The Sunday Mail
WE conclude CDE FANUEL TINGASIYE MATSENGA (FTM)’s account of his journey during the liberation struggle. He narrates to our Features and Arts Editor, PRINCE MUSHAWEVATO (PM), how he underwent medical training and served at several camps in Mozambique.
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PM : Take us through your experiences in Mozambique.
FTM : When I got to Mozambique, I met Cde Chanyorova Kondo, who had one eye.
He provided us with transport, before we were handed over to Cde Carter, who is still alive to date.
We were then recruited into Cde Carter’s section, which was responsible for carrying weapons from the Chibawawa Camp to Espungabera at the border.
That became the duty of every man and woman in the section.
Those were the weapons we used back home.
At one point, we spent close to two-and-a-half weeks waiting for our supplies because a new enemy called Andrea or Matsanga had emerged after rebelling against the Frelimo government in Mozambique.
The Mozambican rebels went to Chibawawa Camp disguised as government officials and seized five military vehicles.
The Mozambican authorities and Cubans then joined hands in searching for the weapons.
We later got a fresh supply of weapons after the situation was addressed.
After six months in Mozambique, I was taken to Chibawawa Camp, where people were gathered before going for training.
Camp commanders from Zimbabwe and Frelimo were present.
Frelimo commanders included Amos, Chitiga and Jealous.
Then from our side, there was Cdes Tafirenyika and Famba, who was a medic.
PM: How were you later trained?
FTM : Around that time, I was seconded to undertake F2 medical training, though I had only studied up to Grade Seven.
I undertook a nine-month course and the late Retired Brigadier-General Felix Muchemwa presided over our passing-out parade.
From then, I served as part of the health personnel at Torongo Camp.
I witnessed several sad incidents.
Comrades were losing weight and dying every day.
They were so gaunt that some of them looked like moving skeletons. They were losing weight such that it became difficult to administer fluid/blood drips, when they were eventually admitted for treatment.
Some suffered from unknown diseases.
I also witnessed all sorts of injuries as the camp offered treatment to freedom fighters injured on the battlefield.
In Mozambique, our food and clothes were mainly supplied by the United Nations (UN), but supplies were erratic.
We did most of our training using wooden sticks as we did not want UN officials to know that we were involved in the struggle.
Thus, when the UN officials and journalists visited, we pretended to be refugees so as to get food aid.
Our medication came from UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund), but we would also get some medical supplies from Beira, Manga Base.
There were about 24 000 people at the camp and many died of hunger.
Women were affected by what we called “hurricanes”, while others had their feet affected by matekenya.
In 1979, together with other medical officers, we went for training at Inyamhinga Base in Mozambique.
We were in a group of 250 people.
Our camp commander there was Cde Kasikai, but we also had members of the High Command above him, namely, Tonderai Moyo, who was responsible for deploying people for training in various countries.
There was also Judah and Petros, who is still alive and currently staying in Chitungwiza. After our training in December 1979, that is when we received the sad news of the death of Cde Tongogara.
After that, all trained personnel were deployed to the front while others became instructors and were responsible for training at least 15 000 fighters that were still in camp.
I went back and continued providing health services.
PM: Just to roundup our discussion, maybe you can tell us your final journey towards demobilisation.
FTM : I came back home by train on April 23, 1981.
We were welcomed by Cde Josiah Tungamirai in Mutare.
He was a member of the High Command and political commissar (PC) in the military wing, deputised by Cde Constantino Chiwenga, who is now the country’s Vice President.
We had a PC in the party, who was Cde Mayor Urimbo.
We received a stipend to enable us to visit our parents. We later returned and assembled in Zengeza 4 in June.
From there, I was posted to Tongogara Camp in Chipinge.
In August that year, I was seconded to the Zimbabwe National Army for training in Matabeleland South.
After training, I was deployed to a military base in Zvishavane.
We were the first to operate there in 1981.
The following year, I was transferred to the mechanised section in Domboshava (Alfida), which was then led by battalion commander Rumbani, whose liberation name was Victor Chikudo, and Major Stopper Chiriga, who later passed away in Kariba.
In early 1983, I went for demobilisation at One Commando.
I later joined the Zimbabwe Republic Police, under the Police Protection Unit.
I trained at Tomlinson Depot, before retiring in 2004, after attaining the rank of assistant inspector.
On retirement, Cde Matsenga went into active politics. He is currently the PC of the War Veterans League (Harare Province). He also served as PC in the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association.
