Chimurenga II Chronicles: Altena Farm attack: The deaths and the escape

17 Apr, 2016 - 00:04 0 Views
Chimurenga II Chronicles: Altena Farm attack: The  deaths and the escape Cde Pedzisa

The Sunday Mail

Cde Lovemore Rugora, born in 1942 in Rusape, whose Chimurenga name was Cde John Pedzisa was the commander of the group of freedom fighters who hit Altena Farm in 1972, thereby signalling the start of the sustained Second Chimurenga in earnest.

After working in Zambia from 1962 and joining Zanu in 1963, Cde Pedzisa voluntarily went for military training in 1968. His group was known as the Group of 45 because some of the recruits escaped from training.

In this interview with our team comprising Munyaradzi Huni and Tendai Manzvanzvike, Cde Pedzisa narrates the first days of Zanu in Zambia and the military training by the Chinese at Mgagao Training Camp in Tanzania.

Cde Pedzisa narrates his story as the Rhodesian forces hunted his group after the attack at Altena farm. One of his comrades was captured while two others died in one of the attacks. He broke down in tears narrating how as Zimbabweans, we lack respect of our spirit mediums yet whites during the colonial regime showered the spirit mediums with lots of respect. Read on the FULL STORY . . .

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Cde Pedzisa

Cde Pedzisa

SM: Let’s pick up your story when you were in Zambia. Who was coordinating Zanu activities in Zambia at that time?

Cde Pedzisa: Cde Chitepo was the chairman and at the party offices there was Cde Gwauya. When we approached Cde Chitepo it was on a Friday. He told us that he was going to consult a few people and we should report back to him on the next Monday.

We went back on the Monday and he said the party had made arrangements to send us for training. On that day, Cde Tongogara was there with a Peugeot Station Wagon. They said they were taking us for military training as we had requested. We were about seven.

It was the late Chauke, Baba waJuru, he is still alive, Taruvinga and others I can’t remember now. We were taken to Chakabva’s farm. I think we were among the very few groups of comrades in Zambia who volunteered to go for military training. We later became known as the Group of 45 because 45 comrades later went for training.

From Chakabva’s farm, we were later taken to Tanzania where we got military training at Intumbi camp. This was a very long journey and we spent about a week at Tunduma Border Post between Zambia and Tanzania as our leaders sought clearance.

SM: This was a long journey. On this long journey how were you motivating each other? What were you talking about?

Cde Pedzisa: Throughout the journey, it was mob psychology. Singing and dancing so that we would not think too much. We spoke about where we were working and how the conditions were, but mainly it was singing and dancing. We also drank lots of beer on the way because we had few dollars and on some occasions, Cde Tongo would buy us beer and cigarettes.

When we got to Intumbi we were then welcomed by our instructors. I remember one of the instructors was Cde Nhamo. At Intumbi that’s when we got our Chimurenga names. You were given just the first name, then you look for your own surname.

So I was given the name John and they asked me what surname l would want and I said Pedzisa.

SM: Why the surname Pedzisa?

Cde Pedzisa: In my mind I was saying, we have been talking with the colonial regime for many years and now that we were getting military training, tava kuenda kunopedzisa hondo yakatangwa nanaMbuya Nehanda.

SM: Tell us briefly of the training at Mgagao.

Cde Pedzisa: Our training was a bit long because Zanu had spoken to the Chinese so that they could come and train us. The Chinese took their time to come but we were never told that we were waiting for the Chinese instructors. Before the Chinese arrived, we were taken through what I would call training yekunyebedzera.

We would be taken through drills, we would go to the shooting ranch and were taught how to use hand grenades. This training was not very rigorous. We went through this training for three months.

Then the Chinese instructors came and for another three months, we were put under real military training. We would wake up very early in the morning and go jogging for many kilometers. We would come back, have breakfast and go to classes where we got political orientation up to lunch time. After lunch, we would be dismissed waiting for the next day.

We were taught how to assemble a gun, the several types of guns, how to clean and use them. We were taught how to use hand grenades without injuring ourselves. We were taught how to lay land mines. We were taught how to go on a reconnaissance exercise and how to judge distance without getting close to the enemy.

The Chinese instructors would use their language then someone would translate so that we could understand the instructions. With the Chinese, the bulk of the time was left for politics. They emphasised that during guerrilla warfare, we could not win the war without support from the masses. They taught us kuti vabereki vanobatwa sei and how we were supposed to conduct ourselves to the masses.

