By Ziyah News Reporter
THE Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) has announced the death of retired senior officer and liberation war veteran Colonel Patron Khutshwekhaya.
He passed away on May 1 at United Bulawayo Hospitals.
He was 75.
ZNA Commander Asher Walter Tapfumaneyi said the army was deeply saddened by the loss of the former ZIPRA cadre, whose Chimurenga name was Dalasi Ndlela.
In a statement, ZNA spokesperson Hlengiwe Dube described Khutshwekhaya as a committed liberation fighter who served the country with distinction during and after the struggle for independence.
Born in 1951 in Tsholotsho, Khutshwekhaya left the country in 1976 to join the armed liberation struggle.
He received military training in Tanzania and the former Soviet Union before being deployed to the Zambezi escarpment, where he operated in areas including Kariba, Chirundu and Kanyemba.
Following Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980, Khutshwekhaya joined the ZNA and rose through the ranks after completing officer training at Inkomo Barracks.
The late colonel is remembered for his dedication to the liberation cause and his service in the post-independence national army.