Mnangagwa declares Brig-Gen (Rtd) Mpabanga a national hero

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has declared the late Brigadier-General (Retired) Samuel Mpabanga a National Hero, with burial details set to be announced in due course.

The declaration was made as tributes continue to pour in for the former senior officer of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), who died on Monday at Gwanda General Hospital after a long illness. He was 69.

A funeral parade was held yesterday at Khumalo Barracks in Bulawayo, where ZNA Commander Lieutenant-General Asher Walter Tapfumaneyi called on Zimbabweans to jealously guard the country's independence and sovereignty in honour of liberation heroes.

"The late Brigadier-General sacrificed his youth to see our beloved country free and continued with this sacrifice beyond independence as the country navigated towards total economic empowerment for its citizens. He has left behind lifelong lessons for the next generation of officers in the Zimbabwe National Army," said Lt-Gen Tapfumaneyi.

He said Brig-Gen Mpabanga remained steadfast in defending the country against regime change agendas allegedly pursued by detractors.

"As we pay our last respects to the late gallant son of the soil, we are challenged to safeguard the freedom of our motherland, Zimbabwe, lest what he and his colleagues sacrificed would have been in vain," he said.

Lt-Gen Tapfumaneyi laid a wreath on the casket during the parade, describing the late Brigadier-General's career as illustrious and marked by unwavering patriotism.

Born on August 31, 1956, in Gwanda, Brig-Gen Mpabanga attended Mapate Primary School and Beitbridge Primary School before proceeding to Manama Mission and later Matobo Secondary School.

He joined the liberation struggle as a ZIPRA cadre in 1977. After briefly staying at Mapate, he crossed the Shashe River into Botswana en route to Selibe Phikwe under perilous conditions amid Rhodesian Forces patrols. He later spent three months at Selibe Phikwe Prison alongside his uncle, the late Raphel Mpabanga, Martin Kukubele and the late Sibusiso Mpabanga.

Brig-Gen Mpabanga began military training in late 1977 at Mulungushi under the Zambian army with ZIPRA attachments. He later underwent further training in Russia, then the Soviet Union, in Odessa between 1978 and 1979.

Upon completing his training, he returned to serve as an instructor at Solwezi and was later deployed in Siyavonga along the Zambezi River, where he held the appointment of military commissariat.

He joined the ZNA on July 12, 1980, and rose steadily through the ranks — from Private in 1980 to Lieutenant in 1981, Captain in 1987, Major in 1988, Lieutenant-Colonel in 1999, Colonel in 2018, and Brigadier-General in 2022.

"Brig-Gen Mpabanga retired from active service on August 31, 2022 after having served diligently with unwavering patriotism in the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. His legacy of commitment to duty will endure for a long time in the organisation," said Lt-Gen Tapfumaneyi.

The late Brigadier-General is survived by his wife and four children.

His brother, Lot Mpabanga, described him as a unifier within the family.

"He always strived to bring the family together and was a unifier. His dedication to the country and army was unmatched and the family has lost someone that we looked up to for guidance and support," he said.

Mourners are gathered at Number 4 McGee Road in Sauerstown suburb, Bulawayo, as the nation awaits further details on the burial programme following his declaration as a National Hero.