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Sydney Kawadza Mashonaland West Bureau Chief
The late deputy head of the Government Telecommunications Agency (DIO) in the President’s Office in Chinhoyi and provincial hero Cde Martin Cyprian Nyashanu, who died on Monday last week, has been hailed for his selfless dedication to the nation.

Cde Nyashanu was buried at the Provincial Heroes’ Acre in Chinhoyi on Wednesday last week. In a speech read on her behalf by the director in her office Mr Douglas Chiwiro, Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs Minister Mary Mliswa-Chikoka said Cde Nyashanu had, through hard work and commitment to duty, laid a firm foundation for his growth and development in the organisation.

“In Cde Nyashanu, we have lost a liberator, friend, colleague and loyal intelligence cadre, someone to whom other officers turned for advice, jokes and sharing of job experiences,” she said.

“The late Cde Nyashanu was a great champion for the emancipation of the oppressed black Zimbabweans. He was also a humble and compassionate cadre who showed selfless dedication to the nation at large.”
Cde Nyashanu was born on August 16, 1955 in Masvingo.

He attended Mashaba Location School in Zvishvane from 1961 to 1968 where he completed his Standard Six before enrolling at Berejena Secondary School for his Form 1 and 2.

He completed his Ordinary Level education at Gokomere Secondary School in 1972.
He engaged in odd jobs between 1973 and 1975, but due to colonial imbalances prevailing in the then Rhodesia, he attempted to cross into Mozambique to join the liberation struggle.

He was arrested and imprisoned at Harare Central Prison from 1975 to 1976 before he joined other valiant youths to cross into Mozambique through Triangle.

Cde Nyashanu briefly stayed at Xai Xai base in Mozambique before moving to Doroi base until 1979 when he was taken for training at Mavhonde Training Base.

In 1980, Cde Nyashanu was taken to Foxtrot Camp in Harare and later transferred to Morris Depot for training as a police officer before he left the ZRP to join the President’s Department as a security aide.

In 1986, he was transferred from the President’s Section to the Technical Branch’s Government Telecommunications Agency Division (President’s Communications Section) at Munhumutapa Building before moving to the GTA Division at CIO Headquarters in 1990.

He was later deployed to Paris, France, as a communications/protocol officer between 1990 and 1994 while on his return he became the communications officer at Harare Central Station.

Cde Nyashanu was in 1996 promoted to the rank of senior communications officer before he rose through the ranks to become assistant chief communications officer in 1999.