Zimpapers Logo

Nqobile Tshili Chronicle Reporter
THE late veteran freedom fighter and retired senior army official, Retired Colonel Harold Mtandwa Chirenda, has been declared a National Hero.
He will be buried at the National Heroes Acre in Harare on Thursday.
Rtd Col Chirenda, whose pseudonym during the liberation struggle was Elliot Masengo, died at the United Bulawayo Hospitals aged 69 on Wednesday last week after a long illness.

Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) Commander Lieutenant General Phillip Valerio Sibanda announced Rtd Col Chirenda’s hero status during a military parade for him attended by hundreds of mourners at Imbizo Barracks in Bulawayo yesterday.

Lt Gen Sibanda said Rtd Col Chirenda deserved the honour in recognition of the contributions he made during the liberation struggle and after independence.

“Due to the late Rtd Col Chirenda’s contribution to the liberation of Zimbabwe and his dedication to its defence after independence, the party (Zanu-PF) and government have unanimously granted him the befitting status of national hero,” Lt Gen Sibanda said.
“He will be buried at the National Heroes Acre in Harare on Thursday.”

The Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Bulawayo Cde Eunice Nomthandazo Moyo, who also attended the parade, welcomed the honour bestowed on the late Zipra commando.

“As a province, we’ve been advocating for his status and I’m happy the government has given him a befitting honour,” said Cde Moyo.
She applauded Zanu-PF’s Bulawayo province for the role it played in advocating for Rtd Col Chirenda’s national hero status.

“We sat down as a province and agreed that we’ll ask for the national hero status and I want to express my gratitude for the task done by our chairman Professor Callistus Ndlovu and his team for moving fast to ensure that everything was put in place,” she said.

Cde Moyo refuted claims that the government took too long to award Rtd Col Chirenda the national hero status, saying he died during a holiday, which made it difficult for the party to engage in consultations.

“We had to forward his papers to Harare and on Sunday, Cde Mutasa (Zanu-PF secretary for administration) was already engaging other politburo members countrywide. There was no delay, people should appreciate that he died during a holiday,” she said.

Speaking from Harare, Zanu-PF politburo member Dr Sikhanyiso Ndlovu said Acting President Cde Joice Mujuru will officiate during the burial since President Mugabe was out of the country on his annual leave.

Dr Ndlovu said Rtd Col Chirenda’s credentials were well known and the request for national hero status was but a mere formality.
Zapu leader and former Zipra commander Dr Dumiso Dabengwa, Bulawayo Senator Cde Angeline Masuku and senior army officials attended the parade.

Rtd Col Chirenda was born on August, 1, 1944, in Harare and attended Shingirai Primary School from 1950 to 1956 where he did Standard One to Six before going to Fletcher High School for his secondary education.

He was one of the 90 cadres from the pioneer Zipra cadres who attended basic military training in Algeria from 1964 to 1965.
After training, he was deployed to Tanzania where he worked with other senior Zapu cadres who included Cde Albert Nxele, the late Lookout Masuku and Rtd Brig-Gen Mutinhiri among others.

In 1966, Rtd Col Chirenda, together with the late Zipra commander Cde Nikita Mangena, Tapson Sibanda and Brig Gen Mutinhiri were deployed to Morogoro as instructors under the command of Cde Nxele.

At Morogoro, he trained groups which had people like Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Dr Obert Mpofu, the late Major General Jevan Maseko, the late General Solomon Mujuru and Rtd Brig-Gen Abel Mazinyane.

At independence, Rtd Col Chirenda was attested into the Zimbabwe National Army where he held several positions such as chief instructor at the Zimbabwe Military Academy.

He was also responsible for the integration of Zanla, Zipra and the Rhodesian Security Forces officers.
In 1982 he was appointed head of operations at army headquarters at KG6 Barracks.

Rtd Col Chirenda was the author of the operational order called the “Sledgehammer”, which marked the beginning of the involvement of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces in the Mozambique campaign in 1982.

In 1983, he became the first Zimbabwe Defence Forces Chief delegate to the International Military Sports Council (CISM). Rtd Col Chirenda successfully lobbied for admission of the ZDF into the world military sports body the same year in Lagos, Nigeria.

He was a founder member of Black Rhinos football club in 1983 when the team joined the Zimbabwe Football Association Division One before being promoted to the then super league the following year.

In 1986, Rtd Col Chirenda was appointed commanding officer 43 Infantry Battalion and during his tour of duty with the battalion he took part in operation Chipoko, a joint operation by 43 Battalion, 1 CDO and Para BN which dealt a major blow to Renamo’s fighting capability south of the Beira corridor in the area of Espungabeira.

In 1990, Rtd Col Chirenda was posted to and attached to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Zimbabwe’s advisor to the Republic of Botswana where his areas of responsibility included Angola and Namibia. He served in this capacity until April 1994 when he returned home to assume other responsibilities in the ZNA. He retired from the army in 1995.

During his time in the army Rtd Col Chirenda scooped several medals, which included independence medal, silver liberation medal, 15 years long and exemplary service medal and Mozambique campaign medal.

Rtd Col Chirenda is survived by his wife, nine children and 18 grand children.
Mourners are gathered at 22 Briton Road, Paddonhurst, Bulawayo.