The Sunday Mail
His ambition was to be a medical doctor, but fate decided otherwise, as circumstances led him to abandon his studies and fight for Zimbabwe’s freedom. In the quest to liberate the country, he lived outside Zimbabwe for several years, serving ZANU in different portfolios before returning to the country. In this series, our Political Editor KUDA BWITITI (KB) sat down with Cde JOHN DZINORUMA MUBAKO (JDM), a decorated war veteran, who played multiple roles in the liberation struggle, including being a commander and providing treatment to other freedom fighters.
*******************
KB: Cde Mubako, please give us details about your early life.
JDM: My name is John Dzinoruma Mubako and I was born in Zaka, in Manokore village, in the Chinorumba area. This is in the north-west of Zaka. I was born in 1949 and went to Manokore Primary School for my Sub A and Sub B. When I was in Standard 2, I proceeded with my education in Bulawayo, at Induba Government School, in 1964.
KB: Tell us about your experiences in Bulawayo.
Cde Mubako during the armed struggle
JDM : I lived in Bulawayo around 1964 and 1965. I lived in an area that we referred to as N99. Coincidentally, our apartment was close to a house owned by the late former Vice President and ZAPU leader, Cde Joshua Nkomo. He was a very hospitable gentleman, as many people would visit his house.
There was actually a room in Cde Nkomo’s house where young people from the neighbourhood would converge to watch TV. There were not many television stations those days, so Cde Nkomo’s house was actually a centre of attraction. As young men, we enjoyed watching cowboy movies, which were our favourite shows on TV.
KB: How significant was your interaction with Cde Nkomo at that point and how did it shape your life?
JDM : To be honest, Cde Nkomo was a well-known figure, so I never really interacted with him at a personal level. He was older than I was, as I was still a young man then, but I mingled with his children because we were of the same age.
However, we all knew about Cde Nkomo’s political activism and this inspired me to be politically conscious later on in life. While I was in Bulawayo, Ian Smith made the infamous Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI), and this obviously caused a lot of political agitation in the country. And we knew that Cde Nkomo was one of the leaders who spoke out against UDI and was jailed for his activism.
KB: What happened next after your experience in Bulawayo?
JDM : I then returned to Manokore Primary School in Zaka for my Standard 6. After my Standard 6, I then went to Berejena in 1967 and 1968 for my Form 1 and Form 2. For my O-Levels, I went to Gokomere Secondary School; that was around 1968/1969. I passed my O-Levels very well.
A colleague named Ziyambi, who was well-connected, was impressed with my results and he facilitated for me to further my studies in London.
So, I went to London for two years, from 1971. I studied at Norwood Technical College, where I majored in Physics, Chemistry and Biology. My aim was to study Medicine and become a medical doctor. However, I did not perform as well as I had anticipated in my A-Level exams.
So, I then left London to return home. I did not stay in the country for long as I had a burning desire to still study to become a medical doctor. So, driven by this passion, I then joined the University of Zambia (UNZA) in 1973, where I started by enrolling for a BSc in Natural Sciences. My plan then was to study that programme for three years and then proceed to take up Medicine soon after, as that was the requirement.
KB: Tell us about your experiences at UNZA.
JDM : At UNZA, my level of political consciousness grew. There were many young men from Rhodesia who were at that university who were involved in political activities as students. We regularly held political meetings at the university. I then became a full member of ZANU because it had formed a branch at UNZA. I rose through the ranks to become organising secretary of the ZANU branch at UNZA.
KB: What were the actual political activities you were involved in at UNZA.
JDM: Because a branch had been formed at UNZA, some senior leaders of ZANU visited the university. I recall that one time, Cde Josiah Tongogara addressed us as students. Not long after that address, six of us were selected to go for military training at Chimbi Chimbi Training Centre, just outside of Lusaka.
I can’t remember the other five clearly, but among the six of us was Cde Kufa Chinoza (now Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Ghana) and Cde Luke Hove, who I believe is now late.
Next week, Cde Mubako will continue with his narration. He will recount a major development that affected multitudes of Rhodesians who lived in Zambia. He will also tell us about how he got military training in preparation for the war of liberation.
