By Own Correspondent- Liberation war hero Dr Dumiso Dabengwa (80) died in Kenya on Thursday morning en route to Zimbabwe from India.

Dabengwa died following a battle with a liver related ailment.

The Zapu leader was airlifted to the south Asian country in April, after having received medical attention in South Africa since November 2018.

He had not been seen in public in months due to his failing health. Shortly before being taken to India, the liberation war cadre underwent surgery in South Africa.

Dabengwa served as the head of Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) intelligence during the Rhodesian Bush War.

From 1992 to 2000 he served in the government as Minister of Home Affairs, and in 1991 he was appointed to the chair of the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project.

During the Rhodesian Bush War the white minority nicknamed him the “Black Russian” because he trained in Moscow, Russia.

In 1982 Dabengwa was charged, with Lookout Masuku and four others, of treason by the Mugabe administration. They were acquitted due to lack of evidence in 1983. On release they were redetained under emergency regulations. At this time the Gukurahundi began.

Dabengwa was released four years later.

Dabengwa ran as a ZANU-PF candidate for a seat in the House of Assembly from Nkulumane in the 2000 election, but was defeated by Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) candidate Gibson Sibanda. Dabengwa said that the MDC would have won even if its candidate was a donkey.

He was again defeated in the March 2005 parliamentary election. He served as a member of the ZANU-PF Politburo,but he announced his support for the opposition candidacy of Simba Makoni in the March 2008 presidential election at a press conference in Bulawayo on March 1, 2008.

A spokesman for Mugabe said that Dabengwa’s defection to Makoni was unimportant, claiming that Dabengwa did not command any support.

It was reported that Mugabe had offered to appoint Dabengwa as Vice-President following the election as the replacement for Joseph Msika, but that Dabengwa had declined the offer.

Below are eight things you probably didnt know about Dabengwa:

1. He declined to deputise Former President Robert Mugabe as a replacement for the late Joseph Msika
2. He had 4 degrees, 2 of which are honorary
3. During the liberation struggle, Dabengwa was ZIPRA Head of intelligence
4. He left Zanu PF in 2008 to revive ZAPU
5. Last year, Dabengwa, formed the Dumiso Dabengwa Foundation. According to the Foundation website, the Foundation seeks the emancipation and capacitation of people for an independent, well-governed and self-reliant continent with empowered citizens.
6. Last year Dabengwa endorsed Nelson Chamisa in his bid to become President.
7. He was once charged with treason and was imprisoned together with  Lookout Masuku
8. He was the Home Affairs Minister in 1992, a post which he held for eight years