The Sunday Mail
THIS is the third and final installment of our discussion with Cde BENJAMIN DYIRAKUMUNDA, a veteran of the war of liberation and a survivor of the Chimoio camp massacre. Last week, we ended our discussion with the freedom fighter narrating how he survived the Chimoio massacre and his involvement in burying hundreds of fallen cadres.
In this final edition, Cde Dyirakumunda (BD) narrates to our senior reporter TENDAI CHARA (TC) the journey that he took as a guerrilla fighter up to the time the country was finally independent.
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TC: According to your account, after burying the dead at Chimoio, you were then taken to Pungwe Base as you awaited deployment to the front. If you can kindly narrate to us your experiences as a fighter in the war zone.
BD: I had a brief stay at Pungwe and during that time, we undertook some military drills as we awaited deployment to the war front. Since I was a trained instructor, I was given the task of teaching Cdes Sydney Sekeramyi and Herbert Ushewokunze how to use a gun. If I am not mistaken, these comrades were coming from Switzerland, where they had been based. I remember Cde Ushewokunze liked to handle guns and he often dressed in military attire. Then came the eagerly-awaited deployment to the war zone.
We were told that our mission, which was going to be my first, was to go and attack Cecil Hotel in Mutare. Rhodesian soldiers were stationed at this hotel. On the eve of the assignment, we were addressed by the ZANLA commander and late national hero, Cde Josiah Magama Tongogara.
That was my first time to interact with him. Our group was made up of female cadres who were tasked with carrying war materials and male cadres whose mission was to attack Cecil Hotel. Another late national hero, Cde Josiah Tungamirai, was the commander of this group.
From Mozambique, we crossed into Mutare and then camped at the base of Gandai Mountain, which is located some few kilometres south of Mutare. As we were preparing to launch the attack on Cecil Hotel that night, we were surprised by the Rhodesian army, which deployed airplanes to bomb us. We had been sold out. The Rhodesian army had infiltrated our mission. We scattered across the mountains and forest as bombs rained on us.
The attack on Cecil Hotel was supposed to be a major one and our group had been combined with some fighters who were operating in Bocha, Marange. Despite the bombing, we returned fire and downed one Rhodesian helicopter. Sadly, we lost a number of our colleagues.
As I was running towards safety, I joined a group of fighters that knew this area well and they led me to the gathering point in Bocha, Marange.
TC: In your view, why did the mission to attack Cecil Hotel fail?
BD: A number of factors contributed to the failure. Like I said before, we were sold out. Also, our base was too close to Mutare and our group was also too big and therefore easy to detect. The Rhodesian army had planted its agents in almost every area and some of the Rhodesian agents had gathered that we were planning to attack Cecil Hotel.
TC: Tell us about the operations in Marange
BD: In Marange, I was operating under a section which was commanded by Cde Chinowawa. I later on gathered that Cde Chinowawa was actually from Marange, with his family living near Bezeley Bridge. It was unusual for one to be deployed to an area where one would have grown up.
We were operating in such places as Shundure, KuMaeka and Marararikwa, among others. It was during our time in the Maeka Area C that I suffered food poisoning. We were eight in our group. After eating food which had been prepared by the Povo, I developed a fever and started vomiting. I became weak and I was getting seriously ill.
It was then decided that I should be taken further down to Chakohwa, a place which was secluded and provided cover.
I was left under the care of a traditional healer. During the day, I would spend most of my time hiding in the bush. I would come out of my hiding place and sleep near the traditional healer’s house at night.
I spent almost a month at the traditional healer’s place and my colleagues would periodically come and check on me.
I was not getting any better despite the treatment I was receiving. My stomach was swollen and efforts by the traditional healer to induce vomiting to flush out the poison were not successful.
Strangely, one day I had a dream in which I was standing on one side of the river whilst my parents stood on the other side. In the dream, my parents were calling me to join them on the other side of the river. This dream meant that death was stalking me.
But I refused to join my late parents. When I woke up the following day, I was feeling much better. Due to the fact that I was not attending to my hair, it grew into dreadlocks. I wore the dreadlocks for the entire period of the war. Spirit mediums advised me against removing them.
Keeping me in this area was considered too risky by my commander and it was decided that I had to be moved back to the rear for treatment. I joined a group of female combatants that was in the area where they had transported war materials. What followed was a long, painful journey to Mozambique.
When I arrived in Mozambique, I was immediately admitted to Chimoio Hospital. My condition was not getting any better despite the treatment. The doctors could not find a remedy to my problem. I was disoriented and had lost my memory. It was then decided that I should leave hospital and seek treatment from traditional healers who lived in the bush, far away from the hospital.
For close to a week, I was under the care of traditional healers who succeeded in inducing vomit that flushed out the poison. During this period, Cde Tongogara, who was said to be coming from Mount Darwin, passed through our place. That was the first time that I interacted with him on a personal level. I was then taken to a place which housed trained cadres that were awaiting deployment. I then recovered fully.
TC: Where did you go from there?
BD: After recovering fully, I was tasked with leading a group of couriers that was set to deliver war materials to fighters in Mhondoro-Ngezi. I was selected to be part of this group simply because I had once operated in Marange and I therefore knew this area well. The couriers were supposed to pass through Marange.
Apart from the couriers, we also had Cde Wallace Mpofu, a senior ZANU official who was tasked with bringing sanity to war operations in Mhondoro.
Cde Sachiweshe, the commander of fighters that were then operating in Mhondoro, was treating his subordinates badly and reports of this abuse had reached the headquarters in Mozambique.
Cde Mpofu had been sent to warn Sachiweshe and to also assess the situation in this area in which Madzakutsaku (Bishop Abel Muzorewa’s soldiers) were active.
After reprimanding Sachiweshe, Cde Mpofu indicated that he had to return to Mozambique and once again, we were tasked with accompanying him safely back to the rear.
Unfortunately, we were attacked when we were still in Murehwa and lost Cde Kid.
We buried him with the assistance of locals and proceeded to Chivhu where we bade farewell to Cde Mpofu, who proceeded to the rear. In Chivhu, we joined a group which was under the command of Cde Peace. We were operating in Sadza, Daramombe and other surrounding areas.
We briefly returned to Mhondoro to assess the situation and also provide war materials.
Cde Peace, who was more of a political commissar, went back to the rear and left us under the leadership of Cde Bvumazvipere and Cde Hoza.
We were at Manyere when we received the sad news of the passing on of Cde Tongogara on Boxing Day in 1979.
Cde Tongogara’s death was a big blow and personally, I had doubts that the war would come to an end. The news of the ceasefire filtered through and we were told to go to Dzapasi Assembly Point. My group was one of the last groups to get into Dzapasi. We were suspecting the Rhodesians were up to no good. It was a joyous occasion for me when I met my elder brothers, Cdes Cephas and Divas, at Dzapasi.
After being given $400 each and then another $320 as payouts, we were told to go to our homes. From Dzapasi, we were dropped off at Mbare Musika and I went to Highfield where a homecoming party was organised for me.
I received my demobilisation payout. At a time when some of my colleagues were joining either the army or police, I elected to go back to school.
I had the opportunity of furthering my education in the United Kingdom where I graduated with a Master of Business Administration degree. I returned from the United Kingdom after some years and I am now a businessman and commercial farmer.
TC: Cde, thank you for taking your time to share with us your war experiences.
BD: You are welcome!
