One of the top military officers who played a critical role in securing the safe return of the late President Robert Mugabe from exile after the historic Lancaster House talks, has died in the UK.Mukuru weMauto Akabatsira Mugabe OshayikaBrig Mutanda was part of the security team that facilitated Mugabe’s return from Mozambique in
early 1980 following the Lancaster House Agreement, which marked the end of the bitter liberation war and paved the way for Zimbabwe’sThe Lancaster House Conference, held in London from September to December 1979, brought together delegations from the British government, the Rhodesian regime led by Ian Smith and Bishop Abel Muzorewa, and the liberation movements represented by ZANU led by Robert Mugabe and ZAPU led by Joshua Nkomo.
The talks, mediated by British Foreign Secretary Lord Carrington, resulted in a negotiated ceasefire and set the framework for democratic elections in early 1980, culminating in the birth of independent Zimbabwe on 18 April 1980.
After the agreement, concerns over Mugabe’s safety during his return to the then-Rhodesia prompted the deployment of trusted liberation war cadres to ensure his security.
Among them was Brig Mutanda, who was instrumental in coordinating Mugabe’s safe passage from Mozambique into Zimbabwe, a mission that earned him deep respect within the liberation movement.
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Following independence, Brig Gen Mutanda served under President Canaan Banana, Zimbabwe’s first ceremonial president, and continued to play vital roles in the development of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.
His contributions to the liberation struggle and post-independence nation-building were formally recognised when, upon the request of the ZANU PF UK District on 26 June 2024, he was conferred with National Hero Status, the highest honour in Zimbabwe for individuals who made outstanding contributions to the country’s freedom and sovereignty.
Mutanda passed away in the diaspora, but his legacy as a liberation stalwart and trusted comrade of Mugabe remains etched in the annals of Zimbabwe’s history.
