Josiah Tongogara
Josiah Magama Tongogara was a Zimbabwean military commander and national hero.
Tongogara was born on the 4th of February 1938 in Shurugwi, Midlands Province in Zimbabwe. He lived a part of his early life on Ian Smith’s farm in Zvishavane as his parents worked there.
Education:
Shurugwi
Career:
He went to live and work in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) in 1960 and studied book-keeping. After his bookkeeping studies he was employed at Chainama Golf Club as a secretary of Chainama Golf Club in Zambia (1961).
He worked in ZANU PF’s youth wing awaiting to be sent to China to receive military training (1963). On completion of the basic military training, he left Zambia for further military training in China and became one of the first military trainees for the oncoming guerrilla war (1966).
Tongogara became military commander of ZANLA in 1972 and was also head of the ZANLA military command (1973). He was arrested on allegations of involvement in the assasination of Herbert Chitepo and held in custody at Kabwe Maximum security prison (Zambia) for over a year. He went on trial in Lusaka and was acquitted on 20 October 1976 and released.
He attend the Geneva Conference (1976), during his career he also served as Chief of Defence for Dare Re Chimurenga as well as Commander-in-Chief of ZIPA. He was also a delegate and moderator at the Lancaster House Agreement in 1979.
Tongogara died on 26 December 1979 in a vehicle crash and was later buried at the National Heroes Acre as one of Zimbabwe’s national hero’s.