The Chinese showed us how they fought their war with the Japanese and we learnt quite a lot.

SM: What would you say were some of the lessons from this training that helped you a lot during the liberation struggle?

Cde Pedzisa: The biggest lesson was how to relate with the masses. This helped me a lot when I got injured during one of the battles. The masses helped me otherwise I would have died or would have been captured.

After the three months with these Chinese instructors, we spent another three months as the party was trying to see how we could cross into Rhodesia because of the Zambezi River.

Zanu went and spoke with Frelimo in Mozambique to see if we could cross into Rhodesia from Mozambique and not Zambia. As we waited, the party said we are now training you to be instructors. The training was almost the same with the one we had got from the Chinese and at some point we said, no, enough is enough we now want to go and fight in Rhodesia.

We had received enough training and we were confident that we would give the Rhodesian forces a torrid time. Takanga tatononokerwa. One of the Chinese instructors was impressed by our courage to go and fight and asked his superiors to join us in our war. However, his superiors refused to grant him the permission. He cried as we left the camp.

SM: Who are some of the comrades who were in this group of 45?

Cde Pedzisa: There was the late Zvinavashe, Mayor Urimbo, Chauke, Chinamaropa and many others, I can’t remember their names.

Takazosiira camp vana Cde Rex Nhongo and Cde Josiah Tungamirai as they were coming for training. The day they arrived that’s the day we left the camp going to Kongwa transit camp still in Tanzania.

At Kongwa we were waiting for deployment and we would do light training in the morning. Our overall commander was Cde Mataure who was co-ordinating with the Tanzanians but among the group, the commander was Cde Gandamuseve. I was in the logistics department. We were at Kongwa from end of 1969 until sometime towards end of 1971 when we were deployed into Rhodesia.

SM: Tell us briefly exactly what would happen before deployment.

Cde Pedzisa: Before deployment, OAU would get involved and they knew how many comrades were to be deployed and their training. Using this information, the OAU would release the weapons we were supposed to use.

The weapons would be put into separate OAU trucks for each and every group. This was co-ordinated by the late Hashim Mbita from Tanzania and I tell you I don’t think Africa has thanked that man enough for the role he played during the liberation struggle. When I got injured, I was made Zanu representative at Mbeya in Tanzania and I tell you everything in terms of logistics went smoothly, thanks to Hashim Mbita.

So from Kongwa, we drove for several days tichimwa doro kwete mbichana. We were happy that finally we were going to fight the Smith regime. We were supposed to be taken to Chifombo but there were last minute changes and we were taken to Kaswende. Later we were taken to Chifombo.

On 21 December, 1971; that’s when we started carrying weapons from Chifombo walking for days going to Zambezi River. At this time, there were still no female comrades because they had not yet started joining the liberation struggle.

Our group of 45 had been joined by some comrades from Cde Nhongo’s group. We carried materiel (weapons) from December 1971 until towards end of 1972. Samora Machel, the late Mozambican leader saw us carrying this materiel and said, hamungapedzi kutakura materiel iyi because muri vashoma. Regai ndikupei povho yangu. He spoke in his language of course. We were then assisted by the povho from Mozambique to carry materiel to Zambezi River. During the first days, we would walk to Zambezi River for one week, but a few days later the same journey took us just three days.

The weather was extremely hot during these days and sometimes waiti wava kuita weti waiona ine ropa.

SM: What would one person be carrying?

Cde Pedzisa: Waitakura kasha yemabara – which was very heavy like 30kg, then cartoon of beans or beef, your blankets, spare shoes and then your gun. Others would carry the guns. Once we got to Zambezi, we would go to some village kwainzi kwaChamboko where we would pile up our material.

SM: When you say where we would pile up our materiel, some people may think there was some big warehouse. Explain to us where exactly you would put all the materiel?

Cde Pedzisa: We would find a suitable hideout where we would dig pits and put our material in there and cover any traces with tree leaves. These pits were our warehouse. We were using the Mozambican border side to walk to Chamboko village because during this time, Frelimo had managed to push the Portuguese soldiers further into the country.

As we were piling up our materiel, we used leaders in nearby villages to spread word in Rhodesia that we would soon be crossing into the country to fight the Smith regime. We wanted the povho to be ready to welcome us because according to the teachings of Mao, “we were the fish and the masses were the water.” As you know fish can’t survive where there is no water.

From Chamboko village, we later crossed into Rhodesia and carried our material to hideouts on Mavhuradhonha Mountain. We went on several trips to hide material in this mountain. Those who know Mavhuradhonha mountain know that its not easy to go up that mountain, especially when carrying something very heavy but our training had prepared us for this.

SM: As you were preparing for war carrying material, what did you believe in? Did you put all the preparations in the hands of God or vadzimu?

Cde Pedzisa: To be honest with you, when I went to the struggle I was young and blank about all these things. Of course we knew there was God and l am sure some of my comrades prayed to God.

But it was after our deployment that I started believing zvemudzimu. We saw homwe yaMbuya Nehanda and we were told quite a number of things that guided us during the liberation struggle. Even as we were going up Mavhuradhonha mountain, we were taken up the mountain by Sekuru Chiwawa, a spirit medium from the area. For a whole week, Sekuru Chiwawa would wake up in the evening telling us kuti kana kwakanaka mangwana muchaona shiri. The next day we would wake up and indeed see this bird. This bird would not leave the area where we would be camped. In the evening, it would go and Sekuru Chiwawa would wake up and tell us that tomorrow, that bird won’t come but muchaona gudo ndiro ratichaswera naro. Mukasaona gudo iri hakuna kunaka. The next day we would wake up gudo ratovapo.

SM: Is this real or you are making up these stories to prove the importance of spirit mediums during the liberation struggle?

Cde Pedzisa: (Long pause, tears running down his eyes) Handizivi kuti vanhu veZimbabwe takaita sei. You know whites during the colonial days, they would carry loads and loads of food and give spirit mediums kuti vabike doro rekuti mvura inaye kuti vawane kurima. I am talking of whites here.

Now, we blacks we are in a free Zimbabwe, tarasa chivanhu chedu. Asi mubvakure aiziva kukosha kwechivanhu chedu. White people respected our spirit mediums more than us blacks. Ndine urombo maningi.

SM: When you talk of seeing Mbuya Nehanda some may fail to understand exactly what you mean. Can you elaborate further?

Cde Pedzisa: When we talk about Mbuya Nehanda, its like munhu anofa, kana ndafa ndochimuka pane mupenyu wekwangu ndava kuratidza gwara zvichienderana nezvekwandiri. So this is not the original Mbuya Nehanda but its someone who has the spirit of Mbuya Nehanda.

SM: So what was the name of this person who had the spirit of Mbuya Nehanda?

Cde Pedzisa: To be honest, I was not at the level to know such intricate things. I am sure people like Cde Bethune and Cde Khumalo who were close to issues surrounding Mbuya Nehanda would know better.

SM: Ok, so what did Mbuya Nehanda say to you comrades as you prepared to launch the Second Chimurenga?

Cde Pedzisa: She told us that vazukuru muri kusimudzira patakasiira. Saka ndichakupai makomborero angu. Asi makomborero aya ane mhiko. Mhiko yacho ndeyekuti hakuna zvekutamba nevasikana. Among our group, Cde Rex Nhongo (Cde Solomon Mujuru) was told kuti iwe une chidzimu chehondo saka usafe wakabatiswa kana chii zvacho chekuti ukwanise kurarama muhondo. Iwe wakagadzirwa une midzimu yako inokumiririra.

The rest of the group takapihwa chuma that we would wear every time and we were told never to remove this chuma. However, the biggest emphasis was on women. She stressed over and over again that we were not supposed to sleep with women during the struggle. But of course later, some comrades failed to follow this and indeed some got injured while others died.

SM: After making all the necessary preparations, take us through the journey when finally you were deployed to fight the colonial regime.

Cde Pedzisa: We were 23 freedom fighters in our platoon. The Smith regime had heard through rumours that we were now inside Rhodesia and the regime was alert. So we divided ourselves into four sections. I was leading my group, Tsanangura with his group, Masamba with his group and Marange with his group.

Masamba’s group was given the task to protect and distribute the ammunition on Mavhuradhonha mountain. The other three groups were the ones that were given the task to go and engage the regime. I went with my group kuChinzviro, near Altena Farm which was the home area of Sekuru Chiwawa.

Cde Rex and Cde Jake Chamunorwa were the overall commanders. They joined Tsanangura and Marange’s sections respectively.

