By Munacho Gwamanda- Former ZIPRA senior member, ex-Governor, and Resident Minister, Cde Tinaye Chigudu, has died.

He died in Harare on Wednesday.

Cde Chigudu, a veteran of Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle, was a dedicated cadre of the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA), the military wing of the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU).

He underwent military training in North Korea and rose through the ranks within ZIPRA, playing a pivotal role in the armed struggle against colonial rule.

After independence, Chigudu served in various government positions, including as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Despite his contributions to the liberation movement, his political trajectory, like that of many ZIPRA cadres, was shaped by the tumultuous post-independence relations between ZANU and ZAPU.

Following independence in 1980, ZIPRA and its leadership faced systematic marginalization and persecution by the ruling ZANU government, led by Robert Mugabe.

Tensions escalated as ZANU sought to consolidate power, leading to the infamous Gukurahundi massacres of the 1980s, in which thousands of Ndebele civilians, accused of supporting ZIPRA, were killed by the Fifth Brigade.

ZIPRA’s military assets were forcibly confiscated, and many of its members were arrested or driven into exile.

The 1987 Unity Accord between ZANU and ZAPU, brokered under immense pressure, saw the absorption of ZIPRA forces into the national army and ZAPU’s leadership into ZANU-PF structures.

However, former ZIPRA cadres continued to face political exclusion and were often sidelined from key government positions.

Despite these challenges, Chigudu remained loyal to the ruling establishment and was honored by the failing post Mugabe government alongside Colonel (Retired) Joel Samuel Mazhambe and Shadreck Chipanga for their pioneering roles in the liberation struggle.