Online Reporter
Lovemore Kadzura
Post Reporter
THE late Brigadier-General (Retired) Albert Jack Nyamuronda has been remembered as a patriotic and selfless Zimbabwean, who dedicated his life to the liberation of the country, and continued serving the nation with distinction in the Zimbabwe National Army after independence.
Tributes to the national hero highlighted his unwavering commitment to the country, describing his life as one defined by sacrifice, discipline, loyalty and service.
Having participated in the liberation struggle, the late Brigadier-General (Rtd) carried the same commitment into independent Zimbabwe, where he served in the national army, and rose through the military ranks through professionalism and dedication to duty.
Brigadier-General Nyamuronda, whose nom de guerre was Cde Jekanyika Gwengwe was born on January 15, 1957, in Nyamuronda Village, Chikore Communal Area of Makoni District, to Mr Jeke Nyamuronda and Ms Cecilia Guri. He was the fourth child in a family of five, Gladys, Lazarus, Isaac and Ottilia.
He attended Nyamuronda Primary School, and in 1975, he proceeded to St Mary’s Magdalene in Nyanga for his secondary education.
As the liberation struggle gathered momentum and nationalist politics spread to schools across the country, the 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, his commanders recommended him for further training in Signals Communication at Nachingwea, Tanzania.
There he trained alongside Major-General TE Moyo and Brigadier-General (Rtd) 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 following the implementation of the ceasefire.
Speaking during a provincial send-off ceremony held at his homestead last Sunday, Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Advocate Misheck Mugadza, who was represented by the Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Mr Abbiot Maronge, he said Brigadier-General (Rtd) Nyamuronda was a true son of the soil who was dedicated to the service, defence and sovereignty of his beloved motherland.
He said the province was deeply humbled by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s decision to bestow national hero status on Brigadier-General (Rtd) Nyamuronda, which he said it was a befitting honour on a patriot who at a tender age left school to put his life on the line to fight for the liberation of the black majority.
“On behalf of the people of Manicaland Province, I wish to extend our profound and heartfelt gratitude to His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, for conferring upon our departed hero the well-deserved status of national hero. This honour is a fitting recognition of a life spent in the trenches of the struggle and in the barracks of service, a life given wholly to the defence of our motherland. As a province, we are profoundly grateful for this conferment. It affirms, once more, that Zimbabwe does not forget those who laboured, fought and sacrificed for her freedom. It affirms that heroism, wherever it is found in the villages of Makoni, under the chieftainship of Chikore, or in the highest ranks of our national army will always be recognised and honored by this Government and this nation.
“Brigadier-General (Rtd) Nyamuronda was born in Makoni North District, here in Manicaland Province, under the jurisdiction of Chief Chikore. It was on this very soil that the seeds of patriotism, discipline and love of country were first planted in him, values that would come to define his life’s journey. He rose through the ranks of the Zimbabwe National Army to the distinguished rank of Brigadier-General, dedicating his life to the liberation struggle and the defence of Zimbabwe’s hard-won independence and sovereignty. Zimbabwe has lost a gallant soldier, a disciplined officer, and a patriot whose contribution to the defence of this nation will forever be etched in the records of our history.
“The life of Brigadier-General Nyamuronda must be understood against the broader history of our nation. He belonged to a generation whose lives were shaped by the struggle for Zimbabwe’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. His subsequent service in the Zimbabwe National Army represented the continuation of that patriotic duty, from the liberation of the country to the demanding responsibility of defending the gains of independence.
“Brigadier-General (Rtd) Nyamuronda’s life teaches us that true patriotism is not measured by proclamation, but by the quiet, consistent discharge of duty to one’s country. He served Zimbabwe with distinction, upholding the values of discipline, loyalty and sacrifice that our liberation struggle was built upon. He was a soldier of the people, a defender of our sovereignty, and a custodian of the ideals for which so many gave their lives. Manicaland Province stands tall today, knowing that one of its own has been elevated to rest among the greats of our nation at the National Heroes’ Acre,” he said.
He added that the life of Brigadier-General (Rtd) Nyamuronda is worth emulating, and called upon the community to carry forward the good deeds that were left by the departed hero.
He said the younger generation has a lot to learn from the life of Brigadier-General (Rtd) Nyamuronda especially on patriotism, loyalty and honest hard work.
“For the people of Manicaland, his passing is particularly painful because we have lost a son of the soil. He was born here, among the people of Makoni, and rose to occupy a position of responsibility in the defence of the nation. His journey from Makoni North to the senior ranks of the Zimbabwe National Army is a powerful reminder of the opportunities that independence created for Zimbabweans to serve their country with dignity and distinction.
“As we mourn him today, we must therefore, not only remember the uniform he wore, but also the values that the uniform represented patriotism, discipline, loyalty, courage, sacrifice and service to the nation. The late Brigadier-General Nyamuronda served in an institution whose constitutional mandate is to protect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and national interests of Zimbabwe. His service was therefore, not merely a career; it was a national responsibility. He devoted a significant part of his life to the service of Zimbabwe, and the conferment of the national hero status is an enduring national acknowledgement of that contribution.
“To the people of Makoni North, Chief Chikore and Manicaland Province, this is a moment of both mourning and reflection. We have lost a distinguished son, but we must also celebrate a life that contributed to the making and protection of our nation. His journey must inspire the young people of Manicaland to understand that greatness is not measured merely by position or title, but by the impact one makes through service to others and to the nation,” said Minister Mugadza.
Family spokesperson and brother, Mr Issac Nyamuronda, said they lost a pillar of strength and a unifier who advocated for family cohesion and peaceful co-existence among their clan and the community in general.
“Alert was a vital member of our family. He grew up as a straight forward person who had no cases of misconduct at home and in the community. He quietly left to join the liberation war. When he returned from the war, he remained as he was before. He assisted a lot of members who were in need of help
“We are grateful to President Emmerson Mnangagwa for declaring my brother a national hero. It is something that will be cherished by generations to come that the family produced a national hero. Even the whole community is happy that they raised such a high profile person,” said Mr Nyamuronda.
Fellow veteran and retired soldier, Cde Lazarus Zinganga, who left on the same day for Mozambique with Brigadier-General (Rtd) Nyamuronda said the national hero was political conscious, and convinced him to leave school and join the freedom fighters.
He added that Brigadier- General (Rtd) Nyamuronda helped to put the remote Chikore area on the map through his positive contributions.
“We grew up here together in the village. He left for St Mary’s Magdalene for secondary school while I proceeded to Zezani in Bulawayo. We would meet during holidays, and one day in 1975 we approached comrades who had a base here. We informed them of our desire to join the war.
“We left as a group of 17 recruits and proceeded to Mozambique. We went to Tembwe Base and received our first training. Together with Brigadier-General (Rtd) Nyamuronda we were later seconded to Tanzania for further military training. He went to Nachingwea and I went to Moshi. Nyamuronda was in the officer cadet group and I later reunited with him at Nachingwea.
“We were deployed in different sectors, but we would meet regularly during operations. At independence, we were both attached to the national army. We trained again together during the integration process. Nyamuronda was seconded to the signals department and rose through the ranks. We maintained cordial relations until his untimely death. We are grateful that he was declared a national hero. I think he is the first person from this area to be accorded such a status. He remained in touch with his community,” he said.