We had agreed that now that the regime was aware that we were in the area, we would go into villages and each group was supposed to recruit two more comrades so that each section would have seven comrades instead of five.

So I went and recruited three comrades that we quickly trained right in the thick bushes. We trained them the basics of war, like how to take cover, how to shoot and how to retreat using the crawling method.

We also had agreed that we would identify targets and hit them simultaneously so that we would take the Rhodesian forces by surprise. So after making reconnaissance at Altena Farm, I waited with my group to hear my other comrades attacking their targets so that we would also start attacking the farm. While waiting, the Rhodesian forces near Mount Darwin knew we were in the area but they didn’t know exactly where we were. So I think they wanted to scare us, so they just started throwing bombs in the nearby mountains.

When I heard the bombings, I thought these were my fellow comrades who were now hitting their targets and we started hitting Altena Farm. This was in 1972.

SM: The story about the attack at Altena farm fascinates many people because it signalled the real start of the Second Chimurenga after the mishap in 1966 at the famous Chinhoyi battle. Take us through the reconnaissance and the attack. We want to know exactly how you did it.

Cde Pedzisa: Remember we were not going to raid an army here. This was just a farm where we wanted to announce to the regime that as freedom fighters we were now ready for war.

So when we got to the farm, the first thing we did was to try and cut the phone line to the house but we failed because we couldn’t climb up the pole. We went to the road leading to the house and planted three land mines along the road.

After this we took our positions and I instructed the comrade who was responsible for the bazooka to hit the house.

As we were pointing the bazooka to the house, we actually saw the white farmer walking inside the house. He must have suspected that we were close by his house. He was walking up and down the house showing panic. As he was doing that, we hit the house. We didn’t even know his name because that was not our concern. We didn’t even have the time to ask povho whether this whiteman and his family died because of the attack. There was no time for all that.

As leader of the group, I discovered on this day that munhu anokwanisa kuita chivindi asati asvika panzvimbo. The comrades who were responsible for the bazooka and land mines were shivering so much that I actually had to assist them do their duties. As I was assisting the comrade to fire the bazooka, I forgot to close my ears and when we fired, I think my eardrums were affected. Up to now I still have hearing problems from that incident.

After attacking the house, we then moved to the nearby shops and hit the shops again. Then we went to the workers compound and said come on, tauya kuhondo hendei mese. We then burnt down the compound. We took the workers by surprise and they started running all over the place and in that confusion, we disappeared.

Tisati taenda, takatora hwai from this farm and we went back with it to our base to celebrate this attack. This was just the beginning of the war and there was this excitement. We didn’t know at the war front, things don’t happen that way. In no time, the Rhodesian forces sent their helicopters to look for us and I tell you we had a torrid time.

SM: Take us through this torrid time.

Cde Pedzisa: I think from the helicopters, the Rhodesian soldiers could see us. I am not exactly sure, but it appeared as if the helicopters were pushing us in a certain direction and we didn’t think about it. We kept dodging and running not knowing that this was some trap.

We got to Hoya river and we almost walked into an ambush. I was walking at the back of the group when this surprise attack took place. My bazooka man was captured during this battle. He was called Chourombo.

The other comrade called Hopedzichirira escaped and I don’t know how but he found his war to the rear in Zambia. Of those three comrades we had trained at the front, two died during this battle. I was with another comrade, I can’t remember his name, we managed to take cover, crawl and escaped. The third recruit, I don’t know what happened to him but after independence I met him in Harare. I had forgotten him but he stopped me and identified himself. He told me that he survived by hiding along the river bank until the next day.

SM: Now you had come face to face with death. What went through your mind as you saw this reality?

Cde Pedzisa: To be honest, there was no time to think of other things. The game for now was survival and escaping. The Rhodesian forces wanted to make a statement kuti zvehondo hazviitwi to us and they were determined to kill all of us. After re-grouping, we would talk about how we survived.

We didn’t even have time yekuchema those comrades vanga vafa. Ndizvo zvaitika ndiyo hondo, famba zvakanaka comrade. We didn’t even bury these dead comrades because the Rhodesian forces were in hot pursuit.

SM: How exactly did you survive this battle?

Cde Pedzisa: Like I said, I was walking at the back of the group to make sure all the comrades were there. When the attack started, I had not yet arrived at this fire place, which in military terms is sometimes called the killing bag. So when the firing started, I quickly took cover and remained in that position for a while studying the area. The Rhodesian soldiers were also not sure of themselves so they quickly retreated and after a while I stood up and continued walking. I actually saw the dead comrades as I was walking past.

