The Sunday Mail
WE conclude chronicling the armed struggle life of Cde Isaac Muguti Chivendera (IMC), whose nom de guerre was Cde Busy Nyuchi Dzinoruma. The former liberation war fighter narrates to our reporter Norman Muchemwa (NM) his selection for training in Romania and further assignments in Rhodesia.
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NM: After being withdrawn from the war front, upon secondment to receive further training in Romania, can you tell us what that training entailed and who were you with?
IMC: I first went back to Mozambique, where our travel logistics were being arranged. There, I met a group raive nana Cde Perrance Shiri, which was also waiting to travel to Romania.
Cde Shiri was a senior commander and I gathered that he was travelling to do a further course in artillery.
It was around March 1979 when we left for Romania. I had been selected for intelligence training.
I still remember Cde Soft Guy, Cde Mafa and Cde Kuvarai Tipone were some of the fighters in our group.
When we reached Romania, our team was taken to Cincu Military Academy for intelligence training.
That was the last time I saw Cde Shiri in Romania nekuti ivo vaienda kwakasiyana nesu since their training was on artillery and ours on intelligence.
I should say at the end of the four months training, I had been equipped with a lot of intelligence skills.
It did not take me long to grasp the concepts or skills because, back home, our guerrilla warfare, in an indirect manner, meant one would subconsciously gain intelligence skills.
Remember, we needed to know what the enemy was planning and that involved intelligence. We returned from Romania at the beginning of August and went to Chimoio, Mozambique.
NM: With your foreign-based training, what duties did you assume upon return to Mozambique?
IMC: I was deployed again to the front, and this time it was at Mavhonde camp. It was in October 1979 and, during that time, the Lancaster talks were being initiated.
We were responsible for carrying out underground attacks. The majority of comrades had trained in guerrilla warfare, but for us, we were now changing those tactics into conventional war, where we would be stationed at a base, dig huge trenches and go out to attack.
We used to call these trenches mahandaki. They helped save many lives in the event of air strikes.
Cde Rex Nhongo was Zanla Chief of Operations and was commanding Mavhonde base. Cde Perrance Shiri vakazenge vavepowo and we also had Cde Ndoda, many other members of the High Command and provincial commanders amongst us.
Most comrades going further to the war front in Rhodesia were being deployed from Mavhonde and guns and ammunition was also kept there.
It was a very huge base that was just 20 kilometres into Mozambique from the Rhodesian border. This base played a significant role during the liberation struggle.
NM: We hear of the Mavhonde battle where the Rhodesian military suffered a heavy defeat, what can you tell us about the battle?
IMC: I missed that battle by two weeks. Ndakatozosvika ndichinzwa nezvekurohwa kwevarungu, but there were indications on the ground ekuti painga parohwa hondo yakaipa.
I knew Cde Mupunzarima, who died in that battle, but the Rhodesians faced stiff resistance, unlike at Chimoio attack. When I was deployed to the base, I got there to see comrades in high morale. The win in the battle had boosted their confidence.
Also, it was a time when the Ian Smith government was opening up for negotiations and we saw that as an admission we had become too hot to handle. As I later gathered, the reason why the Rhodesians were defeated in that battle was that our comrades had changed the war tactic from that of guerrilla warfare to a conventional one.
It was no longer the attack, retreat and hide war, but an attack and advance tactic. We had people trained in anti-air defence vaishandisa zvombo zvakaita sema21 millimetre, 37mm ne57mm, which were huge weapons for air defence.
There was also the use of armoured vehicles and tanks. There were comrades trained in regular military skills from various countries who were combining their force to give sleepless nights to the enemy.
I should say towards the end of the war, we had become a strong tactical force. Smith could tell he was unable to hold any longer.
NM: Were you at Mavhonde up to the end of the liberation struggle?
IMC: I did not stay at Mavhonde for a long time. I was deployed further in the war front at the end of the month, October. Initially, I was assigned for operations in Buhera, but the leaders then selected me to join a group of comrades who were destined for Masvingo.
This group had more than 30 comrades and I was selected to join them because the leaders felt I had more experience in the war front.
Cde Henry Muchena was the commander of that group, which included ana Cde Tsuro, Cde Zimwaya and Cde Captain Smart. We arrived in Masvingo around November, but we did not engage in any battle as peace talks were taking centre stage in London.
We were there until the ceasefire was announced in December, 1979.
NM: When the ceasefire was announced, which assembly point did you go to?
IMC: I first went to Makambe Assembly Point and later, Mutandarwe Assembly Point. We had complained about the challenges at Makambe, the area was infested with fleas and there was no adequate water.
The area was too hot, it was in the low-veld and close to a national park.
We also had challenges with South African apartheid soldiers who crossed to our side since it was close to the border with South Africa; they had intentions to attack us.
NM: Where did you go after independence?
IMC: After independence, I was among a group that was taken to Entumbane in Bulawayo. I was in Bulawayo where I had been deployed to the Zanu PF commissariat department.
There, I was in charge of Makokoba and the whole Central Business District. During the first Entumbane battle, I was still in the commissariat, but was later deployed as a senior provincial intelligence officer in Matabeleland North.
Due to the rift between Zanla and Zipra then, I was saddled with a lot of work because of my position.
I was later to be posted to Mt Darwin around November, 1980 where I awaited to return to Romania for further training. But whilst in Mt Darwin, there came an instruction from the party that we should be posted to different ministerial departments that were being created.
I was posted here in Shurugwi in 1981 as a youth officer and later elected Zanu PF councillor in 1982.
In 1984, I became Shurugwi Town Council chairperson, but I remained very active in politics. I was a councillor for 14 years while at same time I continued with duties in Government as a youth officer until retirement in 1999.
During the 1987 Unity Accord, myself and Cde Ruzive were the coordinators on Zanu-PF side working with our counterparts from PF-Zapu.
When I left work I became a full time miner here in Shurugwi specialising in chrome and partly gold. I have a national certificate in mining.
NM: As a former freedom fighter and political commissar, what do you think should be done to move the struggle forward and are you happy with the prevailing economic and political situation?
IMC: First and foremost, comrade, before we talk of any miracle, there should be unity of purpose amongst all Zimbabweans. We have to unite as one people to move the country forward together.
Turning to war veterans, the bottom line is that the poorest group in the country is war veterans. We are not saying Government should give us money, but while we still have the energy to work, we should be given a stake in the means of production.
We feel people are sabotaging Government, we have issues of mealie-meal shortages and people are stealing national resources. I personally feel war veterans have the country and people at heart, they should be the ones driving all economic and political activities for now.
Those who control the means of production should not be the enemies of the State, vanofanira kuve vari vanhu vanonzwisisa kwatakabva and where we are going. In other words, I am saying Government should empower people they have confidence in whether it is in the economy or education sector.
The most important thing for the party and Government to remain strong, is we have to identify the people and empower them. As the war veterans, we cannot all be empowered at the same time, but Government should identify those with potential and they, in return, will empower other war veterans other than just wait kuti Government ichaita zvakati.
Even if you look at the whites, they empowered their veterans of World War II not because they were educated or what, but because they understood what their Government wanted.
Every blame is now being put on Government, but it is those saboteurs who are controlling the means of production and who are those people?
So, Government should look back and check who are these people we have empowered?
These are the anti-revolutionaries who are eager to see the downfall of Zanu-PF and its Government.
We have the most educated population in Africa. Vana vedu, who were educated by the Government since 1980, are very loyal and must be empowered and do better things.
Lastly comrade, we have the issue of corruption that is also destroying our economy.
Corruption is anti-revolution and it should be crushed by every means necessary.
