OBITUARY
COMMISSIONER GENERAL (RETD) PARADZAYI
WILLINGS ZIMONDI
(CDE TONDERAI NYIKA)
(1947-2021)
The nation has been engulfed with grief following the passing on of former Commissioner General of the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services, Major General (Retired) Paradzayi Willings Zimondi, who succumbed to COVID-19 related complications at Arundel Medical Centre in Harare on Friday 22 January 2021.
He was 73.
EARLY LIFE
Former Commissioner
General Paradzayi Zimondi whose nom de guerre was Cde Tonderai Nyika, was born on 4 March, 1947, in Uzumba District, Mashonaland East Province to Charles and Abigail Zimondi (née
Karimazondo). He was the Young Paradzayi Zimondi
first born in a family of seven children, namely: Lovemore (late), Stanley, Netsai, Arthur, Kudzayi and Salome Spiwe. He did primary education at Makosa, Mvuma and Manyika schools and proceeded to Nyamuzuwe High School, Mutoko, for secondary education.
PRE-INDEPENDENCE LIFE
The unjust and oppressive colonial regime inspired young Paradzayi, who had relocated to the then Salisbury, and some youths from Highfield to sacrifice their education and skip the country into Mozambique. On arrival, he joined the ranks of the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) Forces. In 1974, he underwent military training at Mgagao Training Camp in Tanzania. After training, he was posted to Chimoio, Mozambique where he assumed the position of Instructor. He was later deployed to Gaza Province before being reassigned to Manica Province where he was appointed Field Operations Commander from 1977 taking over command from Cde Happison Muchechetere.
Cdes planning operations in Ziyambe Detachment, 1978. From left Aaron Nhepera, Gilson Murape
(obscured), Maj Gen (Retd) Mashingaidze, Maj Gen (Retd) Zimondi, Oliver Shiri and Stan Matipa
During his reign as the Provincial Commander for Manica Province, Maj Gen (Retd) Zimondi successfully commanded ZANLA combatants in many battles including: the Ruda, Gandayi, attack on Umtali (Mutare), Mavhonde and Grand Reef battles. The Mavhonde and Grand Reef battles are regarded as the major and decisive battles that broke the spine of the Rhodesian Forces.
The Grand Reef Battle was launched in retaliation to the Rhodesians’ attack of the Chimoio Refugee Camp. In recognition of his humble and exemplary leadership, command abilities, bravery and dedication to the liberation of Zimbabwe, Maj Gen (Retd) Zimondi was appointed member of the ZANLA High Command, a grouping of senior comrades whose mandate was to plan and direct the execution of the liberation struggle.
POST-INDEPENDENCE LIFE
At Independence, Maj Gen (Retd) Zimondi was attested into the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) as Colonel. In April 1981 he was appointed Deputy Commander 2 Infantry Brigade. In 1983, he was promoted to Commander Presidential Guard in 1983 and served in that post up to 1984. At the end of 1984, he was transferred to Army
Then Colonel Paradzayi W. headquarters and appointed Colonel General Zimondi in 1980
Staff. At the height of the Mozambican Campaign in 1987, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General and appointed Commander 1 Infantry Brigade, a post he held until 1990.
During his tenure as Commander 1 Infantry Brigade, he carried out major operations to safe guard Zimbabwe’s life line to the sea, the Beira Corridor (road, rail and the oil pipeline). He was instrumental in the Gorongoza 2 military operation in which 1 Infantry Brigade together with Zimbabwean Special Forces captured the RENAMO rebels’ headquarters and stronghold that was entrenched in the strategic Gorongoza mountain.
Then Brig Gen Zimondi with Parachute regiment soon after the capture of Renamo Headquarters at Gorongoza
in the Second Gorongoza operation, Mozambique
RENAMO had been using the Gorongoza base as its main launch pad for attacks on the Beira Corridor in the process crippling the Zimbabwean economy.
Subsequent to this daring operation, RENAMO rebels were forced to disintegrate and flee further from the corridor. In January 1990, the then Brigadier General was appointed Director Military Intelligence for the Zimbabwe National Army, a Then Brig Gen Zimondi as Director Military
Intelligence post he held until August 1994.
On the formation of a single command structure for the Zimbabwe National Army and the Airforce of Zimbabwe in 1994, he was appointed Chief of Defence Intelligence (ZDF HQs), a post he held with dexterity until he retired from the Army as a Major General in 1996.
In 1997, Maj Gen (Retd) Zimondi was appointed Deputy Commissioner of the then Zimbabwe Prison Service. In preparation of his new duties and also, as a way for him to appreciate the demands and expectations of his new work environment, Major Gen Zimondi undertook a study tour of British, Danish and Swedish prison systems during the month of July 1997. When he returned from the study tours, he began advocating for a number of reformative approaches to the country’s prison and management systems. The Prison Department’s major reforms and transition began to be felt upon his appointment as the Acting Commissioner of Prisons in 1998 following the retirement of Commissioner Langton Chigwida, who was the first Commissioner of Prisons in independent Zimbabwe.
