Story by Peter Chivhima
NATIONAL Hero and veteran military officer, Brigadier General (Retired) Mathias Tizirai Ngarava, who died on December 25 at Chinhoyi General Hospital, will be laid to rest this Friday at the National Heroes Acre in Harare.
The Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Acting Permanent Secretary, Mr Maxwell Herbert Muguse, confirmed the burial programme following consultations between government officials and the Ngarava family. The arrangements were finalised in line with national protocols governing the interment of declared National Heroes.
Ahead of the burial, the body of Brigadier General Ngarava will be conveyed from Charles Gumbo Barracks to Chinhoyi on Wednesday and then to Masvingo Province on Thursday, allowing communities along the route to pay their last respects.
Born in 1959 in Chivi District, Masvingo Province, Brigadier General Ngarava completed his primary and secondary education in the area before joining the liberation struggle in 1976. He crossed into Mozambique through Chikombedzi, answering the call to fight for Zimbabwe’s independence at a young age.
During the height of the armed struggle, he was deployed to Gaza Province, where he operated until the country attained independence in 1980.
After independence, he joined the Zimbabwe National Army as a Sergeant and steadily rose through the ranks, a journey marked by discipline, professionalism, and commitment, culminating in his promotion to the rank of Brigadier General.
Although he retired from active military service in 2024, Brigadier General Ngarava remained deeply committed to national service and the values he had defended during the liberation struggle.
