The Sunday Mail
WE continue our discussion with Cde Morgan Maondo, whose Chimurenga name was Cde Baraka Toughguy. In last week’s instalment, the former liberation war fighter narrated how he was forced by circumstances to join the war. This week, Cde Maondo narrates to our Senior Reporter, TENDAI CHARA, the journey he travelled after arriving at the Zhunda base.
TC: Last week, we ended our discussion with you narrating to us how you ended up at the Zhunda base. If you can kindly continue.
MM: More and more people were coming to Zhunda, with the majority of the new arrivals coming through Mutare and Chipinge via Machazi. When the news of how we abandoned Machazi camp without being cleared reached the ears of those we had left behind at Machazi, some of the new arrivals did exactly what we had done and left for Chimoio without official clearance.
In fact, the Machazi base was completely deserted. Since the number of new arrivals was increasing by the day, our leaders approached the Mozambican official who was in charge of this area and asked for more land to accommodate the new arrivals.
The Mozambican official gave us more land on which we established the Nyadzonia camp from scratch. We constructed makeshift barracks at Nyadzonia. We were the first group that established and stayed at Nyadzonia.
I was assigned to Company L, also known as Shumbayenzara. That was well before we were even trained.
We stayed for a long time as we awaited training. During that time, Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri was also at this camp.
Cde Muchinguri saved our lives.
She had good relations with the Mozambican authorities and she would source food for us whenever the situation was dire.
She would source beans, maize and any type of food that kept us alive.
My stay at Nyadzonia was short-lived.
During that time, I had already acquired my driver’s licence.
When the need for drivers arose, I was one of the few people who were selected to go to Chimoio for military training since they wanted to train us first before assigning us duties as drivers.
Lorries that were transporting war materials occasionally came to Nyadzonia.
Gaza province, which covered areas such as Goranezhou, Chiredzi and Mberengwa, among others, was being opened for the first time. There was, therefore a demand for drivers. It was arranged that the drivers were to be trained first so that they can drive the lorries and help with the distribution of war materials. We were then taken to Takawira base, a base which was located on the outskirts of Chimoio. At Takawira, we were trained by Cde Tonderai Nyika (the late national hero Cde Paradzai Zimondi).
His deputy was Cde Sebastian.
Cde Tonderai Nyika transformed us from boys into fighters.
We were taught how to use the MMB, the bazooka and anti-personnel weapons.
We also received anti-mine training.
After training, we were told that the lorries that we were going to drive were on their way from Beira. Before we were assigned our duties as drivers, an instruction came through from the General Command.
It was ordered that everyone who had been trained must go to the war zone.
As a result, the mission that we had been assigned as drivers was promptly abandoned. We had to go to the front and fight the enemy. Cde Josiah Tongogara, who was then chief of operations, made the directive.
We were given our weapons and deployed to the war front.
This was the despite the fact that we were not properly trained as we were originally meant to be drivers.
TC: Where we you deployed?
MM: From our base at Takawira, we were briefly allowed to stay with Frelimo soldiers.
During our stay with the Frelimo soldiers, we were not allowed to keep guns.
Only the Frelimo soldiers kept their guns.
I did not know why we were not allowed to keep our guns but I suspect it was a security measure.
I was then deployed to Mutare and then to Mutambara.
That was in 1976.
I was chosen to be in charge of security since I knew most of the areas that we were going to operate from.
Remember, I grew up in Zimunya so I knew most of the areas that we were going to operate from.
Being in charge of security, my task was to lead the group and also act as a line of defence.
TC: Where exactly were you deployed during your first assignment after deployment?
MM: I first started operating in Odzi, just outside Mutare.
When we arrived in Odzi, we met the area commander who briefed us about the situation in the area.
It was decided that my group was to be the advance party.
Our task was to go to areas where freedom fighters were to operate for the first time.
Our duties were to educate and win over the hearts of the povo. We would meet with local traditional leaders and explain to them why we were fighting this war.
My first assignment was in the Mapembe mountain area and we went as far as Marange Clinic, then known as KwaMundingi. We mobilised the masses to support our cause, telling them that we were their sons and daughters who had come to liberate them from the shackles of oppression.
The masses were aware of the cruel and unfair treatment that the Rhodesian forces subjected the black majority to.
The masses were familiar with how Rhodesian soldiers ill-treated black people at road blocks. The mobilisation was meant to get the masses’ support and also to make sure that the masses know that it was their duty to feed us. Without the support of the masses, this country would not have been independent.
The guerillas would have starved and died from diseases.
TC: Do you still remember your first contact with the Rhodesian army?
MM: Yes, my first contact with the enemy was in Muromo village near the Mupudzi River in Zimunya.
We were coming from Marange and were going to Zimunya where we were supposed to meet Cde Soul Sadza, a member of Zanu’s High Command who had just arrived in the area from Mozambique.
If I am not mistaken, Cde Sadza was the secretary for finance.
We were supposed to meet him and get instructions from him.
However, all hell broke loose when we were a few kilometres away from where he was. As opposed to staying in Mozambique, high-ranking Zanu officials such as Cde Sadza were instructed to go the war zone and familiarise themselves with the operations in these zones.
What I know is that some sell-outs tipped off the Rhodesians about Cde Sadza’s visit.
A Mr Chivhinga, who operated a butchery at 35 Miles Shopping Centre, was fingered as the sell-out. The Rhodesian army then prepared for an onslaught. On the day of the attack, my group was supposed to meet Cde Sadza at Manzinde School, which is near Muromo School and Odzi River.
As we were moving towards the meeting point, we decided to take a rest since it was risky to travel in broad daylight.
We then camped at a place which was not very far from where Cde Sadza was.
We camped near the road.
Then later in the day, we heard noise that was coming from a convoy of Rhodesian lorries. Moments later, Zimunya was turned into a battleground and the ensuing bloodbath claimed the lives of hundreds of sons and daughters of the soil.
Next week, Cde Baraka will narrate in detail what happened during the Battle of Zimunya.
