Zimbabwe is mourning the passing of Rtd Colonel Tshinga Judge Dube, a prominent Zanu-PF politburo member and decorated liberation war veteran, who died on Thursday evening at the age of 83.
His death, following kidney failure at Bulawayo’s Mater Dei Hospital, comes just four weeks after he publicly cautioned President Emmerson Mnangagwa against seeking a third term in office.
Dube’s son, Vusa, confirmed the news, stating, “He passed on at 7.34PM following kidney failure. Of course, he has been unwell for the past 10 years, but his death came as a shock to us as a family.”
The outspoken politician, who served as Deputy Minister of Defence from 2015 to 2017, leaves behind a legacy marked by both unwavering loyalty to his party and a willingness to speak truth to power.
His career spanned decades of service to Zimbabwe. After fighting in the 1970s liberation war and joining the Zimbabwe National Army post-independence, he rose through the ranks to the position of Colonel.
He then served for 22 years as CEO of Zimbabwe Defence Industries, the state-owned arms manufacturer and procurement entity for the armed forces. At the time of his death, he also held a board position at the National Railways of Zimbabwe.
His extensive experience in both military and civilian leadership roles cemented his position as a significant figure in Zimbabwean politics.
Speaking at the burial of fellow war hero Killion Dube on September 1st, he stated, “There are various opinions on the succession issue. Most of the members in the party have said he should hang on to power, but he has said that he will follow the Constitution. We have not heard him saying he wants to cling on to power beyond his term of office, but we should know that while men propose, God disposes.”
He further expressed reservations about the advice being given to the President, suggesting that self-interest, rather than national well-being, might be motivating some advisors.
“Advisers are problematic, those advising him are only looking at things that benefit themselves only,” he said.
“We must be careful with advice that we give to the President so that it does not benefit individuals only because we want his legacy to remain; these things can destroy his legacy after working so hard as minister, survived hangman’s noose and at the end of the day his legacy is destroyed like that.”
This wasn’t the first time Dube had openly addressed succession within Zanu-PF. In June 2017, amidst growing tensions over the succession of then-President Robert Mugabe, he urged the President to name his successor. He argued that there was nothing inherently disloyal about war veterans discussing the future leadership of the country.
“Sometimes people don’t understand them (war veterans); for instance when they said they are now looking at the future leadership. Some people think they mean to say they are being disloyal to our president, no not at all,” he remarked.
“There is nothing wrong with talking about the succession. Succession is not a crime to talk about. This happens in every country. All the war veterans are saying is he (Mugabe) must groom the next leader, whatever happens, whether he retires or anything happens to him there is somebody we know.”
His comments prompted a reported engagement with Mugabe, who explained that naming a successor was the prerogative of the party congress, not the President’s constitutional authority.
Dube subsequently stated, “I do not want to dwell on that problem anymore. He [Mugabe] has said the problem of choosing his successor lies with Congress. I have just put a full stop on that issue. I am not going to discuss it anymore because my Commander-in-Chief has said so. I do not want to appear like I am raising issues against him.”
His outspokenness, while earning him both praise and criticism within Zanu-PF, solidified his image as a man of principle. Given his significant role in the liberation struggle, his service under Mugabe, and his support for Mnangagwa’s 2017 ascension, it is widely anticipated that he will be declared a national hero.
His legacy, however, will be defined not only by his unwavering party loyalty but also by his courage to speak his mind, even when it meant challenging those in power.
