The Sunday Mail
He lived through the harsh realities of starving comrades. To him, death had lost meaning. But in the middle of these challenges, Cde Peter Chido John Muchimwe (PCJM) wanted military training to fight oppression in Rhodesia. The former freedom fighter, whose nom de guerre was Cde Chaka Wehondo, continues to tell our Deputy News Editor Levi Mukarati (LM) his experiences at Doroi Camp in Mozambique.
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LM: Did the woman offer you any further assistance in getting to your destination?
PCJM: The woman ushered us into her hut before asking more questions about our backgrounds. She offered us food and a place to sleep for the night. The woman had promised to help us reach our destination. In the morning, two armed men arrived at the village. They did not scare us because they greeted us in a friendly manner before talking to the woman.
She told us that the men were Frelimo soldiers, vainzi macamarada, and had come to take us to where other fighters were.
After a few questions, the soldiers took us to their base. There were about seven people when we got to the base. We stayed at that base for about three days. We did not talk much to the people who were there, but I could see that they had also come from Rhodesia and were in the same situation as ours. More people joined us. On the third day, we were numbering about 15.
On that day, the Frelimo soldiers informed us that were leaving the base. They took us to a roadside where we waited for about 30 minutes before a lorry passed by. The soldiers engaged the lorry driver before asking us to jump in the back. The lorry drove us to Chimoio. Takasvikira painzi paDhafu. Takatambirwa nemacomrades but I cannot recall their names. We were then vetted.
LM: What did the vetting entail?
PCJM: They conducted what they called the three-check-up. It was mainly on family background, personal history as well as to why and how we had come to war. After that, we stayed for about five days tiri paDhafu. Takazotorwa nema Scania trucks tikaenda painzi paDoroi. Takasvika ipapo paina Cde Joseph Chimurenga. Tichingosvika takabva tatorwa tikaendeswa kusecurity. We stayed there for seven days going through serious grilling.
LM: What do you mean when you say serious grilling?
PCJM: There was serious security vetting at that time because many people were seeking military training. Later, I learnt that in the five to six months before I was at Doroi, there were manoeuvres for an internal settlement coming from the United States of America that culminated in the Geneva Conference but the negotiations in Geneva had broken down. Freedom fighters in the camps were suspicious that the Ian Smith regime had become close to the combatants through such negotiations. As such, there was increased fear that Smith could infiltrate the camps through spies.
With more people seeking training, it was a challenge to vet the new recruits. Saka isu takaita munyama wekusvika nguva iyoyo and we had to answer questions from different angles. It was not the norm to subject the recruits to many days of vetting. Vamwe vaisvika vongobvunzwa zvishoma and in a day they would have joined the rest. Zvimwe isu takangosvikawo vakuru vakadya marasha.
After the vetting, we were seconded to various companies. I was selected in Company B together with my two uncles. At first, we were based and slept on an anthill for about three months. Our company had not built a barrack. There were four companies at Doroi. Discussions around the realities of a tough life started to emerge among the three of us. At one time, vana sekuru vakatombofunga kutiza.
But takakasira kuyeuchidzana kuti ne vetting yatakaitwa yakareba, tikabatwa tinourayiwa. We had also witnessed situations where people who ran away were caught and returned. Most of these ran away as a result of food shortages. These people, despite looking frail, were punished severely. We then managed to build our barrack using pole, dagga and grass for thatching. While staying in the barrack, I experienced something that I will never forget. I might talk of difficulties during the war battles, but the incident in the barrack troubles me to this day.
We used to build makeshift bunk beds using tree poles and grass. There was a comrade who slept in such a makeshift bed above mine. I didn’t know him. During war we were so many to ask who was who. It was a matter of concentrating on your activities.
Pakaita mazuva ndichidzokorara husiku nekumuka kuseni. Ndaingoona comrade vaye vatofuga jira ini ndozvirarira. Pakubuda ndaivasiya varimo. One day ndakamuka ndakatota nemvura yaiva neturopa uye nekamunhuwi. I didn’t understand how I had acquired the fluids. The comrade who slept above my bed was still in the same position he had been days earlier.
Ndakafugura jira raainge akafuga wanike akutobuda mvura mumukanwa, mumhino nenzeve.
Even today, I still vividly remember the sight of that dead comrade. Anofanira kunge akafa nekurwara kana nzara. I then told the commanders and all they said was: “Ndozvinoita muhondo comrade, endai muna rwizi Doroi munogeza.”
LM: Since you mention that incident, we hear there were serious food shortages and starvation at that camp. How did you survive?
PCJM: It was a tough life comrade. When we got to Doroi, death was something that triggered a sombre atmosphere. Each time a person died, the commanders would sound the alarm and everyone would gather at the parade square to mourn. After three months of my arrival at the camp, chikafu pakanga pasisina.
As a result of food shortages, people began to steal clothes, blankets and shoes.
These were taken to the villages in Mozambique where they were sold or exchanged for food. Chikafu chacho waidya newako. The situation was just like a prison where it is one man for himself. But unlike a prison, at camp, there was a strange element of brotherhood. We did not survive by attacking our colleagues. Asi humbimbindoga pane zvechikafu hwaivepo. Hazvainyanya kuita out of hand because discipline was a primary principle. Kuba, yes, but those who stole were aware of the consequences when caught.
As a result of food shortages and diseases, people began to die in numbers. Because of deaths due to starvation and disease, the commanders ended up assigning the task of burying the dead comrades to various Companies. We no longer congregated at the parade square to mourn. Death lost meaning because daily we would bury an average of 10 people. At one time my uncle Temba fell sick and I took him to the camp clinic. When we got there, the comrades in charge thought I was lying that my uncle was sick so that I could get food. We were not allowed to disclose that a comrade is your relative. Ndakangoti ndauya nacomrade arikurwara. Ndakarohwa mbama zvekuti ndakaona rima. Ndainzi ndirikunyepera kuuya nacomrade kuti ndiwane chikafu. This shows how food became a cherished product at the camp.
LM: Sorry to interrupt comrade, I still want to know how you survived the harsh living conditions at Doroi?
PCJM: Back home, my father was a mechanic. I had assisted him to fix vehicles of some clients. At Doroi there was an ambulance that serviced the clinic. It shuttled between the camp and Chimoio Hospital which was run by the Mozambicans.
The hospital was our medical referral centre. A Mozambican drove the ambulance. His name was Arineshto. One day, the ambulance developed a fault as it was about to leave for Chimoio Hospital with a group of sick comrades.
It happened that I passed through the clinic at the same time the comrades were battling to get the car back on the road. I could tell from the long cranking sound of the Land Rover diesel car that it had developed an ‘air lock’.
I wanted to help but didn’t know how to approach the comrades. Cde Joseph Chimurenga who was among the comrades called me over. He asked if I knew anything about cars and I responded in the affirmative. I then checked the car and discovered that the comrades had poured some diesel after it had run empty. It had developed an airlock.
I then managed to clear the vacuum in the fuel system. In no time the car engine was running. That was my ticket to food and clothes. I became an assistant to the driver. The leaders feared the car would develop more faults hence my services were required.
For sometime, I travelled in the ambulance shuttling between Doroi and Chimoio Hospital but my mind was not on this task. I wanted to train and attain military skills. Because of my duties, I had gathered information on our headquarters in Chimoio.
One day I convinced some Frelimo soldiers who were taking food supplies from Chimoio Hospital to Chimoio camp to give me a ride. That is how I ran away from Doroi and ended up at Chimoio.
Continued next week
