A war veteran, Cde David Mongwa Moyo has died.

He was 97.

Cde Moyo, who was one of the oldest surviving pioneer freedom fighters in the country, died at the age of 97 at Materdei Hospital in Bulawayo.

Moyo was part of the Wankie campaign, a joint operation between uMkhonto Wesizwe and ZAPU.

Born in June 1925 in Kezi, Matabeleland South Province, Moyo did his primary education at Simpathe and Bango schools before enrolling at Inyathi Mission in Bubi for his secondary education.

Cde Moyo became involved in politics during the 1951 Land Husbandry Act in his rural home in Kezi after leaving his job in Bulawayo through resisting colonial laws and policies.

Moyo skipped the border into Zambia to join the armed struggle after the Rhodesian army was on his trail after making home explosives and attacking white-owned installations with his homeboys who included Cde Velaphi and Roger Ncube.

He was trained in North Korea together with other pioneer combatants such as former Governor of Manicaland, Cde Tineyi Chigudu and Cde Lazarus Dhlakama.

After his military training in North Korea, Cde Moyo was deployed in the then Rhodesia together with former Cabinet Minister, Colonel (Retired) Tshinga Dube.

Burial arrangements will be announced in due course.