ZIMBABWE Defence Industries (ZDI) general manager
Brigadier-General Crispan Masuku who died on Wednesday at United Bulawayo
Hospitals (UBH) has been declared a national hero.
He was buried at Lady Stanley Cemetery in Bulawayo
yesterday. He was 61.
A delegation led by Zanu-PF secretary for administration Dr
Obert Mpofu conveyed the national hero status conferment to Brig-Gen Masuku’s
family at the late nationalist’s Malindela home in Bulawayo yesterday.
Dr Mpofu, whose delegation included Zanu-PF Politburo
members Cdes Angeline Masuku and Richard Moyo who is also Matabeleland North
Provincial Affairs Minister, said Brig-Gen Masuku was an inspirational freedom
fighter.
“I am here as I have been sent to convey this message by
the President. The late General Masuku has been declared a national hero and
his works speak for themselves. He dedicated his life to service and until his
death, he remained a committed serviceman. The Government has seen it fit to be
confer National Hero Status on him,” said Dr Mpofu
“It is unfortunate that he is being declared a national
hero after his burial. However, this does not take away the honour that has
been bestowed upon him. The Covid-19 has made processes much more difficult as
we are working remotely as we practise social distancing. Messages may take
time to be heard and acted upon. However, we thank the family for doing such a
splendid job in giving the late general a befitting send-off. His place at the
National Heroes Acre shall be always known and he will not be forgotten for the
works he has done.”
Brig-Gen Masuku whose Chimurenga name was Cde Kid Manzini
was born on 16 July 1958 in Lupane, Matabeleland North and was attested into
the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) on 1 January 1981. He is survived by wife Dr
Nomathemba Ndiweni and three children Ngqabutho, Nqobile and Nomagugu Adelide.
Army officials, close relatives, friends and neighbours
came to pay their last respects where he was given a befitting send-off at the
cemetery. Mourners complied with the social distancing rules and numbers who
attended the burial were kept at a minimum.
Representatives of the Joint Operations Command paid their
last respects and laid wreaths at the graveside.
In an obituary read by the chief mourner, the Chief of
Staff, Quarter Master Staff, Major-General Hlanganani Dube, who was
representing the Commander of the ZNA, Lieutenant-General Edzai Chimonyo,
Brig-Gen Masuku was described as a hardworking son of the soil who dedicated
years into serving the nation.
“At a tender age of nineteen years, the late General
officer together with other cadres joined the liberation struggle through
Botswana before they were sent to Zambia in 1977. The late General officer was
motivated by the oppressive regime that was in place which was characterised by
discrimination and harassment of black people,” said Maj-Gen Dube. “The late
General officer managed to brave the Rhodesian security forces that were
deployed to monitor the border and managed to cross to Botswana heading for
Zambia to join the liberation struggle.
“During his stay in Zambia they also resisted various diseases
and chemical warfare that was used by the enemy in an effort to annihilate the
combatants that were fighting the regime. The late General officer was one of
the survivors of that warfare.
“Whilst at Freedom Camp he and other cadres were subjected
to gruesome Rhodesian air bombardment in August 1979 in which several of
Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (Zipra) freedom fighters perished as the
Rhodesians tried to derail the liberation struggle. After the bombardment the
group was moved to Mulungushi Camp where they were again bombed two days after
arrival. Thereafter, the group was moved back to Freedom Camp in October 1979
before proceeding for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).”
Brig-Gen Masuku did his primary education at Mzola Five and
Tshongogwe primary schools in Lupane before proceeding to Ihlathi Secondary
School in Bulawayo.
After ceasefire he joined the ZNA on January 1, 1981, as a
lieutenant. He was appointed Officer Commanding 18 Infantry Battalion on June
24, 1981, before being appointed to Battery Commander 1 Air Defence Regiment on
March 8, 1982.
He was posted to 402 Infantry Battalion as Officer
Commanding on August 30, 1982 before being reassigned to Battalion Battle
School, now All Arms Battle School, where he served as training officer from
October 2, 1984, to August 1, 1987.
He served at Headquarters 2 Infantry Brigade as
Quartermaster Staff Officer (Grade Two) between 1987 and 1991, before being
reassigned to Ordinance Directorate as Ordinance Staff Officer (Grade Two)
(Manning and Training) where he served until 1994.
In May 1994, he was appointed Ordinance Staff Officer
(Grade Two) (Material) while still at Ordinance Directorate. In 1995, the late
General was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
On November 29, 2001, he was promoted to the rank of
Colonel and assigned to Army Headquarters Quartermaster Staff Branch as a Staff
Officer (Grade One) (Equipment Management). In 2003, while still at Army
Headquarters, Brig-Gen Masuku was appointed Colonel Quartermaster Staff leading
to his reassignment to the Zimbabwe Defence Forces Headquarters as Director
Logistics where he served until 2013 when he was redeployed to South Africa as
a Defence Attaché.
He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General in 2012.
When he returned from South Africa in October 2013, he was appointed
Brigadier-General Quartermaster Staff at Army Headquarters Quartermaster Staff
Branch until November 2015.
Brig-Gen Masuku was then deployed to the ZDI as the general
manager, a position he held until his death. Chronicle
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