Colonel Flint Magama (died 27 January 1986) was a Zimbabwean Army officer. A political commissar for the

Zimbabwe African National Union The Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) was a militant organisation that Rhodesian Bush War, fought against White people in Zimbabwe, white minority rule in Rhodesia, formed as a split from the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU). ZANU sp ...

, he joined the Military Intelligence Directorate after Zimbabwean independence. Magama was involved in killings and torture during the ''

Gukurahundi The ''Gukurahundi'' was a genocide in Zimbabwe which arose in 1982 until the Unity Accord in 1987. It derives from a Shona language term which loosely translates to "the early rain which washes away the chaff before the spring rains". Duri ...

'' genocide and, in 1984, was responsible for the assassination of

Zimbabwe African People's Union The Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) is a Zimbabwean political party. It is a militant organization and political party that campaigned for majority rule in Rhodesia, from its founding in 1961 until 1980. In 1987, it merged with the Zim ...

politician Njini Ntuta. In 1986 Magama was appointed commander of the

Zimbabwe National Army The Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) is the primary branch of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces responsible for land-oriented military operations. It is the largest service branch under the Zimbabwean Joint Operations Command (JOC). The modern army has ...

's intervention in the

Mozambican Civil War The Mozambican Civil War ( pt, Guerra Civil Moçambicana) was a civil war fought in Mozambique from 1977 to 1992. Like many regional African conflicts during the late twentieth century, the Mozambican Civil War possessed local dynamics but was a ...

. He was killed when a helicopter he was a passenger in crashed due to engine failure during the recapture of Marromeu. Magama was posthumously awarded the country's highest military decoration for bravery, the

Gold Cross of Zimbabwe The Gold Cross of Zimbabwe (Shona: Ndarama Muchinjikwa ye Zimbabwe) is Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by ...

Biography

Magama was born as Derek Flint Mavima. His father was

(ZANU) member David Zirirai Mavima and his brother is Larry Mavima, a member of the

Senate of Zimbabwe The Senate of Zimbabwe is the upper of the two chambers in Zimbabwe's Parliament. It existed from independence in 1980 until 1989, and was re-introduced in November 2005. The other chamber of Parliament is the National Assembly. In its curren ...

and Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Midlands. Magama was a ZANU political commissar. In the first years of black-majority rule, following the end of the

Rhodesian Bush War The Rhodesian Bush War, also called the Second as well as the Zimbabwe War of Liberation, was a civil conflict from July 1964 to December 1979 in the unrecognised country of Rhodesia (later Zimbabwe-Rhodesia). The conflict pitted three for ...

and the Lancaster House Accords Magama was a member of the Military Intelligence Directorate, based in

Bulawayo Bulawayo (, ; Ndebele: ''Bulawayo'') is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, and the largest city in the country's Matabeleland region. The city's population is disputed; the 2022 census listed it at 665,940, while the Bulawayo City Council ...

. He became involved in killings and torture during the ''

'' genocide against

(ZAPU) supporters and anti-government dissidents, often being present during questioning sessions. Magama later became deputy commander of the

's (ZNA) 1 Brigade. While in this role he was responsible for the 25 November 1984 killing of ZAPU politician Njini Ntuta who had accused the regime of involvement in the genocide. In January 1986 Magama took over command of the ZNA troops fighting in support of

FRELIMO FRELIMO (; from the Portuguese , ) is a democratic socialist political party in Mozambique. It is the dominant party in Mozambique and has won a majority of the seats in the Assembly of the Republic in every election since the country's firs ...

in the

; though he had little military experience he was politically well connected. The ZNA intervention had initially been successful but the troops and their FRELIMO allies began to suffer renewed attacks from

RENAMO RENAMO (from the Portuguese , ) is a Mozambican political party and militant group. The party was founded with the active sponsorship of the Rhodesian Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) in May 1977 from anti-communist dissidents oppose ...

. In early July the city of Marromeu was captured by RENAMO after the 300-man garrison was routed. Magama drew up a plan for an air assault to recapture the city's airfield for use as a bridgehead in an attack on the city. The assault, named Operation Octopus, began on 24 January. On 27 January Magama was killed in a helicopter crash as Zimbabwean troops assaulted the city. Also killed in the crash were two privates, the two pilots, a second lieutenant and a major (who was second in command of the Parachute Squadron). The cause of the loss was determined to be engine failure though RENAMO claimed to have shot the aircraft down. Marromeu was successfully recaptured during the ensuing ZNA assault. Magama was buried at the National Heroes Acre in Harare. On 21 June 1991 he was awarded Zimbabwe's highest military decoration for bravery, the

. The Flint Magama barracks in

Rusape Rusape is a town in Zimbabwe. Location It is located in Makoni District in Manicaland Province, in northeastern Zimbabwe. It lies approximately , by road, southeast of Harare, the capital and the largest city in Zimbabwe. Rusape is situated on ...

are named after him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Magama, Flint Date of birth unknown 1986 deaths Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1986 Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Africa Zimbabwean military leaders