adminMidlands Bureau Chief
THE late Brigadier-General John Zingoni, who died on Friday at Thornhill Airbase Hospital in Gweru, has been declared a national hero.
He was 59.Brig-Gen Zingoni, whose Chimurenga name was Broker Chiwawa, will be buried today at the National Heroes’ Acre in Harare.
Zanu-PF Secretary for Administration Cde Didymus Mutasa said Brig-Gen Zingoni’s hero status was “automatic”.
He told Chronicle: “It was not necessary to deliberate on his hero status because his contribution in the liberation struggle and in independent Zimbabwe was so immense. His record and history were known to everyone.”
Cde Mutasa said after the burial of national hero Zingoni, the country’s top leadership will proceed to Warren Hills Cemetery for the burial of Shungu, son to Defence Minister, Dr Sydney Sekeramayi.
Shungu, 28, was killed in a road traffic accident near Karoi along the Harare-Chirundu Highway on Sunday. He is survived by wife, Pamela.
Meanwhile, Cde Mutasa announced the cancellation of the politburo meeting which was scheduled for today “in honour of our departed comrades.”
Zanu-PF chairperson in the Midlands, Cde Jason Machaya, said the death of Brig-Gen Zingoni was a blow to the province, his family and country.
“As a province, we’re at a loss following the death of Brig-Gen Zingoni. He remained loyal to his country throughout his life, from the liberation war to independent Zimbabwe. This is further evidenced by that he was still in the army more than 30 years after attaining independence until his untimely death.”
Meanwhile, a funeral parade for the late Brig-Gen Zingoni was held at the Zimbabwe Military Academy yesterday.
Zimbabwe National Army Commander Lieutenant-General Philip Valerio Sibanda led the funeral parade before addressing mourners and officers at the Parade Square.
“As we pay our last respects to our departed comrade, we must always remember the sacrifices that he and others like him made towards the liberation of our country and later, the defence of our country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence. We, who remain must without fail, defend the values which these great sons and daughters of our country stood for. We must not fail them,” he said.
The late Brig-Gen Zingoni was born in Chief Mapanzure’s area in Masvingo Province on August 27, 1954.
He did his primary education at Musingarabwi Primary School and later did his secondary education at Chikato Secondary School up to ZJC between 1969 and 1970.
He then left school due to financial constraints and later did his Ordinary and Advanced levels through correspondence after independence.
After leaving school he moved to Bulawayo in the early 1970s where he was initiated into the youth politics of the country at that time, when he took part in a demonstration against the Pierce Commission. He was residing with his uncle.
In 1975, he secured employment with the Ministry of Health as a general hand and eventually became a health orderly clerk at Masvingo Provincial Medical Health Office.
It was during that period that he witnessed the oppression and brutality of the Rhodesian Regime. As the war of liberation gathered momentum, Brig-Gen Zingoni took advantage of his deployment to Chiredzi District as part of a disease control team to combat an outbreak of cholera in the district, to cross the border into Mozambique to join the liberation struggle.
He went for a military training course at Chimoio in 1976 under the leadership of Comrade “Chocha”, now Police Commissioner-General Cde Augustine Chihuri.
On completion of training, the late Brig-Gen was chosen to go to a Multinational Medical Institute in Tanzania for a six months medical training programme. On his return from Tanzania, he was deployed at Tembwe Training Camp in Tete Province, before his deployment in Chaminuka Sector as a Section Medical Officer.
He was later appointed platoon medical officer before becoming a detachment medical officer of the Nyahuni Detachment. As a result of his dedication, loyalty and diligence, the late General Officer was elevated to the General Staff of Zanla in 1979, and was appointed sectorial medical officer of Takawira Sector.
On attainment of Independence, Brig-Gen Zingoni was sent to the Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK) to do an Infantry Commanders Course which he completed in 1981.
He was attested into the Zimbabwe National Army on October 1, 1981, and rose to the position of Brigadier General on July 26, 2000.
In 2010, he was posted to the Zimbabwe Defence Forces Headquarters as Senior Personal Staff Officer to the Commander Defence Forces until 2012 before being posted to the Adjutant General’s Pool.
He is survived by wife, Wadzanai, and three children — daughter Fungai and sons, Chido and Tapiwa.
derick.khumalo