Online Reporter
Africa Moyo
Deputy News Editor
What could be the last photograph of the late national hero and liberation war commander General Josiah Magama Tongogara has been handed over to the family.
The photograph was surrendered to the late Zanla military commander’s widow, Senator Angeline Tongogara, by Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Belarus, Ignatius Mudzimba, on December 26 last year at the National Heroes Acre during the annual commemorations of his death.
Ambassador Mudzimba was a member of the Zanla General Staff and was appointed personal assistant to then Secretary General Robert Mugabe in December 1976.
The photo was taken in Brussels, Belgium, in November 1979 where the late President Mugabe had been invited by his friend, the late Frederick Dahlman, who was an engineer by training, but a major supporter of the liberation struggle.
It was November 1979 during the Lancaster House Talks, which had started in the month before, and it was during one of the breaks that the former President travelled to Brussels to meet Dahlman. He was accompanied by Gen Tongogara, Ambassador Mudzimba whose Chimurenga name was Cde Ignatius Muzenda and Cde Musafare Nyamudahondo, whose Chimurenga name was Innocent Nherera.
The breaks during the talks were meant to allow both sides time to reflect on or discuss the points raised by the other party among themselves so that no one rushed to accept or reject them.
Ambassador Mudzimba learnt of the presence of such a picture in 2005 when the son of the now late Mr Dahlman, Mr Frederick Dahlman Jnr, looked for him when he was Deputy Ambassador in Brussels and delivered it.
Said Ambassador Mudzimba: “The picture I have given to Mai Tongogara is very important because it reminds us of our General. It is possibly the last picture of General Tongogara taken during the Lancaster House Talks.
“This picture was taken in Belgium, but it is important because no other known picture was taken after this one, so we value it so much and I am happy that Mai Tongogara was glad to receive the present, which reminds her of her husband who died a long time ago.”
In her acceptance speech, Mai Tongogara said she was happy to receive the photograph, especially coming from Ambassador Mudzimba, who she knows from the time he was a young man during the war.
“He is my son. I want to thank you for this gift. I also want to thank your family for being here because it shows you value this gathering.
“Others will say the war ended a long time ago and there is no need to be here, but you came, and for that I want to be thankful,” said Mai Tongogara, who calls him Cde Gina.
President Mnangagwa, who was a special assistant to President Mugabe during the war, and Gen Tongogara, had unlimited access to the late former leader in Mozambique, whether during the day or at night, because of their role in prosecuting the protracted liberation struggle.
Cde Mugabe and his top two Nanking Military Academy-trained military strategists were responsible for planning and directing the struggle, hence the regular engagements.
Ambassador Mudzimba worked with Gen Tongogara for many years, after they first met in 1974, at Chifombo Base in Zambia before he left for military training in Tanzania.
For that reason, Ambassador Mudzimba treasures the photo and his last moments with Gen Tongogara.
Even when they returned to London for the talks with the British, Ambassador Mudzimba accompanied Gen Tongogara, with other comrades on one of the weekends to the Africa Centre in London, where he addressed his last rally in the city.
The rally was organised by Dr Frederick Shava, now Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Minister.
At that point Minister Shava was the Zanu representative in London.
In his address, Gen Tongogara called for unity within the party, including the diaspora and against tribalism and regionalism.
After the Lancaster House Talks, the delegation returned to Mozambique and Gen Tongogara tragically died in a car accident.
daniel chigunwe
