The Sunday Mail
LAST WEEK, Cde LYN GORORO (LG), whose Chimurenga name was Cde Farisai Magorilla, spoke about her tortuous journey to Chimoio to join the liberation struggle. This week, she tells our Political Editor KUDA BWITITI (KB) about her experiences at Chimoio, which was ZANLA’s military headquarters, including surviving the massacre that resulted in the death of over 3 000 people after Ian Smith’s ruthless soldiers besieged the camp in November 1977.
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KB: What happened when you arrived at Chimoio?
LG: We arrived at Chimoio after walking for several days from Doroi Camp. As soon as I arrived, I fell ill. I was diagnosed with cerebral malaria and was bedridden for several days. I was so sick that a nurse was assigned to me, and her duties included bathing me, because I was seriously ill and I could not do anything by myself. Many of my colleagues thought I would die, but luckily, I recovered after some days.
Cde Gororo
After I recuperated, I was assigned to go to a camp called Chaminuka, then to another one called Nehanda within Chimoio. Later on, I was appointed company commander, while my deputy was named Junior. It was not long after my appointment as a company commander that the Chimoio massacre happened.
KB: Please tell us about the attack.
LG: The day started off just like any other day. My company had been given the task to construct some barracks at the camp. This was actually a punishment for some misdemeanours.
After the usual morning parade, we started to search for materials to build the barracks. I then advised my deputy, Junior, to take over for a couple of minutes as I went to a nearby maize field.
Suddenly, I felt a burning desire to sing church songs. Perhaps this was a premonition that something was about to happen.
As I sang, I heard the sound of military aircraft. I looked up and saw that this was an enemy plane. The sky was clear; with no single cloud. Suddenly, the number of fighter jets started to grow. It was like the whole sky was now filled with the enemy’s aircraft.
As the fighter jets started to bombard the camp, it was difficult for me to take cover anywhere, because I was still in the maize field, and the plants were still too small to provide spaces to hide.
Then paratroopers started descending from the planes in large numbers. I had nowhere to run because the paratroopers were coming from all directions.
There was a dam close by and some comrades were running into it to escape the bombing. I thought of running into the dam. However, the enemy soldiers started firing into the dam when they saw that comrades were jumping into the water body.
I just lay down in the maize field, praying for my survival. I could hear the desperate cries from comrades that were being shot or were being beaten up by the Rhodesian security forces. It was a tragedy of unimaginable proportions.
I could not move from where I was because there were enemy soldiers in every direction. They were relentless, firing from the air while their ground force fired live rounds at us. The only thing I could do was continue to lie down in the maize field.
KB: Did the comrades manage to fire back?
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LG: Yes, they did. We had anti-air missiles that we fired at them and there were casualties on the enemy’s side, but not as many as we had on our side.
KB: How long was the attack?
LG: The attack lasted for several hours as I lay in that position.
KB: How did you survive?
LG: To this day, I still believe my ancestors saved me from dying . . . As the attack was about to end, I saw some fighters coming towards me. I called out to them, assuming that they were fellow comrades. However, I got the shock of my life when I realised that they were enemy forces. As they approached me, I was certain that they would kill me right there. However, for some strange reason, they changed direction just as they were about to get to me.
KB: Why do you think this was so?
LG: There is something that you need to understand that happened during the war. We often used to say comrades can disappear. I disappeared at that time.
KB: What do you mean when you say you disappeared?
LG: There is no other way to explain it, but you should understand that strange things happened during the war. Supernatural things happened, and you need to understand that indeed, I disappeared at that time. I don’t know how it happened, but the best way to explain is just to say I disappeared. These enemy soldiers were so close to me, but they failed to see me. I was protected by my ancestors . . .
KB: At that time, had you been able to grasp the extent of the horror caused by Ian Smith’s forces?
LG: Yes! The shelling had been intense, and I knew that this had to be the worst day of our war of liberation. Thousands had died. The number of the enemy’s military aircraft that we saw was quite huge and indeed the enemy had prepared for a massacre.
KB: What happened to you in the immediate aftermath of the attack?
LG: Later, as it was getting dark, some comrades came and I was able to join them as we decided to retreat. We then walked during the night to go to Chimoio town. From Chimoio town, I proceeded to Mudzingadzi Camp. This is where I then received my military training.
