Liberation War Veteran Soft Magarasadza Dies at 76

Former ZPRA liberation war commander Soft Magarasadza, who led key military operations in northern Zimbabwe during the liberation struggle, has died at the age of 76.

Born Elson Mupamawonde in 1950 in Bikita, Magarasadza joined the armed struggle in the early 1970s. He initially operated under the Chimurenga name Cde Dhuurani before later adopting the name Soft Magarasadza, also known as Thulani Mlotshwa.

He underwent military training in Morogoro, Tanzania, between 1973 and 1974, alongside several cadres who later became senior commanders. After completing his training, he was sent to the Soviet Union, where he specialised in artillery.

In 1976, during the ZIPA period, Magarasadza was deployed to Mozambique and operated in Gaza Province under a Zanla commander known as Makasha. Later that year, he returned and was assigned to the Kariba operational zone, then referred to as BL1.

Following the restructuring of forces in 1978, he rose to command North Front 2 (NF2), with his tactical headquarters based at Chinjiri. His operational area covered Kariba, Hurungwe and Makonde, stretching to Zvimba and Mondoro, and bordered North Front 3 and the Gokwe area. He was deputised by Tony Nyathi, who served as the commissar.

During his tenure, Magarasadza oversaw several notable operations documented in liberation war accounts. These included a heavy-weapon attack on Kariba town in June 1977, anti-aircraft missile operations targeting enemy aircraft in 1978 and 1979, and strikes on oil storage facilities in Salisbury in 1978. His forces also carried out repeated sabotage of electricity infrastructure in areas such as Chitomborwizi, Murombedzi, Msengezi and parts of present-day Harare Province.

In August 1979, the then deputy chief of operations, Richard Mataure Ngwenya, was sent from Lusaka to evaluate the northern front. After assessment, the area under Magarasadza’s command was declared ready for the deployment of regular forces into the Kariba basin.

At the end of the war in 1980, Magarasadza assembled his forces at the Romeo assembly point near Chitomborwizi in the Chinhoyi area, ahead of Zimbabwe’s transition to independence.

He fought alongside his brother, Goronga Magarasadza, who was killed in October 1978 following a bombardment at the front.

After independence, Magarasadza largely remained out of the public spotlight. He settled in the area where he had operated during the war and maintained close ties with his former comrades.