Maj Gen (Retd) Zimondi was subsequently appointed Commissioner of the Zimbabwe Prison Service in April 1998. He served as the Commissioner of the then Zimbabwe Prison Service up until July 2013. Following the adoption of a new Constitution in 2013 that provided for the rebranding of the Zimbabwe
Prison Service (ZPS) to the Zimbabwe
Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS), he Commissioner General was appointed the first Commissioner General of the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service, a position he held until his retirement on the 31st of October, 2020.
Then Colonel Zimondi with British Army Training Then Brig Gen Zimondi Inspecting ZNA military
Advisory Team hardware
Commissioner General Zimondi and former Commissioner General Zimondi inspecting a tobbacco
Commissioner General for Namibia Correctional crop
Services Mr Shikongo touring projects at his Bindura farm
Commissioner General Zimondi presenting a birthday Commissioner General Zimondi handing over humpers present to then Vice President E. D. Mnangagwa to vulnerable children under the Commissioner General
Goodwill Trust Fund
Then Colonel Zimondi and Colonel Matemachani in 1982
Commissioner General Zimondi at the official opening ceremony of Chidodo clinic in Uzumba with then V. P. Mnangagwa
Commissioner General Zimondi elbow shakes with
Islamic Cultural Institute representative Khaliq
Abdullah during the donation of COVID-19 items at Harare Central Prison
Commissioner General Zimondi arriving at the National
Sports Stadium for the 33rd Independence Programme
Commissioner General Zimondi inspecting cured tobacco
Commissioner General Zimondi, Minister
Mutsvangwa, Perm Sec Mangwana mingle with Senior
Prison officials after signing an MoU on content partnership at ZBC Pockets Hill
As Commissioner General, he implemented programmes that modernised the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services management systems in line with international best practices in the sector. He provided expert leadership in up scaling offender rehabilitation as opposed to incarceration without personal growth and reform, reintegrating and restructuring of the Prisons and Correctional Services to match the new thrust. The former Commissioner General also contributed immensely to the successful transformation and reformation of a prison system whose founding principle had been premised on creating a system that discriminated against the majority blacks making them secondary citizens in their country of birth. During his reign as the head of the Prisons and Correctional Services, the former Commissioner General revamped and improved the health delivery system across all prisons in the country.
At Zimbabwe Defence Forces Day at the National Sports Stadium, Harare
He transformed the prison system from a closed institution into a mainly open system that greatly encouraged offender rehabilitation and reintegration through community and stake holder participation. It was through his visionary leadership that Connemara Open Prison was set up.
Former Commissioner General Zimondi left behind a legacy of pro-active approaches to prison management concepts not only in the country but beyond our borders. In this regard, Zimbabwe is now the first country to have a female open prison within the SADC Region. He also founded the Zimbabwe Female Open Prison Foundation Trust in 2019. The objective of the Trust was drive and oversee the development and establishment of female open prisons in Zimbabwe with the initial project being Marondera Female Open Prison. He championed gender balance issues within the rank and file of the ZPCS.
The former Commissioner General initiated and strengthened regional and international relations which saw the ZPCS signing memoranda for cooperation with other SADC countries as well as the deployment of Correctional officers in United Nations Peacekeeping Missions.
The former Commissioner General and freedom fighter successfully attended and completed various career courses which include:
Command and Staff Course, Zimbabwe Staff College, 1986 to 1987.
Incident Management, President’s Office, 1990.
Defence and Security Studies, Royal College of Defence Studies, UK, 1993.
Diplomatic Training Course, 1995.
Given his distinguished and exemplary service before and after Independence, the former Commissioner General Zimondi was honoured and awarded the following medals:
Liberation Medal-for his gallantry and selfless dedication to the liberation of Zimbabwe.
Independence Medal-for his contribution towards the independence of Zimbabwe.
Ten Years’ Service-for his immense contribution to the integration, formation and development of the Zimbabwe National Army during the first ten years of its existence.
Long and Exemplary Medal-for his exemplary service for continuous fifteen years.
Mozambique Campaign Medal-for his contribution towards the restoration of peace and stability in Mozambique.
Grand Officer of the Zimbabwe Order of Merit- for his eminent achievement and distinguished service to Zimbabwe and humanity at large.
HERO STATUS
Following the untimely demise of the former Commissioner General, the President Cde E.D. Mnangagwa said: “…The passing on of Major General (Retired) Paradzayi Zimondi robs the country of the remaining crop of brave cadres who transformed the armed liberation struggle from the front. His record in combat operations was nothing short of legendary…”
He is survived by three children, namely: Hilda (late), Rufaro and Abigail Upenyu.
Zororai Murugare Samaita!
Lala Ngoxolo Qhawe Lethu!
Rest in Peace our Commissioner General!
Researched and compiled by the
Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services
Munhumutapa Building
P.O. Box CY 1276, Harare
January 2021
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