The Sunday Mail
THIS week, we continue with our focus on Zimbabweans who contributed to the liberation war effort without operating guns. In our last instalment, we featured a freedom fighter who contributed through teaching at refugee camps. This week, our Senior Reporter TENDAI CHARA chats with Tendai Davison Man’e Sambo, one of the early nationalists whose contribution was through organising urban youths to conduct acts of sabotage that put immense pressure on the Rhodesian government. Apart from leading a pressure group that kept the Rhodesian government on its toes, Cde Sambo also helped recruit guerrilla fighters who went on to train and fight for independence.
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Q: Kindly introduce yourself to our readers.
A: My name is Tendai Davison Man’e Sambo. I was born in 1937 in Mount Selinda, Chipinge. Our home was very close to the Mozambican border.
I am of the Gwerekwete (ant bear) totem. I grew up and went to school in Mt Selinda.
I went to school up to Form Two before coming to Harare where I trained as a salesman and marketing executive.
I worked for Sales House and City Stores before I was promoted to be the general manager responsible for the Gweru, Kwekwe, Mutare and Harare branches at Sales House.
Q: When did your interest in politics start?
A: I developed an interest in politics very early when I was still at school in Mt Selinda.
I was an avid reader and that is how I became aware of the politics taking place around Africa then.
I became aware of the political activities of the likes of Patrice Lumumba and Moïse Tshombe and other Pan Africanists.
After reading about Patrice Lumumba, I developed a deep interest in politics.
This early introduction to politics led me to becoming a nationalist.
Q: When did you start becoming active politically?
A: I started taking active political roles when I moved to Highfield, Harare in 1961.
I joined the National Democratic Party (NDP) youth wing.
The NDP had such iconic nationalists as Dr Joshua Nkomo, Michael Mawema, Morton Malianga, the late president Robert Mugabe and Ndabaningi Sithole among others.
The NDP was banned in 1961 and Zapu was formed in Highfield at Mawema’s house in Old Canaan.
In fact, all early nationalist parties were formed in Highfield.
When the NDP was banned, I joined the Zimbabwe African Patriotic Union (Zapu).
Under Zapu, a pressure group called Zimbabwe Action Pressure Group was formed.
This very active pressure group was formed to spearhead acts of sabotage by throwing petrol bombs at specific Rhodesian targets.
I was seconded to the Manicaland branch as secretary under the leadership of Paul Shiripinda.
Under the Manicaland branch, we also had Masiyakurima, who was from Marange.
Q: So you left your job and moved to Mutare to co-ordinate the acts of sabotage?
A: No! I was operating from Harare. We were sending youngsters to conduct acts of sabotage in Nyanga, Bocha, Chipinge, Chimanimani and other areas in Manicaland.
That was between 1961 and 1962.
Zapu was then banned in September, 1962.
Although Zapu was banned, the pressure group remained active.
We agreed that despite the ban, acts of sabotage should continue as we were fighting for our land. In 1962, I was arrested at my home in New Canaan, Highfield.
By then, I had been elevated to the post of general secretary of the pressure group.
Q: What happened after you were arrested?
A: After being arrested in Harare, I was taken to Nyanga where the acts of sabotage had been conducted by the youths that I was leading.
I was then transferred to Mutare where my case was heard. In police cells, I was stripped naked and beaten up severely.
I was classified as a dangerous person and was spared jail time after a woman who was in attendance during the court proceedings suddenly went into a trance and confronted the magistrate.
The woman, whom we later learnt was a spirit medium, told the magistrate that he had no right to prosecute me.
She said this child is innocent. You colonised our country and you have no right to prosecute him.
I was subsequently released.
Since I had been labelled a dangerous person, I was transferred, under heavy guard, back to Harare where I was restricted from 1963 up until 1966.
Q: What do you mean when you say you were restricted?
A: Restriction meant that you were not allowed to move freely and that you were being monitored by the Rhodesian police.
I was not allowed to move out of a certain radius and I had to report to the police once every week.
Q: How did your restriction end?
A: Since I was under restriction, I could not go to work at Sales House.
There was a boycott that targeted Sales House and the sales plummeted.
I was then reinstated to my position.
Boycotts were another way of putting pressure on the Rhodesian government.
Q: Did you at one time take part in the bombing of targets?
A: I did not physically take part in the acts of sabotage.
Like I said before, I was an organiser and my duty was to recruit members, train them and then deploy them to the specific targets.
Q: Did you continue with politics after restriction?
A: I did not look back. Being restricted gave me the zest to continue with the political activities.
After Zapu was banned, I was there when Zanu was founded at Enos Nkala’s house, again in Highfield.
Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole was elected leader, Leopold Takawira as vice and the late president Mugabe as secretary-general. The late Cde Enos Chikowore was elected secretary for youth, while Professor Stanlake Samkange took the foreign affairs desk where he was deputised by Nathan Shamuyarira.
At the Gweru congress, a group called the Crocodile Gang was formed.
Q: How else did you help in the war effort?
A: I helped in sourcing the vehicle which transported the late president Robert Mugabe and Edgar Tekere to escape to Mozambique.
I sourced and was given a Jeep by a regular Zanu member.
His name was Philimon Maganga Dhliwayo.
The vehicle was used to ferry Cde Mugabe and Tekere from Highfield to Kambuzuma.
From Kambuzuma they were then taken to Chief Tangwena and then subsequently to Mozambique.
Together with the late Vice President Muzenda, we, in 1975, recruited students from the University of Rhodesia who then went for military training.
I was made the chairman of the pressure group and I was responsible for recruiting people that were going outside the country for military training.
I was nearly arrested at my house in 1966 for recruiting people to go to Mozambique.
Four police officers came to my house and they wanted to kidnap me.
The youths that I was leading, staged a demonstration and sit-in at my house, resulting in the Rhodesian government aborting their mission to arrest me.
Q: What was your political involvement from 1975 to 1980?
A: I travelled, as a member of the enlarged ANC, to 18 countries where I was briefing the leaders about the land question.
As a Zanu representative, I went to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) where I made presentations about the political situation in Rhodesia.
I went to Malawi, Kenya, Somalia among other countries where I was making proposals for a patriotic front.
In Libya, I met the late Muammar Gaddafi who gave us the platform to discuss issues that were affecting us.
I also went to Nigeria, Egypt and Italy among other countries.
Q: How did the activities by early nationalists like yourself help in bringing independence?
A: The pressure groups that we started were the foundation of future groups that went on to conduct acts of sabotage such as the Crocodile Gang.
We set up the foundation for active resistance to the Rhodesian government.
Q: Thank you very much for your time.
A: You are welcome.
