admindevelopment in a statement yesterday.
“The President of Zimbabwe and Commander in chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Cde Robert Gabriel Mugabe has conferred liberation war heroine status on the late Air Force of Zimbabwe senior officer Group Captain Tendai Muffet Muchena who died on July 15, 2013 at Manyame Hospital,” he said.
“A military funeral parade will be held at Manyame Air Base on July 18, 2013 at 1400 hours and the body will then lie in state at her home before burial on Friday 19 July 19 at 1000hrs at the Provincial Heroes Acre At Warren Hills Cemetery.”
Born on February 1, 1959 in Mutare, Capt Muchena experienced the brutality of colonial regime at the age of 17 and abandoned school to take up arms in the liberation struggle.
She went to Mozambique and underwent military training at Tembwe before she was deployed to Battaliao Camp in Tete Province as a secretary.
In 1979 she was nominated to attend a secretarial course in Guyana and was charged to be part of a team to establish the Zanla headquarters.
In 1982 she was attested into the Zimbabwe National Army and transferred to AFZ to bring in her experience in administration and chart the way forward for women in the AFZ.
She was the second female officer to be promoted to the rank of group captain in the ZDF in 2005. During her career in the AFZ she held numerous appointments and at the time of her death she was acting director general service personnel.
She is survived by four children.
Mourners are gathered at Number 5, 36 Avenue Mabelreign, Harare.
Online Reporter