By Political Reporter-President Emmerson Mnangagwa convened an extraordinary politburo meeting on Wednesday to address the national hero status of Jaison William Chezhira Chakaipa Chirinda, a relatively unknown figure in Zimbabwe’s liberation history.
By emphasising Chirinda’s obscure story, Mnangagwa subtly attempted to authenticate his own contested liberation war credentials while carefully steering the narrative away from the late President Robert Mugabe’s undisputed role in Zimbabwe’s liberation.
Mnangagwa pointedly avoided any mention of Mugabe, choosing instead to highlight Chirinda’s supposed imprisonment with him in the early 1970s, a claim that conveniently casts Mnangagwa as a central figure in the liberation struggle alongside an unfamiliar ally.
Chirinda, who passed away on October 27, 2024, due to complications from diabetes at age 82, was praised by Mnangagwa for his alleged role as a senior ZANLA member, with specific mention of their shared time in prison.
This calculated framing has drawn scrutiny, as Mnangagwa’s account notably omitted key liberation figures like Solomon Mujuru, opting instead to highlight Chirinda’s involvement in early military operations against the Rhodesian forces, including the first military assault in Sinoia (now Chinhoyi).
Chirinda was portrayed as a trailblazing figure who participated in the first skirmishes against Rhodesian forces, a portrayal Mnangagwa used to bolster his own narrative of shared heroism.
During the meeting, Mnangagwa directed Acting Secretary-General Advocate Jacob Mudenda to read a letter from the party’s Mashonaland Central Province endorsing Chirinda’s elevation to national hero status.
Following Mnangagwa’s lead, ZANU-PF’s Secretary for Information, Christopher Mutsvangwa, emphasised Chirinda’s role in awakening early political consciousness and reasserted Mnangagwa’s narrative without mentioning Mugabe’s foundational role.
Mutsvangwa praised Chirinda and others, including Mnangagwa, for their military training in Ghana, Egypt, Russia, and China, asserting that these figures formed the bedrock of the future Zimbabwe Defence Forces.
He described the Chinhoyi battle as a pivotal moment, yet the omission of more prominent veterans and Mugabe himself raised questions about Mnangagwa’s intentions in recasting Chirinda as an influential figure while diminishing Mugabe’s legacy.
Mnangagwa’s emphasis on Chirinda’s liberation activities and his selective acknowledgment of ZANLA veterans seem to serve his own narrative, strengthening his contested credentials by aligning with an under-recognised figure.
His approach hints at a deliberate effort to rewrite the history of Zimbabwe’s liberation by amplifying Chirinda’s contributions while downplaying Mugabe’s undisputed legacy in the struggle.
Chirinda’s widow, Monia Muchenje, and their six children will lay him to rest, marking a legacy that Mnangagwa now seeks to elevate in line with his own version of Zimbabwe’s storied fight for independence.