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Nqobile Tshili Chronicle Reporter
FORMER freedom fighter and retired Zimbabwe National Army  senior officer Retired Colonel Richard Dube has died. He was 70. Rtd Col Dube who was popularly known by his pseudo name Gedi died on Friday in South Africa where he had gone for a visit. His brother and family spokesperson Mr Wilson Moyo said the death of Rtd Col Dube was a loss and described him as a family man who was easy to interact with.

The director of Mafela Trust, Cde Zaphaniah Nkomo, who worked closely with Rtd Col Dube described him as a reliable cadre who executed his duties with full commitment.

Rtd Col Dube was born on 8 August 1943 in Lushumbe area in Kezi District.
He attended several primary schools before proceeding to Matopo High School where he completed his GCE-Ordinary level.
In 1962 while he was still at school he joined the Zapu youth wing.

After school in 1967 he worked as a teacher at Wanezi High School and in 1968 he moved to Silobini School.
In the same year Rtd Col Dube decided to join other cadres in fighting the repressive Ian Smith regime and left for Zambia via Botswana.

In Zambia he was sent for military training in Tanzania where he trained with the likes of the late National Hero Retired Major-General Jevan Maseko, Retired Brigadier-Gneral Abel Mazinyane. Among their instructors were Brigadier Ambrose Mutinhiri and the late Alfred Nikita Mangena.

After his military training in Tanzania Rtd Col Dube was sent to the USSR to specialise in military engineering at Simferopol Military Academy in the Republic of Ukraine.

He returned to Zambia in 1973 and upon his arrival he was appointed commander of the Chakwenga Base.  In the same year he was sent to Tanzania and was appointed instructor at Morogoro under the command of Sam Fakazi.

In 1976 Rtd Col Dube returned to Zambia and was deployed at CCT which was at the basin of Mwembeshi River.
The increase in the need for military training saw Rtd Col Dube and others opening another training camp at CGT, which was put under the command of Zimbabwe National Army commander Lieutenant-General Philip Valerio  Sibanda, who was known as Ananias Gezi.

After that Rtd Col worked under different capacities and was injured in the leg after the attack to Zipra headquarters at Kasupi, west of Lusaka.

He was later deployed to the northern front covering   Nkayi, Lupane and Hwange areas where he operated and from 1978 he had taken charge of NF1 and NF2 operational zones.

At the attainment of the ceasefire he commanded the Mike Assembly Point in St Paul’s in Lupane.
It was at this camp where he was attacked by a grenade by some rebellious guerilla elements. In I980 he was deployed at HQ1 Brigade as a senior liaison officer and worked with the late Brigadier Mike Reynolds to enforce the ceasefire under the British Commonwealth Monitoring Force.

He actively participated in the integration exercise and was attested as a Lieutenant Colonel into the Zimbabwe National Army and was later commissioned a full colonel.

He served in various capacities in the ZNA until his retirement on 30 April 1990.
He received outstanding Liberation Medal, Independence Medal and 10-year service medal.

He also became a member of the National Land Task Force and was at the time of his death a member of the National Land Inspectorate.
In 2006 Retired Col Dube was appointed into the war veterans’ board headed by the late Rtd General Solomon Mujuru.

He is survived by his wife, five children and five grand children.
Mourners are gathered at his residence Number 102 Edenfield Road in Matsheumhlope.