Gibson Mashingaidze is a serving army general and head of Zimbabwean sports. He was born in Bikita District from Nyika Growth Point in Masvingo province in during the 1950s. like the minority of age group he managed to get to secondary education. He joined the liberation war in the 70s. He adopted a war name called Comrade Tangaimaona Povo. He rose through the ranks of ZANLA, a guerilla movement waging a war against the Ian Smith Regime. By the end of the liberation war in 1979 he had risen to become the Political commissar of Manica province (Second in command to Gen Paradzai Zimondi who was the provincial commander then Known as Comrade Tonderai Nyika)