‘It all started in school’

15 Sep, 2019 - 00:09 0 Views
‘It all started in school’

The Sunday Mail

Cde Parker Chipoyera’s connection with politics can be traced to his childhood days in Rhodesia. Our Deputy News Editor, Levi Mukarati, chronicles the political life of Cde Chipoyera who, this week, begins by narrating his childhood and his brush with politics during his school days.

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Question: In some circles they call you Cde Parker, others say Parker Chipoyera while some refer to you as Cde Parker Bernard Manyadza. Who exactly are you and where do you hail from?

Answer: In 1973, I assumed the name Cde Parker Chipoyera. I was born – Bernard Manyadza – in October 1953 in Wedza, Zviyambe Communal Lands in Mashonaland East.

I was raised in this communal area, characterised by poor sandy soils.  My parents grew groundnuts, which they sold to raise tuition fees for me and my siblings.

Manyadza is my father and mother is from Masimbira vari Muremba, vanonzi vana Seremani, vakazouya kwedu vachibva Belingwe (Mberengwa).

My parents got married in the 1930’s and managed to raise eight children. I am the fourth born.

Unfortunately, my sister – Netty – died in a crossfire during a battle between Ian Smith’s soldiers and liberation fighters in our home area in 1978.

My parents found themselves in Zviyambe area, as a result of the laws that had been established by the whites, such as the Land Tenure Act and Land Apportionment Act, which pushed them and other blacks to such arid lands.

Question: Can you tell us about your early education life?

Answer: In 1961 I began Sub Standard A at St Roberts Wedza near our home and completed Standard Six in 1968.

I then proceeded to St Annes Goto in Wedza in 1969 for Form One.

It was during my years in secondary school that I conceptualised the history of the struggle for democracy in Zimbabwe.

I had a brother in law called Aaron Gondo, who had married my cousin sister Edith Madzure  in 1959.

At that time, Gondo was in the National Democratic Party youth wing in Bulawayo.

He was to come to settle in our area in April 1964 and drove a Land Rover that was inscribed Zimbabwe African National Union (Zanu) on both the driver and passenger doors.

Zanu was new to me because I had heard only of the Zimbabwe African Peoples Union (Zapu).

There were songs that were being sung by the elderly in hushed voices praising the likes of (Joshua) Nkomo, (George) Nyandoro and (James) Chikerema.

I remember one song that went like;

 “Tsuro tsuro hwee, wapera basa;

 Tsuro tsuro hwee, naNkomo

 Chikerema ndoenda, Chikerema ndoenda, Chikerema ndoenda naNkomo”

 Asi vabereki vaitirambidza kuyimba such songs saying we would get arrested.

Question: So are you saying you managed to interpret the songs  and clearly understood the political connotation inherent?

Answer: I should go back to 1962 when Joshua Nkomo came to Zviyambe, Mashayamvura for a political meeting.

He was being driven in a big black Chevrolet.

We were on school holiday and as we tried to run after the convoy, we were stopped by our elders who threatened that we risked being arrested if we did not stay at home.

In our home area, there were local business-people such as vaChimombe and vaMadondo, who was a teacher.

The two were on the fore-front of organising Nkomo’s meeting.

But, after the meeting, vaChimombe and Madondo were arrested and up to today, I have never heard of their whereabouts.

As a young boy, I developed a keen interest of wanting to know why these two had been arrested as their arrest became a buzz in the area.

What I managed to pick from the conversations going on at the time was that vaChimombe na Madondo vakasungirwa zveZapu.

That is how I got to know of Zapu.

That is also when I began to make sense of another song vadhara would sing vadhakwa.

The song went on like;

“Iwe Edgar, siya wataurira kumadzimai ako kuti kumakura kwabuda Zapu.”

Edgar was in reference to Rhodesia Prime Minister Whitehead and kumakura were the sandy soil areas where blacks had been settled.

Then in 1964, there was a school fees increment that did not go down well with most parents.

Our parents mobilised each other and went to protest at the school.

But, in the course of that protest, the police arrived and rounded up mostly men who had been vocal.

The arrested included my father, vaChikadaya, Chakezha, Mhaka, Hanyani, Mawire, Mawuye, and Nyabonda.

Ironically, these people were also known to have been active voices when Nkomo came in 1962.

After spending a few days in police custody in Rusape, they were later released.

They had argued their case had nothing to do with politics, but just an expression against the school fees increment.

As this happened, the story of Zapu kept consolidating in my mind.

The protests, by our parents, saw the school being closed for almost six months before opening at the beginning of 1965 when I was in Standard Three.

At that time, we had people from our area working in the cities and towns. As they came back home to visit, they were saying puza Zanu.

 Zvaireva kuti Zapu ngaipunze Zanu.

Question: This is the period of the formation of Zanu after the split. You were young, but what was your experience?

Answer: I later learnt that is when the politics yekuhwandirana in Zapu and Zanu emanated.

People were fighting for positions in townships.

Those who had moved from Zapu to Zanu and those who wanted to consolidate power in Zapu were doing all they could to protect or propel their power ambitions.

The same situation is etched in our politics today.

But, if I want to go by the theme yekupanduka, I can say pamberi nekupanduka nekuti ipapo zvinhu zvakatanga kufamba sezvo vanhu vayipikisana ava vakanga vosunda better programmes in order to appeal to the masses.

 Ndozvakaita kuti armed struggle izotanga around 1966, ava veZanu proving a point that Nkomo was inhibiting them from taking an armed confrontation against the whites.

Question: Sorry to take you back, you spoke of Aaron Gondo and gave an impression he was an influential figure. Please inform us more about your encounters with this character?

Answer: In 1969, when I was in form one ndakaenda kuChristmas Holiday kumusha kwemukuwasha wangu Gondo. He had settled in our area, in Chisasike.

There, I had the opportunity to ask about Zapu and Zanu.

He explained that Zapu had split leading to the formation of Zanu and he was in the organising department of Zanu with the likes of Edison Sithole.

Gondo further said people like Michael Mawema had called Nkomo Chibwe Chitedza, kureva kuti pa leadership position paive naNkomo and no one should challenge that.

But, other people like Ndabaningi Sithole and Leopold Takawira had disputed arguing that Nkomo was soft on the whites, especially his position to accept the 15 seats in the white dominated Parliament.

As such, those that remained in Zapu wanted gradualism, while those that took the Zanu route wanted radicalism.

Gondo said he had chosen to go the Zanu way and likened Zanu to Tanganyika African Union led by Julius Nyerere.

He told me that Zanu worked with Kamuzu Banda of Malawi who had availed the Land Rover he drove.

Gondo’s claims were confirmed to me by Henry Hamadziripi.

As such, Gondo is the one who facilitated my joining of the liberation struggle. He is late and lies buried in Wedza, Chisasike.

Continued next week

 

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