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Retired Colonel Tshinga Dube and prominent figure in Zimbabwe’s liberation history passed away yesterday, he was 83.
His son Vusa Dube confirmed the news, revealing that his father succumbed to kidney failure at Mater Dei Hospital in Bulawayo,despite a long illness spanning over a decade, the family’s grief was palpable as they described his passing as a shock.
“I can confirm that my father Colonel (Retired) Tshinga Dube passed on today at 7:34 PM following kidney failure. Of course, he has been unwell for the past 10 years, but his death came as a shock to us as a family, as a family, we are saddened by his death, and we have lost a pillar of strength”,he said.
He was born on July 3 1941, in Fort Usher, Matobo District, Matabeleland South, Dube became politically active at a young age, joining the liberation movement in the 1960s. In 1972, he trained as a guerrilla fighter in the Soviet Union and China, emerging as a prominent leader in the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (Zipra) during the struggle for independence.
His contributions to military communications and arms procurement were pivotal during the liberation struggle. Dube rose through the ranks, becoming a key figure in Zipra’s arms procurement department, ensuring that freedom fighters received the necessary weaponry to combat colonial forces.
A military communications specialist, Dube collaborated closely with notable figures such as Cain Mathema, Joshua Mpofu, and Bhekuzulu Khumalo, leading the department alongside comrades from ANC’s Umkhonto WeSizwe, including Walter Mavuso and Jackie Modise.
Dube also enjoyed a political career, serving as the Member of Parliament for Makokoba in Bulawayo for several years. In 2015, he was appointed Minister of War Veterans, advocating for the rights and welfare of former combatants.
(Rtd) Tshinga Dube is survived by his wife, Nomathemba Wendy Dube, along with several children and grandchildren. Mourners are gathering at the family home located at Number 168 Shirley Road, Killarney suburb in Bulawayo, as the nation remembers a man whose contributions were instrumental in shaping the country’s history.
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