Story by Oleen Ndori
ZIMBABWE on December 26 marked 46 years since the death of national hero, General Josiah Magama Tongogara, with family members, colleagues and government officials gathering at the National Heroes Acre to honour his role in the country’s independence struggle.
General Tongogara, widely known as General Tongo, died on December 26, 1979, while travelling from Maputo to Chimoio to brief Zimbabwean combatants following the successful Lancaster House negotiations, which paved the way for independence.
Speaking at the annual memorial, members of the Tongogara family said the commemorations had grown into a national event reflecting his enduring legacy.
Family representatives said the memorial also serves as a platform to engage young people on the history of the liberation struggle.
“As a family we always remember him and since 2007, when we started this memorial and realised that he was just not ours but belonged to the nation. For 46 years, a lot of people have been coming to remember him and his commitment to the struggle and held up a reminder of where we come from, and we are working with the youths through the foundation to remind them of the struggle and the hope for our father,” son to the late hero, Rangariraihondo Tongogara said.
“We lost him when we were very young, and I think it is his deeds, what he stood for, that resonated yesterday as it does today. This 46th anniversary has been empowering the youths who are the ones to take the journey of our country into the future,” another son, Tichafa Tongogara said.
“I keep pushing for this memorial as it reminds us of the man that was our father and what he wanted for Zimbabwe,” daughter of the late icon, Nyaradzo Tongogara said.
“I will keep having celebrations on this day, I am reminded each year of the character of my husband and what he did for this country,” Senator Angeline Tongogara said.
The Josiah Magama Tongogara Legacy Foundation, established in 2007, continues to support underprivileged children across the country, particularly through education assistance. Beneficiaries of the foundation said the support had enabled them to complete their studies and secure employment.
“The foundation supported me to go to school until I got my job with the prison services, and I am eternally grateful,” a beneficiary said.
“I lost my parents at a young age, and the foundation took over my educational needs. I am here because of the foundation and the man who was General Tongogara,” another beneficiary said.
“The foundation reflects the character of general Tongo, and I am grateful for its support over the years and the work it does across the country’s 10 provinces,” a beneficiary added.
Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Dr Jenfan Muswere said General Tongogara’s vision and commitment to national development remained relevant, particularly for younger generations.
“We have lessons to learn from General Tongo, and as younger generations, we can emulate this in how we contribute to national development,” he said.
Several former comrades, including Major General (Retired) Gibson Mashingaidze and Senator Monica Mavhunga, also paid tribute, recalling General Tongogara’s leadership, discipline and political education during the liberation war.
Major General (Rtd) Mashingaidze, whose nom de guerre is Cde Gibson Gumbo, and Senator Monica Mavhunga spoke on their experiences having worked with the late liberation war icon.
“I worked with him in Mozambique, and Tongo was a firm man committed to the independence of the country,” Major General (Rtd) Mashingaidze said.
“As a young lady receiving training, I experienced and learnt a lot from General Tongo, and he even taught us politics as we were on the battle front, lessons we keep to this day,” Senator Mavhunga said.
In 2012, a memorial site was established in Massinga, Mozambique, with support from the Government of Zimbabwe through the Ministry of Defence, to commemorate the place associated with his death. The site includes a cenotaph, a symbolic grave and memorial tree.
The site comprises the cenotaph, symbolic grave and memorial tree. A health centre has also been set up in partnership with the Mozambique government in honour of General Tongogara. A health centre, built in partnership with the Government of Mozambique, is also part of the memorial project.
Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander General Emmanuel Matatu said the Ministry of Defence had assumed responsibility for completing the project, with plans to hand over the health centre to the Massinga community in the first quarter of 2026.
“General Tongo was a man of strong values and principles we need to emulate and uphold. And every year that we remember him is a very good way to ensure that we take notes from him and the values he left for us. Cabinet has decided that the Ministry of Defence takes over the running of the project in Massinga, and we are working to finish it and hand it over in the first quarter of 2026,” he said.
General Tongogara remains one of Zimbabwe’s most revered liberation figures, with his values and contribution to independence continuing to be honoured decades after his death.
