership made all the efforts to ensure the smooth transformation of the Air Force of Zimbabwe, at the operational level there was much resistance from some officers and members from the former Rhodesian Air Force who wanted to make the Air Force their preserve and the resistance was expressed in covert and overt ways as they sought to scuttle the whole process,” Air Marshal Moyo.
Some of the overt forms of resistance included the mass exodus of skilled personnel and bombing of aircraft at Thornhill Air Force Base.
When the overt forms of resistance failed to kill the momentum to transform the AFZ, some of the serving officers and members resorted to deliberately frustrating the young cadres who were joining by unfairly failing them in the standardisation courses and aptitude test.
Air Chief Marshal Shiri (Rtd) was transferred to the AFZ together with a number of senior officers from the ZNA after Government realised that while the number of skilled personnel was steadily growing, the young cadres lacked command experience.
Said Air Marshal Moyo: “The late Air Chief Marshal (Rtd) Shiri worked tirelessly with the then Commander the late Air Chief Marshal (Rtd) Tungamirai to address the racial imbalance which existed in the AFZ at that time.
“In July 1989, he was promoted to the rank of Air Vice Marshal and appointed Chief of Staff Supporting Services, a position he held until 18 June 1992 when he was promoted to the rank of Air Marshal and subsequently appointed the Commander AFZ.
“For all of us who worked with the late Air Chief Marshal (Rtd) Shiri, we know him as one of the greatest military strategists. Evidence of this is seen in his leadership in military operations such as the Mozambican and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) campaigns.”
Air Chief Marshal Shiri (Rtd) Shiri was the first Contingent Commander in the DRC War and it was under his Command that the ZDF scored the first victories against rebel forces in the battle for Kinshasa.
He is credited for improving the conditions of service of all officers and members in the AFZ, and further inspired officers and members to attain academic education qualifications.
Despite his busy schedule, Air Chief Marshal Shiri (Rtd) read for two Master’s degrees, resulting in many officers and members enrolling with local and international universities to attain higher academic qualifications, allowing the AFZ to boast of being one of the most educated Air Forces in the region and beyond.
Air Chief Marshal Shiri (Rtd) was enthusiastic about sports during his time in the AFZ and supported the development and growth of Gweru-based Chapungu Football Club and other sporting disciplines.
He was also a philanthropist who was passionate about the welfare of the citizens, and founded the Commander AFZ Charity Fund in 2011 to assist the disadvantaged people and communities in Zimbabwe.
The Murongwe community in Dande, an area that Air Chief Marshal Shiri (Rtd) operated in during the liberation struggle, was the first beneficiary.
It now has a clinic and primary and secondary schools built by the Airforce of Zimbabwe.
Air Marshal Moyo said as Air Chief Marshal Shiri (Rtd) journeys on his “last solo flight”, they will always cherish his visionary leadership and loyal and exemplary service.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter