Sheba Tavarwisa…sole female member of ZANLA’s high command during the Liberation War. Photo: Twitter
Sheba Tavarwisa, Zimbabwe
Tavarwisa was a member of the military wing of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), called the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA).
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Tavarwisa left teaching to become one of the female commanders in Zanla. She started off by supplying arms from Zambia and Mozambique to the frontline in Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) and by bringing on board other people on the fight for liberation.
She eventually joined the high command at ZANU and participated in making decisions and strategies that guided the liberation struggle.
Among the things she ensured was that women in the camps were not sexually exploited.
Upon her death, Tavarwisa was buried in an unmarked grave and is one of the few freedom fighters that were not recognised by the government after independence.
