Engelbert Rugeje

Engelbert Rugeje
Engelbert Rugeje
Occupation	Secretary for Commisariat
Predecessor	Saviour Kasukuwere
Political party	Zanu -PF

Engelbert Rugeje is a Zimbabwean politician who is a member of the Zanu-PF party. He was appointed, in December 2017, to Secretary for Commissariat for Zanu PF. He was the Chief of Staff for the Zimbabwe National Army.

Personal Details

Born: Charamba village, in Bikita district Masvingo Province.
Rugeje is also an heir of the Charamba family.

School / Education

Rugeje was educated at Silveira Mission where he excelled.
Rugeje graduated from Lancaster University with both a Master of Defense & Strategic Studies degree and a Master of Laws degree. Major General Rugeje also holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard University.

Service / Career

He joined the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) as a teenager at the age of 16, serving as a partisan. Taking the moniker of "Sunbat", he rose within the ranks of ZANLA to become a member of the movement's general staff.

After the Second Chimurenga, Rugeje was offered the rank of major in the new Zimbabwe Defence Forces. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1983 and was made a colonel in 1987. Rugeje led a portion of the Zimbabwean military to quash the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army or "ZIPRA" rebellion in Matabeleland from 1983 to 1987. This was whilst he was the commander at Inkomo Barracks (the primary unit under his command being the First Mechanised Battalion). Rugeje ultimately led ZNA forces to victory over the ZIPRA (Gukurahundi). Rugeje was also successful in leading missions against the Mozambique National Resistance (RENAMO) when he was commander of One Commando Battalion (currently known as One Commando Regiment or simply "One Commando"). Around 1984, under Rugeje's leadership, One Commando assisted other elements of the Zimbabwean military in defeating most elements of the RENAMO.

Rugeje was promoted to Brigadier General in 1990 and became quartermaster of the ZNA. In the mid to late 1990s, he was actively involved in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Operation Sovereign Legitimcy) mission, in which he led successful counter insurgency missions.

In 2000 he was promoted to Major General, becoming the fourth in command of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.

Events

See Zimbabwe 2007 Coup Plot.

Save Conservancy

On 6 September 2014 - Zanu PF Save Valley ‘looters’ named

Senior Zanu PF officials and securocrats who were given concessions in the famed Save Valley Conservancy, in a move that has divided the party and invited fresh threats of sanctions against the country, have been exposed.

Walter Mzembi said handing out parts of conservancies to party activists was threatening the hosting of United Nations World Tourism Organisation General Assembly, for 2015, in Victoria Falls. According to documents with Newsday, those named: