1. Air Chief Marshal Josiah Tungamirai, born Thomas Mberikwazvo, was a Zimbabwean military officer and politician.
16 Facts About Josiah Tungamirai
1. 2.
Josiah Tungamirai was commander of the Air Force and later served as Minister of State for Indigenization and Empowerment in President Robert Mugabe's government before his death in 2005.
3.
Josiah Tungamirai received his primary education at the Mutero Mission in Gutu from 1957 to 1964.
4.
Josiah Tungamirai went up to Salisbury Polytechnic and he completed his studies in Physics and Mathematics in 1970.
5.
The Mother of his oldest child Thomas Josiah Tungamirai, was Juliette James.
6.
Josiah Tungamirai served in Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army during the Rhodesian Bush War.
7.
Josiah Tungamirai remained loyal to Mugabe during the Nhari and Vashandi inter-factional strife within ZANLA, and was among the ZANLA officials who escaped Zambia, following the Zambian government's arrest of senior ZANU officials after the assassination of Herbert Chitepo.
8.
In 1979 Josiah Tungamirai was part of the Patriotic Front delegation which was a party to the Lancaster House Agreement.
9.
When Zimbabwe became independent in 1980, Josiah Tungamirai became a major general in the newly formed Zimbabwe National Army and was appointed to the Zimbabwe Joint High Command.
10.
Josiah Tungamirai was involved in the work to integrate the formerly belligerent Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army and Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army as well as the Rhodesian Army.
11.
In 1982 Josiah Tungamirai was transferred to the Air Force of Zimbabwe to fill the post of Chief of Staff.
12.
Josiah Tungamirai went on to reach the rank of air chief marshal and serve as the commander of the Air Force of Zimbabwe.
13.
In 1992 Josiah Tungamirai was replaced by Perrance Shiri as Air Force commander.
14.
In early 2004, Josiah Tungamirai was elected to parliament from Gutu North in a by-election.
15.
Josiah Tungamirai was afterwards appointed to the Cabinet as Minister of State for Indigenisation and Empowerment on 9 February 2004.
16.
Josiah Tungamirai was put on the United States sanctions list in 2003 and remained on the list until his death.