Flint Magama
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Colonel Flint Magama (died 27 January 1986) was a Zimbabwean Army officer. A political commissar for the Zimbabwe African National Union, he joined the Military Intelligence Directorate after Zimbabwean independence. Magama was involved in killings and torture during the Gukurahundi genocide and, in 1984, was responsible for the assassination of Zimbabwe African People's Union politician Njini Ntuta. In 1986 Magama was appointed commander of the Zimbabwe National Army's intervention in the Mozambican Civil War. He was killed when a helicopter he was a passenger in crashed due to engine failure during the recapture of Marromeu. Magama was posthumously awarded the country's highest military decoration for bravery, the Gold Cross of Zimbabwe.
Biography
Magama was born as Derek Flint Mavima.{{cite news |title=Notices of Liquidation and Distribution Accounts Lying for Inspection |url=https://media.zimlii.org/files/government_gazette/files/zw-government-gazette-dated-1986-09-19-no-50.pdf |access-date=17 January 2022 |work=Zimbabwean Government Gazette |date=19 September 1986}} His father was Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) member David Zirirai Mavima and his brother is Larry Mavima, a member of the Senate of Zimbabwe and Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Midlands.{{cite web |title=President Mourns Cde David Zizirai Mavima |url=https://zanupf.org.zw/news/president-mourns-cde-david-zizirai-mavima |website=ZANU PF |access-date=17 January 2022}}
Magama was a ZANU political commissar. In the first years of black-majority rule, following the end of the Rhodesian Bush War and the Lancaster House Accords Magama was a member of the Military Intelligence Directorate, based in Bulawayo. He became involved in killings and torture during the Gukurahundi genocide against Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) supporters and anti-government dissidents, often being present during questioning sessions.{{cite news |title=Dyck's new Mozambican wild adventure |url=https://www.thezimbabwemail.com/world-news/dycks-new-mozambican-wild-adventure/ |access-date=17 January 2022 |work=The Zimbabwe Mail |date=6 November 2020}}{{cite book |last1=Cole |first1=Barbara |title=Sabotage and Torture |date=1988 |publisher=Three Knights |isbn=978-0-620-13026-4 |page=19 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V_oxAQAAIAAJ |language=en}}
Magama later became deputy commander of the Zimbabwe National Army's (ZNA) 1 Brigade. While in this role he was responsible for the 25 November 1984 killing of ZAPU politician Njini Ntuta who had accused the regime of involvement in the genocide.{{cite news |title=Mike Auret: the man who stood up to the Gukurahundi barbarians |url=https://www.zimlive.com/2020/04/10/mike-auret-the-man-who-faced-down-the-gukurahundi-barbarians/ |access-date=17 January 2022 |work=Zimbabwe News Now |date=10 April 2020}}
In January 1986 Magama took over command of the ZNA troops fighting in support of FRELIMO in the Mozambican Civil War; though he had little military experience he was politically well connected.{{cite book |title=New African Yearbook |date=1987 |publisher=IC Magazines Limited |isbn=978-0-905268-51-4 |page=225 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AJgtAQAAIAAJ |language=en}} The ZNA intervention had initially been successful but the troops and their FRELIMO allies began to suffer renewed attacks from RENAMO. In early July the city of Marromeu was captured by RENAMO after the 300-man garrison was routed. Magama drew up a plan for an air assault to recapture the city's airfield for use as a bridgehead in an attack on the city. The assault, named Operation Octopus, began on 24 January.{{cite book |last1=Emerson |first1=Stephen |title=Mozambican Civil War: Marxist-Apartheid Proxy, 1977–1992 |date=30 July 2019 |publisher=Pen and Sword |isbn=978-1-5267-2850-0 |page=137 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=104IEAAAQBAJ |language=en}}
On 27 January Magama was killed in a helicopter crash as Zimbabwean troops assaulted the city.{{cite book |last1=Kalley |first1=Jacqueline Audrey |last2=Schoeman |first2=Elna |last3=Andor |first3=Lydia Eve |title=Southern African Political History: A Chronology of Key Political Events from Independence to Mid-1997 |date=1999 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-313-30247-3 |page=254 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oVrVK2ElINMC |language=en}} Also killed in the crash were two privates, the two pilots, a second lieutenant and a major (who was second in command of the Parachute Squadron). The cause of the loss was determined to be engine failure though RENAMO claimed to have shot the aircraft down.{{cite book |title=AIM Information Bulletin |date=1986 |publisher=The Agency |pages=13–14 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ip4PAQAAMAAJ |language=en}}{{cite book |last1=Legum |first1=Colin |last2=Drysdale |first2=John Gordon Stewart |title=Africa Contemporary Record: Annual Survey and Documents |date=1985 |publisher=Africana Publishing Company |isbn=978-0-8419-0556-6 |page=678 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=08TiAAAAMAAJ |language=en}} Marromeu was successfully recaptured during the ensuing ZNA assault.{{cite book |title=The Army Quarterly and Defence Journal |date=1986 |publisher=West of England Press |page=241 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u_bbAAAAMAAJ |language=en}}
Magama was buried at the National Heroes' Acre in Harare. On 21 June 1991 he was awarded Zimbabwe's highest military decoration for bravery, the Gold Cross of Zimbabwe.{{cite news |title=Grant of Bravery Awards |url=https://gazettes.africa/archive/zw/1991/zw-government-gazette-dated-1991-06-21-no-36.pdf |access-date=17 January 2022 |work=Zimbabwean Government Gazette |date=21 June 1991}} The Flint Magama barracks in Rusape are named after him.{{cite news |title=Soldier Lauds Army after Medical Assistance |url=http://www.zna.gov.zw/phocadownload/2021Second%20EditionMag-compressed.pdf |access-date=17 January 2022 |work=The Zimbabwe National Army |date=Second Quarter 2021}}