Online Reporter
Wallace Ruzvidzo
Herald Reporter
THEY arrived in large numbers, relatives, friends, comrades, and everyday citizens who may never have met him in person, yet had felt the impact of his sacrifice throughout their lives.
Giving their last salute to a son of the soil who, like many of his contemporaries, sacrificed the comfort of home for the trenches of war, Zimbabweans filled the National Heroes’ Acre to bid a final farewell to national hero Brigadier-General (Rtd) Albert Nyamuronda.
To those closest to him, Brigadier-General Nyamuronda, who died last week at Chitungwiza Central Hospital aged 67, was more than a soldier; he was remembered as a disciplined and principled commander.
Speaking on his passing, Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe paid tribute to the late national hero, describing him as a selfless and dedicated cadre.
“The late Brigadier-General (Retired) Albert Nyamuronda shall be remembered as a loyal, humble and patriotic cadre, who dedicated his life to the country’s independence.
“He joined the liberation struggle at a tender age and continued to serve with distinction, rising through the ranks in post-independence battle,” he said.
The Home Affairs Minister also took time to implore Zimbabweans to cherish forever the sacrifices made by gallant sons and daughters in the mould of Brig-Gen Nyamuronda towards the achievement of freedom and peace in the country.
Brig-Gen Nyamuronda’s nephew and family representative, Mr Henry Nemaire, described the national hero as a consistent and diligent man in both his work life and personal life.
“He was very honest and consistently maintained high standards of integrity and never compromised on the quality or integrity of his work. He helped many of his extended family members by paying their school fees and organising their funerals and weddings. He was involved in organising and leading these programmes,” he said.
Mr Nemaire said that Brig-Gen Nyamuronda was known for instilling values of hard work and perseverance both at work and at home. He added that the late national hero also vehemently spoke against drug and substance abuse.
“He encouraged his children to work hard at school and he led by example in the area of education. He also counselled strongly against substance abuse and, on a lighter note amongst his children, Tichaona is the one that required some extra lessons from his father,” he said.
Brig-Gen Nyamuronda, whose nom de guerre was Cde Jekanyika Gwengwe, was born on 15 January 1957, in Nyamuronda Village, Chikore Communal Area of Makoni District, Manicaland Province, to Jeke Nyamuronda and Cecilia Nyamuronda (née Guri).
He was the fourth child in a family of five: Gladys, Lazarus, Isaac and Otilia.
In 1975, he proceeded to St Mary’s Magadalene for secondary education.
As the liberation struggle gathered momentum and nationalist politics spread to schools across the country, young Albert crossed the border into Mozambique.
Upon arrival, he underwent military training in guerrilla warfare at Tembwe, where he demonstrated exceptional military prowess.
In 1978, commanders recommended him for further training in Signals Communication at Nachingwea, Tanzania.
There he trained alongside Major General TE Moyo and Brig-Gen (Retired) Livingstone Chineka as part of a group famously known as “Sasa Tunamarisa”.
The group was mobilised for deployment and tasked with conducting future operations in urban areas, as directed by commanders.
However, the mission was cut short following the implementation of the ceasefire.
After the ceasefire, the “Sasa Tunamarisa” group marched to Dzapasi Assembly Point, from where he was attested into the Zimbabwe National Army.
In 1980, he joined the Signals Department.
Brigadier-General Nyamuronda had an illustrious military career in the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, which saw him undertake many military courses.
Acting President Dr Kembo Mohadi presided over the burial, with Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga, Cabinet ministers, Service Chiefs and senior ZANU PF members also in attendance.