I think the Rhodesian forces were also excited that they had captured Cde Chourombo and that’s why they left hastily.

This other comrade I was left with had been injured, so I helped him as we walked. We were in the Mt Darwin area and I started using tree leaves and herbs to treat the wound.

After treating him for days tiri musango as we were walking, one of the days we met the group led by Masamba which was responsible for material.

These comrades are the ones who told me that there were some reinforcements from Zambia and there were more comrades coming to the war front. For three days, we were walking to the base where we had been told that these comrades were.

One of the days, takasvibirwa then we decided to sleep pane umwe musha. Very early the next day, we saw some oldman at a nearby river and we went to inquire from him how the situation was in the area. He told us that there were no Rhodesian forces in the area.

Mdara uyu aiva nehuchi and I started eating. My fellow comrade was given some dried fish and as he stood up to put the fish in his bag, he discovered that there were some Rhodesian forces walking towards us.

This comrade started running and they started firing in his direction. I fired back trying to stop them from firing at this comrade. In no time, I felt my knee going cold. I fell down and discovered that I had been hit by a bullet. I quickly started crawling and went into the river and started swimming. I could see the bullets hitting the water. I got under some tree that was hanging into the river and remained still. The shooting stopped and I remained in that position the whole day because I could see that the Rhodesian forces were still roaming the area.

In the evening, I came out of the river and crawled to a nearby thick bush and took cover there. My knee cap was gone and I was in excruciating pain.

SM: What happened to that old man?

Cde Pedzisa: I really don’t know. What I know is that my fellow comrade managed to escape and I didn’t have time to see kuti mdara uyu what happened to him. I am sure mdara uyu didn’t know what was happening and these Rhodesian forces were just walking by not knowing that we were in the area. But when my fellow comrade started running, that’s when they started firing.

SM: So what happened after you took cover at this bushy area?

Cde Pedzisa: The next morning, the Rhodesian forces came back to the area with helicopters. I saw them loading something into one of the helicopters and I think when I returned fire, I killed one or two of them and they had come to collect the bodies. I saw it all from this position.

They then made an extended line to comb the area and they started walking in my direction. One of the soldiers had a sniffer dog but fortunately he was a bit far away from where I was hiding. I crawled further into the thick bush and they walked past. My heart was pounding.

I still had my gun and was ready to fire if they had discovered me. Ndakanga ndakakoka kuti ndofa nevangu.

I remained in this position the whole day. In the evening, I started walking along the river. I was in excruciating pain. In the morning, I took cover and rested. I would only walk during the evening.

On the third day, that’s when I saw some cattle and knew that there must be some villages nearby. I walked to the village and they first prepared porridge for me. I managed to eat three teaspoons of porridge. They started treating my wound and later gave me sadza. Ndakangoita musova mitatu ndikati ndaguta. You know ukanyatsoita nzara chaizvo, you won’t eat lots of food.

These villagers said they were going to look for my other comrades in the area and when they made this suggestion I said yes, you should do so but as you do that I will find somewhere nearby in the bush to go and hide.

These villagers were afraid to keep me for long because they feared someone could sell them out and the Rhodesian forces were ruthless to anyone who assisted us. I remember the Rhodesian forces at one time vakasungirira munhu mupenyu pahelicopter and they flew the helicopter with this villager hanging. By the time the helicopter landed, the villager was dead. So this instilled fear into the villagers. After a day, the villagers took me to my fellow comrades on a bicycle.

SM: You are talking about moving from this place to that place but we are talking about moving in thick forests here. How were you coordinating all this?

Cde Pedzisa: Like I told you, during training, the Chinese taught us that we were the fish and the people were the water. The povho made the coordination easy. They were our means of communication. So you see mvura iri kufambisa fish.

The teachings of Mao say that akabata pfuti mudiki kupovho. It meant that whatever we were doing, we were supposed to put povho in front. As freedom fighters, we were servants of the people.

So when I was taken to my fellow comrades, that’s when I started receiving proper medication to my knee. Unfortunately, mushonga wacho had expired and the needle yacho yakanga isisabaye zvakanaka. Vaindibaya vachiita zvekutsindira kuti ipinde. That’s why up to this day, you can see gomba riri paknee pangu. (Showing the knee with tears running down his cheeks). Kubaiwa zvekuita kunge pfumo. I can’t and won’t forget the pain.

