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Tendai Rupapa, Harare Bureau

THE body of National Hero and former Zimbabwe National Army Chief-of-Staff, Major-General Trust Mugoba, who died on Friday, was yesterday airlifted from Commando Regiment to his farm in Featherstone ahead of burial at the National Heroes’ Acre on Wednesday.

Maj-Gen Mugoba had been in Ethiopia where he was serving as Chief-of-Staff in the office of the Commissioner for Peace and Security in Africa. His health deteriorated when he had returned home while on leave.

He was 60.

Cde Mugoba was declared a national hero and Vice President Kembo Mohadi made the announcement at the family home in the capital on Saturday. ZDF Senior Chaplain-General Colonel Joseph Nyakudya said from Featherstone, Cde Mugoba’s body will be taken to his Wiltshire rural home today where his parents were buried.

He said Maj-Gen Chris Mupande accompanied Maj-Gen Mugoba’s body to Featherstone. “The body has today (yesterday) left Commando Regiment destined for Featherstone at his farm,” he said.

“Tomorrow morning (today) at 9AM, they will leave the farm proceeding to their rural home in Wiltshire where Major-General Mugoba’s parents were buried.

“A church service will be held there and also mourners will have their lunch there.”

Col Nyakudya said today after the church service, the body will leave the Wiltshire rural home for One Commando Regiment in Harare, before a military parade is held tomorrow.

 “At 2:15 PM, the body will leave Wiltshire and will be taken back to Commando Regiment mortuary.

“As for Tuesday, the body will leave Commando Funeral Parlour for Para Regiment where we are going to have a military funeral parade at 1400hrs.

“Soon after the parade, the body will lie in state at his Greendale home followed by the burial at the national shrine on Wednesday,” Col Nyakudya said.

In January 2015, Maj-Gen Mugoba was appointed Chief of Staff (General Staff) and it was during this time that he was appointed General Officer commanding a Sadc Special Forces exercise, which was held in Kariba.

In October during the same year, he led Exercise Amani Africa 2, which involved the whole African continent.

In 2017, he was seconded to the African Union headquarters as the Chief-of-Staff Africa Standby Force in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a post he held until the time of his death.

He is survived by his wife, Peggy, and nine children.