Air Chief Marshal Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer originating from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. An air chief marshal is equivalent to an Admir ...

Josiah Tungamirai (8 October 1948Executive Order: Blocking Property Of Persons Undermining Democratic Processes Or Institutions In Zimbabwe
''The

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

''. Retrieved on 1 April 2007. – 25 August 2005), born Thomas Mberikwazvo,MDC MPs break boycott for Tungamirai burial
''GoZimbabwe.com''. Retrieved on 1 April 2007. was a

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

an military officer and politician. He was commander of the Air Force and later served as Minister of State for Indigenization and Empowerment in President

Robert Mugabe Robert Gabriel Mugabe (; ; 21 February 1924 – 6 September 2019) was a Zimbabwean revolutionary and politician who served as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 1987 and then as President from 1987 to 2017. He served as Leader of the ...

's government before his death in 2005.

Early years and education

Tungamirai was born into a peasant family as Thomas Mberikwazvo on 8 October 1948 in Gutu,

Masvingo Province Masvingo is a province in southeastern Zimbabwe. It has a population of 1.485 million as of the 2012 census, ranking fifth out of Zimbabwe's ten provinces. Established as Victoria Province by the British South Africa Company, it was one of the ...

, in what was then

Southern Rhodesia Southern Rhodesia was a landlocked self-governing British Crown colony in southern Africa, established in 1923 and consisting of British South Africa Company (BSAC) territories lying south of the Zambezi River. The region was informally kn ...

. He received his primary education at the Mutero Mission in Gutu from 1957 to 1964. His secondary education was completed at the Chikwingwizha Seminary. Tungamirai went up to Salisbury Polytechnic and he completed his studies in Physics and Mathematics in 1970.Zim robbed of great strategist
, ''Mathaba News Network''. Retrieved on 1 April 2007.

Military career

Tungamirai served in

Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) was the military wing of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), a militant African nationalist organisation that participated in the Rhodesian Bush War against white minority rule of Rhod ...

(ZANLA) during 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 ...

. He remained loyal to Mugabe during the Nhari and Vashandi inter-factional strife within ZANLA, and was among the ZANLA officials who escaped Zambia, following the Zambian government's arrest of senior

ZANU The Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) was a militant organisation that fought against white minority rule in Rhodesia, formed as a split from the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU). ZANU split in 1975 into wings loyal to Robert Mugab ...

officials after the assassination of

Herbert Chitepo Herbert Wiltshire Pfumaindini Chitepo (15 June 1923 – 18 March 1975) led the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) until he was assassinated in March 1975. Although his murderer remains unidentified, the Rhodesian author Peter Stiff says tha ...

. Towards the end of the war, he served as ZANLA Political Commissar. In 1979 Tungamirai was part of the Patriotic Front delegation which was a party to the

Lancaster House Agreement The Lancaster House Agreement, signed on 21 December 1979, declared a ceasefire, ending the Rhodesian Bush War; and directly led to Rhodesia achieving internationally recognised independence as Zimbabwe. It required the full resumption of d ...

. When Zimbabwe became independent in 1980, Tungamirai became a

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

in the newly formed

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 ...

and was appointed to the Zimbabwe Joint High Command. He was involved in the work to integrate the formerly belligerent

and

Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) was the military wing of the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU), a Marxist–Leninist political party in Rhodesia. It participated in the Rhodesian Bush War against white minority rule of Rhodes ...

as well as the

Rhodesian Army The Rhodesian Security Forces were the military forces of the Rhodesian government. The Rhodesian Security Forces consisted of a ground force (the Rhodesian Army), the Rhodesian Air Force, the British South Africa Police, and various personnel ...

. In 1982 Tungamirai was transferred to the Air Force of Zimbabwe to fill the post of Chief of Staff. At that time he was redesignated an

air vice-marshal Air vice-marshal (AVM) is a two-star air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes u ...

. Tungamirai qualified as a pilot in October 1984. Tungamirai went on to reach the rank of

air chief marshal Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer originating from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. An air chief marshal is equivalent to an Admir ...

and serve as the commander of the Air Force of Zimbabwe.Air Force of Zimbabwe
, ''Zimbabwe Ministry of Defence''. Retrieved on 1 April 2007. In 1992 Tungamirai was replaced by

Perrance Shiri Perrance Shiri (born Bigboy Samson Chikerema; 11 January 1955US Code Co ...

as Air Force commander.

Political career

In early 2004, Tungamirai was elected to parliament from

Gutu North Gutu North is a constituency of the National Assembly of the Parliament of Zimbabwe, located in Masvingo Province. Its current MP since the 2018 election is Yeukai Simbanegavi of ZANU–PF. Electoral history In a 2004 by-election, Air Chief Mar ...

in a by-election. He was soon afterwards appointed to the Cabinet as Minister of State for Indigenisation and Empowerment on 9 February 2004. He was put on the

United States sanctions After the failure of the Embargo Act of 1807, the federal government of the United States took little interest in imposing embargoes and economic sanctions against foreign countries until the 20th century. United States trade policy was entirely a ...

list in 2003 and remained on the list until his death.Blocking property of persons undermining democratic processes or institutions in Zimbabwe
/ref>

Death

Following what anonymous members of Tungamirai's family said were problems with rejection of a kidney transplant carried out several years previously,
, ''New Zimbabwe''. Retrieved on 1 April 2007. Tungamirai was flown to a South African hospital for emergency treatment. He died there on 25 August 2005.
, ''New Zimbabwe''. Retrieved on 1 April 2007. After Tungamirai's death, his widow Pamela Tungamirai claimed that he had been poisoned.

References

, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Tungamirai, Josiah 1948 births 2005 deaths People from Masvingo Province Air Force of Zimbabwe air marshals Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army personnel Government ministers of Zimbabwe Harare Polytechnic alumni Kidney transplant recipients