Engelbert Rugeje (born c. 1962) is a Zimbabwean politician and retired

general officer A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED O ...

who is the ZANU-PF national political commissar since December 2017. He was the

Chief of Staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...

of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) until 2007. He was a prominent figure in the

2007 Zimbabwean coup d'état attempt The Zimbabwean government claimed to have foiled an alleged coup d'état attempt involving almost 400 soldiers and high-ranking members of the military that would have occurred on June 2 or June 15, 2007. The alleged leaders of the coup, all of wh ...

. In December 2017 he was promoted from major general to lieutenant general upon retirement and admitted into ZANU-PF.

History

He was born in Charamba village, located in the district of Bikita, Zimbabwe. Rugeje is also an heir of the Charamba family. The Charamba family belong to the Zimbabwean Duma clan which, in turn, traces its origins back to the Rozvi kingdom. Rugeje was educated at Silveira Mission where he excelled.

Military service

He joined the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) as a teenager at the age of 16, serving as a

partisan Partisan may refer to: Military * Partisan (weapon), a pole weapon * Partisan (military), paramilitary forces engaged behind the front line Films * ''Partisan'' (film), a 2015 Australian film * ''Hell River'', a 1974 Yugoslavian film also know ...

. Taking the moniker of "Sunbat", he rose within the ranks of ZANLA to become a member of the movement's general staff. After the end of the Rhodesian Bush War, Rugeje was offered the rank of

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

in the new Zimbabwe Defence Forces. He was promoted to

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

in 1983, and was made a colonel in 1987. Rugeje led a portion of the Zimbabwean military to quash the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) rebellion in Matabeleland from 1983 to 1987. This was whilst he was the commander at Inkomo Barracks (the primary unit under his command being the First Mechanised Battalion). Rugeje ultimately led ZNA forces to victory over the ZIPRA. Rugeje was also successful in leading missions against the Mozambique National Resistance (RENAMO) when he was commander of One Commando Battalion (currently known as One Commando Regiment or simply "One Commando"). Around 1984, under Rugeje's leadership, One Commando assisted other elements of the Zimbabwean military in defeating most elements of the RENAMO. In 1990 he was promoted to brigadier general and became quartermaster of the ZNA. In the mid to late 1990s he was actively involved in the Democratic Republic of Congo mission, in which he led successful counter insurgency missions. Rugeje graduated from

Lancaster University Lancaster University (legally The University of Lancaster) is a public university, public research university in Lancaster, Lancashire, Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established in 1964 by royal charter, as one of several pla ...

with both a Master of Defence & Strategic Studies degree, and a Master of Laws degree. Major General Rugeje also holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard University. In 2000 he was promoted to major general, becoming the fourth in command of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. On October 24, 2006 he praised cooperation between the military of Zimbabwe and the Chinese People's Liberation Army.Tightening the noose around China's bloggers; World Bank criticizes Chinese lending practices
American Foreign Policy Council On 18 December 2017, Rugeje was promoted to lieutenant general upon retirement by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Involvement in coup d'état

Rugeje, ZNA spokesman Ben Ncube, and Air Vice-Marshal Elson Moyo were supposedly arrested on June 7, 2007 along with almost 400 soldiers for allegedly plotting to overthrow the Mugabe administration. Rugeje was called the "brains" of the attempted coup d'état.Coup attempt nipped in bud
Ocnus.NetTwo more senior army officers arrested
The Zimbabwe TimesTightening the noose around China's bloggers; World Bank criticizes Chinese lending practices
Chief Reform Monitor

Controversy

In September 2012, Rugeje was accused of seizing land meant for Zimbabwe's conservation efforts for himself; along with other high-ranking military, political, and social figures. President Mugabe ordered all seized land to be evicted, and scolded those involved, calling them "greedy".Zaba, Faith (Published on 16 September 2012)
Mugabe Blasts Army Generals
''Zimbabwe Independent''. Retrieved 2015-01-11. As of July 2014, Rugeje had still not vacated all (if any) of the aforementioned seized land. The Zimbabwean government began placing pressure on Rugeje, by denying him a

hunting license A hunting license or hunting permit is a regulatory or legal mechanism to control hunting, both commercial and recreational. A license specifically made for recreational hunting is sometimes called a game license. Hunting may be regulated ...

. The particular type of hunting license he had requested would have allowed him to permit hunters, particularly foreign trophy-hunters, to hunt on and around the land he had seized. Ostensibly, Rugeje could make a profit through this, by charging for the right to hunt on the land, or by other related means. The Zimbabwean government took such an action as to make the land less profitable for Rugeje, thereby enticing him to abandon said land. At the time of this writing (January 2015) it is not known whether the pressure by the Zimbabwe government has encouraged Rugeje to leave the seized land.Bolder, Peter (Published on 2 July 2014)
Kasukuwere Clashes With Army Chief
''Now Daily''. Retrieved 2015-01-12.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rugeje, Engelbert 1960s births Living people People from Masvingo Province Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army personnel Zimbabwean politicians