The undying Chimoio legacy

23 Nov, 2014 - 05:11 0 Views
The undying Chimoio legacy Cde Wachi Taurai gives an account of how she escaped the Chimoio attacks while other war veterans listen

The Sunday Mail

National Museums and Monuments eastern region marketing officer Mr Lloyd Makonya (left) leads war veterans in the tour of mass graves

National Museums and Monuments eastern region marketing officer Mr Lloyd Makonya (left) leads war veterans in the tour of mass graves

The legacy left behind by over 3 000 freedom fighters and war collaborators who lost their lives in the Chimoio massacre carried out by the Rhodesian forces on 23 November 1977 at Chimoio ZANLA military camp in Mozambique is eternal as it is engraved in Zimbabwe’s history.

These emotive submissions were made by a group of ex-combatants and liberation war collaborators who last week visited the Chimoio shrine to pay homage to their compatriots who fell at the hands of the colonialists’ brutality.

The group, which travelled under a tour organised by well-wishers in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to honour the 37th Chimoio massacre anniversary, comprised people who survived the Chimoio, Nyadzonia and Tembwe bombings.

They say, despite the seemingly vast time which has lapsed since the genocide, the 3 000 plus people who lost their lives are only gone in the flesh but will not be forgotten as the legacy they left behind is still very much alive.

Today, Zimbabwe commemorates the Chimoio massacre which lasted two days after one Morrison Nyathi reportedly infiltrated the guerillas and sold out the liberation war cause to the settler regime.

It was in the vein of remembering the liberation war heroes that The Sunday Mail Extra crew joined the group made up of former freedom fighters and collaborators from Rushinga District, to visit the shrine.

The team left Harare on Friday 7 November, took a break in Mutare and continued the journey the following morning to arrive at the Chimoio shrine around one o’clock in the afternoon.

Situated about 20 kilometres north-east of the town of Chimoio, the capital of the Mozambican province of Manica, a sedated ambience prevailed at the shrine as the delegation disembarked from the bus.

A mini parade was held in front of the tomb on which names of those who died during the attacks are written.

National Museums and Monuments’ eastern region marketing officer Mr Lloyd Makonya then led the delegation on the tour of the graves giving details of how the attacks were carried out.

As we were at the tomb, one ex-combatant, Cde Oliver Takawira, kept his eyes fixed on the wall as if in deep thought.

Asked if he had remembered some of the names on the wall, Cde Takawira threw a pensive look before he started talking.

“I have lost two brothers and a sister here. All their names are written on the wall,” he said

“This is my first time here since the war and seeing my siblings’ names written on that wall has given me some kind of closure and pride although it has also revived some sad memories.”

As he finished speaking we carried on with the tour of the mass graves, during which we learnt of some mysterious things which happened at the shrine like soldiers who can be heard marching and doing combat drills at night.

We were also told of the fresh blood which sometimes gushes from the shrine.

After the tour of the graves one of the survivors of the Chimoio massacre, Cde Wachi Taurai, who at the age of the 16 had left her home area in Rushinga to go to Chimoio, gave an account of her escape and experiences of the attack.

“I was here when the base was attacked and will forever be enshrined in my mind because what I saw was horrific,” she said.

“I still cannot comprehend how I escaped as some of what transpired only comes in flashes to me.

“It was when parade had just begun when a jet fighter flew over the camp flashing a green light and the comrades who had gathered for parade dispersed.

Cde Wachi Taurai gives an account of how she escaped the Chimoio attacks while other war veterans listen

Cde Wachi Taurai gives an account of how she escaped the Chimoio attacks while other war veterans listen

“They soon re-gathered again as they assumed that the plane belonged to the Mozambique government. Another plane came but people did not disperse this time assuming that it was the same plane which had flown by 10 minutes earlier and therefore meant no harm.

“I still remember hearing a shattering sound when the first bombs were dropped and people were running all over the place screaming.

“Some were just lying on the ground lifelessly.

“I then took cover under a big tree which was near the parade, it must be that one,” she said pointing to the tree.

“As the bombing continued I remained there until it was dark, then ran as fast as I could towards the river because we were told that in case of an attack that’s where we run to.

“I then spent days walking until I reached Buhera where I stayed for a while before returning to Harare and then Rushinga at independence.”

After Cde Wachi had finished other ex-fighters who lived in other camps gave different accounts of how they lived in those camps.

Most of them talked about the mental torment of living in fear of being attacked at any moment.

They also talked about the importance of preserving the Chimoio heritage for the benefit of future generations.

A majority of them, however, lamented the state of the shrine saying Government ought to treat it just like any other monument back home.

“What we have seen here has reminded us of the sacrifices made by our fallen heroes and that history needs to be upheld,” said Cde Absolom Machekano, who was part of the delegation.

“I think more trips should be organised for our youth and school children since they are the future and the ones who should now take custody of our heritage.

“I also do not think we are showing our departed heroes the respect they deserve. I mean if you look around this place it does not look like we value the sacrifices they (liberation war heroes) made.”

Another ex-combatant, Cde Councillor Muropa, said Government should consider doing a cleansing ceremony at the shrine so that the spirits of those who died in agony can finally rest in peace.

“If you look at the national heroes’ acre back home and this shrine you realise we are doing something wrong because the two places are equally important but one is better than the other,” he said.

“I also think cleansing ceremonies and galas should be done here, that way we may be able to recapture the importance of this place.”

According to Mr Makonya, history has it that the attack on Chimoio, code-named operation Dingo, was a major air raid conducted by the Rhodesian security forces on a Wednesday morning when ZANLA forces were gathered for a morning parade.

It is said that a Douglas DC-8 airliner was flown over the Chimoio camp around seven in the morning, 10 minutes before the actual air strike.

This was part of a deception plan in which the freedom fighters were dispersed in a false air raid alert, so that when the aircraft participating in the actual air strike approached, they did not cause alarm.

When the first Air Force jets arrived, the assembled ZANLA forces, as planned, did not take cover again as they assumed it was the DC-8 that was returning only to discover that they were under attack.

In their first pass, four Canberra bombers dropped 1 200 Alpha bombs (Rhodesian-designed anti-personnel cluster bombs) over an area 1,1 kilometres long and half a kilometre wide.

The paratroopers and heliborne troops were deployed on three sides of the objective into various stop groups and sweep lines, and killed a number of fleeing ZANLA cadres.

A “stay behind” force remained in ambush positions around the area overnight to wait for any ZANLA who might return after escaping.

A similar attack was repeated two days later at Tembwe.

On that occasion the morning parade had been cancelled and the bomb strike on the parade ground was ineffective.

Among the thousands killed at Chimoio and Tembwe were defenceless women and children who had taken refuge at the camps.

The Rhodesians committed many other untold atrocities through air strikes and ground attacks at Nyadzonia, Mboroma, Dukwe and Mkushi, among other camps.

 

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