President Mnangagwa hails late hero Chaunoita

Harare, (New Ziana) – President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Friday paid tribute to the late Ezekiel Tobias Musiiwa Chaunoita, describing him as a loyal patriot who was a strong advocate of the empowerment of the people of Zimbabwe.

He was speaking at the burial of the late national hero at the National Heroes Acre, attended by tens of thousands of people.

Chaunoita, popularly known as ‘Cde Tobias Zvenyika’, was a retired director in the President’s office, who died last Saturday after a long illness.

He participated in the county’s liberation struggle in the 1970s, and later served in Government after independence.

He was conferred with national hero’s status for fronting the interests of the country before and after independence.

President Mnangagwa said Chaunoita’s humble, compassionate and unassuming demeanour will remain entrenched in memory of the public and security forces.

“On behalf of the Nation, my Government, our revolutionary mass party Zanu PF, my family and indeed my own behalf, I wish to express my deepest and heartfelt condolences to the Chaunoita family over this loss,” he said.

“May you find comfort and solace in the fact that the late revolutionary cadre, Cde Chaunoita, played an invaluable role for the liberation of our country and executed his duties with honour and distinction within the Central Intelligence Organisation,” he said.

President Mnangagwa said the Cde Chaunoita ‘Zvenyika’ firmly agitated
for, and believed in the total emancipation of the oppressed black people of the country.

He added that in honour of him and other veterans of the liberation struggle, there is need to continue preserving and consolidating the country’s hard won independence.

“This duty and privilege is underwritten by the blood, sweat and selfless sacrifices of our forebears. I call upon the youth, as the vanguard of our ongoing national development agenda, to emulate the selfless sacrifices of the youths of yester-year, who took up arms to liberate our country,” he said.

“You, as young people, have the weighty duty and obligation, through your united efforts, to ensure the acceleration of the modernisation, industrialisation and growth of our economy,” President Mnangagwa said.

He said at all levels and across the numerous and intricate tasks assigned to him, the late Chaunoita exhibited a high sense of responsibility and always led by example.

He added that the late hero was duty-conscious and executed his work with great passion, distinguishing himself as a father-figure and a team player.

“As Head of both military and civil intelligence during the war and Minister of State Security after Independence, I found Cde Chaunoita’s loyalty to the founding ethos, values and principles of the President’s Office unquestionable,” President Mnangagwa said.

“He was a dependable cadre who upheld national interests. These attributes and traits saw him being appointed Officer-In-Charge at the then-Harare International Airport Station in August 1982. He was versatile and adapted to the requirements of his duties at a delicate time of our post-Independence era,” he said.

Chaunoita was born on 1 June, 1958, in Gutu District, Masvingo Province.

Between 1967 and 1969, he attended Gudo Primary School, from Sub A to Standard One and transferred to Mataruse Primary School in 1970, where he completed his primary education.

He proceeded to attend Gutu Secondary School for Form One and Two.

It was during the period 1973 to 1974, that he experienced the brutality and oppression of the colonial minority white government, which included enactment of racial segregatory laws such as the Land Husbandry Act and the Tax Act, among others.

This prompted Chaunoita, and others such as the late Colonel Masocha and Amen Sithole, among other serving and retired officers, to leave the country in September 1975 for Mozambique to join the armed struggle.

By the end of 1976, Chaunoita was transferred to Tembwe Camp where he undertook his initial military training, specialising in military engineering.

Between January and August 1978, he was selected to undertake a VIP protection Course in Yugoslavia.

Upon returning to Mozambique in September 1978, and recognising his deep-rooted composure, trustworthiness, reliability and dependability, he was deployed to Gaza Province where he served as a security detail to the ZANLA High Command.

In the course of his duties in Mozambique, Chaunoita worked with the late National Heroes, Comrades Menard Muzariri, Elias Kanengoni and Nyasha Nash Dzimiri, among others.

At independence in 1980, the late hero returned to Zimbabwe, and was tasked to do liaison duties between the ruling party and the President’s Department

In November 1981, he joined the President’s Department as a senior security officer in the Internal Branch.

In this post, he had an oversight role over many security functions and units in government, and in recognition of his diligent work, was promoted to director of security in October 2000, taking overall charge of national security, including that of the Head of State.

Later, Chaunoita was redeployed to the Director General’s Office until his retirement in June 2020.

New Ziana