Colonel (Retired) Tshinga Dube, a prominent Zimbabwean war veteran and former Cabinet Minister, has died at the age of 83.

Dube passed away on Thursday evening at Mater Dei Hospital in Bulawayo due to kidney failure, his son Vusa Dube confirmed to local media.

A member of the ruling ZANU PF Politburo, Dube had a long and distinguished career in both the military and politics.

Born in 1941 in Matabeleland South, he joined the liberation movement in the 1960s. He trained as a guerrilla fighter in the Soviet Union and China, becoming a key figure in the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA).

Known as “Cde Embassy” during the struggle, Dube played a crucial role in arms procurement for ZIPRA and was among the first guerrillas deployed to the frontlines.

After independence, he served in various military roles, including as commander of the signals department in the Zimbabwe National Army.

Dube later transitioned to politics, serving as MP for Makokoba in Bulawayo and briefly as Minister of War Veterans in 2015.

In recent years, he authored a memoir titled “Quiet Flows the Zambezi.”

Dube is survived by his wife, Nomathemba Wendy Dube, and several children and grandchildren.

His son described him as “a pillar of strength” for the family, noting that while he had been unwell for a decade, his death came as a shock.

Funeral arrangements are yet to be announced.