Obituary: Tribute to a village boy who became a general

Isdore Guvamombe Assistant Editor

For someone who survived the rough turf of a bloody liberation struggle, dodging bombs and bullets for a decade, I never thought you would go this way. No. Hell no Cde Charles Munyoro!

Going in your sleep?

Many knew you as Brigadier General (Retired) Walter Epmarcus Kanhanga, while many knew you with your war name Charles Munyoro.

I knew you as Sekuru Kanhanga: composed, calm, cool as a cucumber, very calculative, and intelligent.

You never showed off, you were not greedy; all you wanted was for Zimbabwe to prosper.

I was your citrus manager, your driver, author and editor of your biography: The Village Boy Who Became a General.

We would sit under that huge green tree in front of your house at the farm for hours on end, eat and drink, talk, talk, and talk.

At sunset, we would move into the house, and you had a specific position for your work and sit on another position if we were drinking and talking politics.

For the people of Guruve, where you were the former legislator, last year alone, you donated thousands of banana plants, thousands of gum tree seedlings and rolled out an array of development projects for men, women and children, yet, you were no longer their legislator.

You loved them.

Let me not continue being personal, but give the nation who exactly you were.

Brigadier General (RTD) Walter Epmarcus Kanhanga was born in the then Sipolilo Tribal Trust Lands, now Chipuriro in Guruve in 1950 to peasant parents.

In 1968, he was expelled from St Alberts Mission in Centenary for participating in banned student political activism. He was later caned for the offence by the District Commissioner.

In December 1969, after protracted problems with the Rhodesian Special Branch and after being placed under surveillance, he crossed into Mozambique to join the liberation struggle through Chidodo border in what is today Mbire, some 300km north of Harare.

After serious interrogation he was housed by Frelimo fighters at Seguranza Base (Security Base) 20km from the border and where he made his first contact with Zanla cadres Justin Chauke and Sekai Chinamaropa, who were on a mission to scout for safe routes and contacts into Rhodesia.

There, he adopted the new war name Cde Charles Munyoro.

In December 1970, he was taken to Chifombo Base, a huge Frelimo base that also housed many Zanla cadres. It is there that he met with Cdes Rex Nhongo (Solomon Mujuru) and Josiah Tungamirai (Thomas Mberikwazvo).

Between then and end of 1971, he was part of a team that transported weapons to Forward Operational Bases (FOBS) in Rhodesia.

At the end of 1971, Charles Munyoro was part of a group of 60 cadres selected for training in Tanzania. They arrived at Mgagao Camp in Iringa, Tanzania for full military training.

There, he specialised in nursing and did his attachment at Mpwapwa and Kongwe General Hospitals to gain experience. That lasted until end of 1972.

Cde Charles Munyoro was deployed to Rhodesia in February 1973 and operated in Mt Darwin, Rushinga and Shamva. His first battle was at Gwetera in Mt Darwin.

His group operated and accounted for battle at Gwetera, Chesa, Madziva, Karanda, Nyamahobogo, Mupfurudzi, Mukaradzi and many other areas.

In 1974, Cde Charles Munyoro was appointed section commander after his injured commander Cde Chemist Ncube (Noah Mbira) retreated to the rear for treatment.

He commanded his first battle at Nyamahobogo and then there were seven more battles before the Détente.

During the Detente his group retreated to Chifombo where he resumed nursing duties and treated the injured as well as the new recruits and refugees.

After the death of chairman Hebert Chitepo, he accompanied Zanla commander Cde Josiah Magama Tongogara to Tete.

Thereafter, in late 1975 Cde Charles Munyoro took over the management of Bathaliao Camp.

This was the camp for the Armed Defences Forces for Mozambique (FADM) but with a section for Zanla forces, from freedom fighters to refugees and recruits.

In 1978, he took back to the front this time as Commander of Gaza province, that included the operational area of Gonarezhou, Chikombedzi, Chiredzi, Rutenga, Maranda, Mwenezi and Chivi, among others.

This is after Happison Muchechetere had been withdrawn to the rear.

In early 1979, he was withdrawn from the front and posted to Botswana as Zanla representative.

From there he mobilised resources for Cdes in the battle front and weapons. He participated at the Lancaster House talks.

After the Lancaster house agreement Cde Charles Munyoro was part of the lead team to come back home ahead of the homecoming of the leaders.

In 1980, he was attested into the Zimbabwe National Army, where he rose through the ranks to retire as Brigadier General.

Around 2000 he joined Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and deputy director (administration) at the time the organisation was commercialising.

He was later elevated to acting director general before the appointment of Moris Mutsambiwa as substantive 2002 to 2004 retiring to become active in politics and becoming MP for Guruve.

He also served on the Zimpapers board and as Deputy Minister of Tourism and Hospitality.

In 2021, he was appointed Zanu PF Politburo member until the recent reshuffle where he remained a Central Committee member.

The history of the liberation struggle and indeed the history of independent Zimbabwe cannot be told without mentioning his name.

Go well gentle giant.