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Air Force of Zimbabwe Commander Air Marshall Perrance Shiri

Moleen Machingura Herald Reporter—
MDC-T is sliding into extinction as characterised by its bitter leadership wrangle, Air Force of Zimbabwe Commander Air Marshall Perrance Shiri said on Tuesday. Speaking at the burial of Wing Commander Tongayi Brian Muchenje, who was declared a provincial war hero, Air Marshall Shiri told mourners at Harare Provincial Heroes Acre that Zanu-PF’s resounding victory in the July 31, 2013 harmonised elections had left MDC-T in disarray.

“We are happy and must thank Wing Commander Muchenje for the great work he did. May he go and tell Mbuya Nehanda and Sekuru Kaguvi that we are now fully independent.

“We took the land. The West’s puppets here were soundly beaten in the elections and now they are in disarray. They are now following the path of (late Unita leader Jonas) Savimbi,” he said.

Wing Comm Muchenje, who was assigned to Zimbabwe Defence Forces Headquarters as Staff Officer One (Foreign Services), died last Friday when the car he was driving rammed into a tree along Joshua Nkomo Road in Harare.

He was 44.
A funeral parade in his honour was held at Manyame Air Base before he was laid to rest.

Air Marshall Shiri described Wing Comm Muchenje as a brave, dedicated and hard working soldier who deserved provincial war hero status.

“Although he was not able to go to the liberation struggle because of his age, we are grateful that Zimbabwe has recognised his contribution to our on-going struggle against its detractors and their puppets.

“Thus the conferment of provincial war hero’s status on him is a befitting send-off,” he said.
Wing Comm Muchenje, he said, contributed immensely to the fight against Renamo which wanted to block Zimbabwe’s access to the port cities of Beira and Maputo in Mozambique.

“When Operation Sovereign Legitimacy in the Democratic Republic of Congo was underway, the late Wing Commander was very instrumental in its success due to his courageous and brave exploits into enemy territory which ensured that the rebels were swiftly repulsed,” said Air Marshall Shiri.

“During the hyper inflationary period, while most of the pilots left for greener pastures the late Wing Commander Tongayi Brian Muchenje was one of the few heroes that stayed behind to ensure that the Air Force of Zimbabwe’s operation capabilities remained steadfast.”

Air Marshall Shiri said Wing Comm Muchenje, working with the National Parks and Wildlife Authority, was heavily involved in anti-poaching campaigns.

Wing Commander Muchenje was born in 1969 in Harare.
He attended Chipundura Primary School, and Makumbi and Gokomere secondary schools.

Wing Comm Muchenje was attested into the AFZ on November 6, 1989 as an officer cadet and rose through the ranks to become Wing Commander in 2010.

Among his qualifications were the Officer Cadet (1989), Basic Flying (1991), Flying Instructors (2003), Aircrew Survival Training and Helicopter Instructors (2004), and the Joint Command and Staff (2008) courses.

Wing Comm Muchenje held several appointments, among them Base Intelligence Officer at Manyame Airbase (2000), Staff Officer Two Air Intelligence (2002) at AFZ headquarters, Acting Officer Commanding Flying Wing Manyame Airbase (2009), and Staff Officer One Foreign Services at ZDF headquarters.

In recognition of his exemplary service, he was awarded the Independence, Ten Years’ Service, Mozambique Campaign, DRC Campaign, and the Long and Exemplary Service medals.