BULAWAYO - The Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) said Friday that one of its members, Wisdom Mkhwananzi, known as “Gagisa” or “Nkunzi,” is believed to have died while fighting in Russia in December 2025, shortly after deployment.
MRP president Mqondisi Moyo announced the death in a statement dated June 19, 2026, but said details of Mkhwananzi’s passing and the location of his remains were still unconfirmed.
“Reports reaching us indicate that Comrade Mkhwananzi may have lost his life while serving on the frontline in Russia shortly after deployment in December 2025,” Moyo said.
The last known communication from Mkhwananzi indicated he was due to be deployed to the frontline on December 7, 2025.
Information received by the party suggests he may have died around December 11, but Moyo said these details remain subject to verification.
Mkhwananzi served in the MRP’s Department of Security under the Office of the President.
Moyo described him as a “dedicated cadre of the Mthwakazi struggle” and a “disciplined revolutionary.” Moyo said Mkhwananzi’s life was marked by the Gukurahundi massacres of the 1980s.
As a child, Mkhwananzi lost both parents during the violence.
One of his most public acts of activism came during 2018 hearings by the Commission of Inquiry into post-election violence, chaired by former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe.
Moyo said Mkhwananzi pointed to a portrait of President Emmerson Mnangagwa and accused him of bearing responsibility for his parents’ deaths.
He was arrested for disrupting proceedings.
Mkhwananzi faced “repeated arrests, harassment, and court appearances” by Zimbabwean authorities during his political life, Moyo said.
He leaves behind a wife and two children.
Responding to media questions, Moyo said the MRP could not speak to Mkhwananzi’s personal motivations for going to Russia.
“Such decisions are ultimately made by individuals acting in their personal capacity,” he said.
He added that the party does not keep records of members’ private travel and is not involved in recruiting for foreign military activities.
“Any decision by an individual to travel abroad… remains a personal matter for that individual.
”Moyo linked the broader trend of young people leaving Zimbabwe to “severe economic hardship, unemployment, political exclusion, and limited prospects for social advancement.”
He cited “decades of political marginalisation, economic deprivation, historical injustices” and the legacy of Gukurahundi as factors driving migration.
“MRP urges all young people to exercise extreme caution when considering involvement in any foreign armed conflict,” Moyo said. “War carries enormous risks, including loss of life, permanent injury, psychological trauma, family separation, and long-term social consequences.”
He said the party would remain in contact with Mkhwananzi’s family and provide updates as more information becomes available.