The Sunday Mail
Munyaradzi Huni
Pretenders have to move over. Their time is up. The real deal is in town. That German-Jewish literary critic from the Frankfurt School of critical theory, Walter Benjamin put it aptly when he said: “History is written by the victors,” but in Zimbabwe, the victors have been rather quiet, looking on as those they defeated told half-truths and in some cases complete lies.
As the half-truths and complete lies continued, the clever ones jumped on to speak on behalf of the victors taking ownership of the victory and in some instances showing complete disrespect to the owners of the victory.
Now all that circus is about to come to an end – thanks to the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services.
The country’s liberation struggle is about to be told by the real freedom fighters and as usual, The Sunday Mail will be the paper of record. Keep reading for the full story coming soon.
The Second Chimurenga was fought in different stages starting in the early 1960s up to the attainment of independence in 1980 and veterans from all the stages of the struggle have been identified. Of course, its not all of them, but quite a representative number were last week in Harare to tell their stories.
Their heart-rending stories will re-define history and cowards better run out of town. They spoke the naked truth and they did so in a somewhat ruthless manner. Some of the truths will have to be shelved for another day – to save some personalities and to maintain peace in this lovely country. But by the time The Sunday Mail will be done, there will be a political wreckage pilling up to the blue skies.
Let me not scare the clever ones who have been having a field day lying and presenting themselves as the real deal.
From Thursday last week these war veterans completely changed my view of the liberation struggle and they changed the way I view some personalities both dead and alive, in Government and outside Government.
Before the interviews started, one of the mean-looking comrades ordered that we should “sing the anthem first.” I thought we were about to sing “Simudzai Mureza weZimbabwe,” but in a few seconds I knew I was wrong.
“Comrades, tinoziva kwekutarisa kana tichiimba anthem,” said Cde Joel Muzhamba Khumalo.
All the comrades in the room, including the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services were facing kumabvazuva with their clenched firsts raised.
One of the female comrades started singing:
“Moyo wangu,
“Watsidza kufira Zimbabwe.
“Moyo wangu,
“Watsidza kufira Zimbabwe,
“Dzamara pfumo rangu ramutsa Zimbabwe
“Dzamara pfumo rangu ramutsa Zimbabwe.
“Mumakomo nemunzizi tichararamo
“Mumakomo nemunzizi tichararamo
“Dzamara pfumo rangu ramutsa Zimbabwe
“Dzamara pfumo rangu ramutsa Zimbabwe
“Rufu rwangu,
“Ruchava rweZimbabwe
“Rufu rwangu,
“Ruchava rweZimbabwe
“Yuuwi, yuuwi, vakoma vapera
“Yuuwi, yuuwi hama dzapera.”
All the comrades were stone-faced as they sang this song. It was a touching moment. It was as if we were back to the days of the liberation struggle.
Thereafter, the long hours that will redefine the country’s history and even make ordinary people appreciate the role that the freedom fighters played started. Interviewing one person could take up to three hours, but this is the kind of torture that is enjoyable. With assistance from my good sister Tendai Manzvanzvike from The Herald and Forget Tsododo from ZBC, we extracted raw data, the kind that as its being told, it sends a chill down the spine.
One of the comrades we spoke to was Cde John Makwasha whose Chimurenga name was Cde Wurayayi Mabhunu.
Below is a snippet from his long interview.
“Rugare Gumbo akabva anyatsotaura kuti imi musina kudzidza ndimi muri kuenda kunodzidza zvepfuti kana matora nyika isu tiri kuenda kuchikoro towuya tokutongai,” said Cde Wurayayi Mabhunu.
Without wasting time, I interjected asking him whether he was not saying such bad things about Cde Rugare Gumbo because of the current politics. One of the unwritten agreements was that current politics should never influence what the comrades would narrate during the interviews.
Cde Warayayi Mabhunu stood his ground and gave us even more:
“Zvandiri kutaura izvi chero mukabvunza vamwe vandaiva navo. I wasn’t alone. Zvinhu zvakazoita kuti kwataiva ikoko, taigara in one big house zvekuti takatozopedzesera vamwe vava kutobviswa imomo tava kuda kurwa ava magangs between vaya vainzi varikuenda kuchikoro kwavo vega and vanga vari vashoma. Isu takanga takazvipira kuti tava kuenda kunorwa hondo tanga takawanda.
“Zvine chokwadi. Its not about today’s politics. Its so true that even munhu akamira apa nhasi, ndinomutaurira kuti ndizvo zvawaka taura. And Rugare Gumbo anga asinganzi Rugare. Ainzi Alex Gumbo. Ndiro zita raaishandisa.
Takatozoziva nyika yasununguka kuti anonzi Rugare.”Asked what they did after this he added;
“We were afraid to make violence because Tanzania had just achieved its independence and their police was closely monitoring us but honestly as youth we wanted to beat him up. But then tava kuda kumurova kwacho, vana Hamadziripi ndivo vaiva vakuru vacho so they were also closely monitoring us. I mean Henry Hamadziripi,” he said.
We also spoke to Cde Fox Adolphus Urayayi Ndambakuwa Muwani whose Chimurenga name was Cde Larry Dube. This comrade is a moving library and he makes those who all along have been claiming to be researching the history of Zimbabwe look like they were playing childish games.
Then there was Cde Noel Chikanya whose Chimurenga name was Cde Roy Mudzingwa, Cde Noel Museredza whose Chimurenga name was Cde Ignatious Dzvotsvotsvo, Cde Florence Mudzengerere whose Chimurenga name was Cde Pronica Chinyandura Mabhunu.
We can’t mention all the comrades, otherwise we will kill that element of surprise and suspense.
These comrades told us “uncomfortable truths.” They told us very unpleasant things that happened during the liberation struggle but most of all they told us the true story about Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle. Get ready for the journey back to Mbeya, Chifombo, Mgagao, Iringa, Kumasi, USSR, Sudan, Ethiopia, China, Chimoio, Nyadzonya and all those places were the country’s liberation struggle stretched to.
The victors are back to tell their story!
