Lionel Dyck, renowned Zimbabwean mercenary and ex-soldier nicknamed Colonel Dyck, has died at the age of 80 on his farm in Cape Town, South Africa, after a long battle against cancer. Dyck was heavily involved in the violent struggle for independence in Zimbabwe, as well as the post-independence integration of Zimbabwe’s military, and later in armed operations in Mozambique.
Dyck’s long and prominent military career spanned from significant involvement in the Rhodesian Bush War and Zimbabwean struggle for independence to frontline mercenary action against Islamist insurgents in Mozambique with his demining and protective services company, Dyck Advisory Group (DAG).
Early Life
Dyck was born in January 1944 in then-Southern Rhodesia and attended the formerly all-white Umtali Boys High (now Mutare Boys High) in what is currently Zimbabwe’s third largest city, Mutare, located in Manicaland province, bordering Mozambique. At the age of 17, he enlisted in the Rhodesian Army and was assigned to the Rhodesian Light Infantry.
Military Career
His action in the long Rhodesian Bush War, also known as the Second Chimurenga and Zimbabwean War, led to his promotion to major in the Rhodesian African Rifles (RAR). The bloody civil conflict, from July 1964 to December 1979, was between three forces, the Rhodesian Government, the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) and the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA), and resulted, ultimately, in elections that toppled the country’s white minority rule.
A historical account of the war is included in “The Bush War in Rhodesia,” written by Dennis Croukamp. The book details raw and enthralling accounts that he encountered during his service alongside the three forces. It is an excellent book, studied and recognised for its thoroughness, and it led to Croukamp receiving Rhodesia’s third highest award, known as the Bronze Cross, in memorandum for his bravery.
After Zimbabwe gained independence, Dyck was requested by then-Prime Minister Robert Mugabe to assist in merging RAR and the two guerrilla armies, the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZPRA), which was trained by the Soviets and Cubans, and the Chinese-trained Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (Zanla), into a proficient military unit.
Dyck was appointed commander in the new Zimbabwe National Army and helped with the foundation of Zimbabwe’s parachute battalion from former RAR and Selous Scouts soldiers, as well as the ZANLA and ZIPRA armies. He developed a close working relationship with the then-Zimbabwean Minister of Defense (now President), Emmerson Mnangagwa, and was awarded the Silver Cross of Zimbabwe.
Transition to Civilian Life
He left the army in Zimbabwe and moved to South Africa, where he worked at the False Bay Yacht Club as a commissioning officer.
In 2008, he founded his first successful private military company, MineTech, providing contracting, security and wildlife protection services. DAG was subsequently launched in 2012, offering mercenary, demining and anti-poaching services across the world. DAG reached high levels of prominence from 2020 in Mozambique, where Dyck was called, first, to provide cover for government soldiers in civil conflict and, in 2021 at the age of 77, to fight an Islamist extremist insurgency in Cabo Delgado province.
An article published by Hannes Wessels on “African Unauthorized” in 2020, covering the brutal indiscrimination of jihadists from the ISIS offshoot in this conflict, quotes Dyck recalling an assault on the Quissanga police post, which involved the disfigurement of bodies, cut up limbs and some body parts believed to have been eaten by the attackers. Dyck declared it as one of the most atrocious attacks he’d ever witnessed and described the movement as organised, motivated and well equipped.
“The career of Lionel Dyck spanned many years and involved him in conflict and peacekeeping efforts, leaving behind a complicated legacy shaped by his dedication to military service and his controversial role as a modern-day mercenary. His lasting impact on the security and stability of Southern Africa is a testament to a lifetime committed to causes he passionately believed in.”
Despite his passing, Dyck leaves behind a legacy cherished by his family, friends, and colleagues. He was a dedicated soldier and a prominent figure in the military contracting industry. His death marks the conclusion of an era for an individual who played a significant role in shaping recent Southern African history.
ALSO READ: Is the name Zimbabwe still synonymous with the meaning of failure?
