President Emmerson Mnangagwa has called on members of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) to maintain loyalty and dedication in their service to the nation.
Speaking at the burial of national heroes Walter Basopo and Brigadier General Tapiwa Rungani at the National Heroes Acre in Harare on Wednesday, 30 April, the President urged the current generation of ZDF officers, men, and women to emulate the professionalism and commitment displayed by the late heroes. He said:
The late Brigadier General was a larger than life commander in the ZDF. His professional conduct was always underpinned by integrity, humility, loyalty, enthusiasm and visionary leadership.
These traits must be emulated by the current crop of officers, men and women in the ZDF.
It is the dedication and commitment of gallant sons and daughters of the soil in the mould of Brigadier General (Rtd) Victor Rungani and director, Cde Walter Basopo that has helped Zimbabwe to march towards attaining its goals, even during times of adversity.
Basopo, a retired administrator with the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) and a veteran of Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle, passed away at Life Groenkloof Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa, after a long illness.
Following independence in 1980, he joined the President’s Department as a trainee intelligence officer and served in various key roles, including intelligence officer, divisional intelligence officer, and deputy director for counterintelligence in 2005.
In 2013, Basopo became deputy director for planning and coordination, and was later promoted to director for counterintelligence in 2022.
Rungani, who passed away on Tuesday last week at Mbuya Dorcas Hospital in Waterfalls, Harare, was a respected figure in the Zimbabwe National Army. He served as the director of the Engineering and Military Equipment Directorate.
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