Later, these comrades told me that they had a letter from Cde Tongogara saying I should return to the rear in Zambia. I was carried on a stretcher, we used to call it wachanja, and taken to Zambezi river then crossed into Zambia.

SM: When you got to the rear, what happened?

Cde Pedzisa: I was taken to Cde Tongo who told me that the Zanu representative in Mbeya in Tanzania, Cde Kuraowone had passed on and I was supposed to replace him. I first got treatment in Zambia and when I got better, that’s when I was taken to Mbeya to become the Zanu representative. This was now in 1974. I was in Mbeya till 1976. In 1976, that’s when Mgagao camp was closed and Nachingweya camp was opened.

SM: As the Zanu representative in Mbeya, what were your duties?

Cde Pedzisa: I would receive recruits from Zambia and facilitate all their clearance and logistics before they proceeded to Mgagao. I would also do the same for the comrades leaving Mgagao going for deployment. There was also an armory at Mbeya and I liased with the OAU officials for all the logistics regarding ammunition.

SM: Some comrades have told us that so many disturbing things happened at Mbeya between Zanu and Zapu cadres. Did you see this during your time there?

Cde Pedzisa: I didn’t see this during my time there but what I can tell you is that I was in good books with my Zapu representative at Mbeya. Its unfortunate I can’t remember his name. However, I don’t want to say nothing of that sort happened. It’s possible it happened.

Mbeya was a transit camp and it’s possible some bad things could have happened without us knowing.

From Mbeya, I went to Mozambique in 1976. I was later made Camp Commander at Doroi which was near Chimoio camp in Mozambique. At Doroi we would receive recruits from home and vet them to see those who had the qualities to be sent for military training.

By this time, thousands of people were joining the struggle and we had to vet them strictly.

Cde Tsuro was my security man. Machokoto was ku education. There were others but I can’t remember their names. We had several departments, like logistics, medics and so on that were under my command.

We were given food by the OAU through the Mozambican government. I was at Doroi for just a year, that’s until 1977.

From Doroi I went to Tembwe until 1978. I was later made the commissar at Tembwe with Cde Makasha as the commander. In 1979, I was transferred to Maputo because of my seniority but still as commissar.

I need to tell you that it was in Mozambique when many recruits kept coming that comrades started falling in love. As commissar ndakatochatisa vakawanda.

SM: Really, how would you do it?

Cde Pedzisa: There was no rice and all that pomp and fun fair. The couples would come to me and I ask each one of them kuti iwe une chokwadi here kuti uyu wamuda? If they all say yes, yes, I would make them sign on paper and that was their marriage certificate. I would remain with this certificate.

SM: Briefly tell us of the role of the commissar during those days?

Cde Pedzisa: Commissar ndiye anodzidzisa gwara rechinhu chese chinenge chichida kuitwa. The main role was to politicize people and make them understand why and how the struggle was being carried out.

We would teach the comrades how to relate with povho, remember the song Kune Nzira Dzemasoja. It talks about how a comrade should behave and relate to the masses. The masses were never supposed to fear macomrades. A commissar convinces people through talking to them with respect. Zanu was formed to free the masses. It’s unfortunate that some comrades who were trained later didn’t receive proper political orientation leading to stories of abuse of povho. Hondo yakanga yakura so control was also now a problem.

SM: So after the liberation struggle, where did you go?

Cde Pedzisa: After the death of Cde Tongo, we were selected by Cde Rex Nhongo together with 11 other commanders and our deputies to come into Rhodesia to oversee our assembly points. Later, Cde Nhongo withdrew me from these commanders after he realised that I had an injury. My knee had not yet completely healed. I remained in Maputo.

We later came to Zimbabwe the day President Mugabe came back. Our plane was the first one to arrive then the one carrying President Mugabe later arrived.

We went and stayed in Highlands. I was later arrested after I addressed some Zanu meeting because police was saying we had not sought clearance. Some Zanu youths protested but I spent one week in prison. During this time, some people thought I had died because the Smith regime was secretly killing comrades during these days. I was later transferred to Masvingo still as commissar until elections, where I was arrested again and released after a week.

This was in 1980, and the Rhodesians were using intimidation to scare us from campaigning for Zanu.

 

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