The Sunday Mail
CDE LeonardMUTIZE (LM), whose nom de guerre was Dickson Mushoma, joined the liberation war before completing his primary education. This week, he narrates to our Features and Arts Editor PRINCE MUSHAWEVATO (PM) how challenges in raising school fees and the colonial regime’s injustices forced him to join other boys and girls who were determined to take up arms to free Zimbabwe from white minority rule.
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PM: Can you start by identifying yourself?
LM: My name is Leonard Mutize but my liberation struggle name was Dickson Mushoma.
I was born in Nyamuzuwe, Mutoko.
There were six children in our family, three boys and three girls, but four are now late.
Only one of my sisters and I are still alive.
I started school at Nyamuzuwe Primary School in 1970 and was enrolled there for four years. By the end of 1974, I travelled to Chipinge to work at Zona Tea Estate.
PM: You were already looking for a job while still in primary school?
LM: Yes, all was not well at home.
I got to know about employment opportunities in Chipinge because of abject poverty.
Our family was very poor and it struggled to pay for my school fees. However, my maternal uncle had learnt at Mount Selinda in Chipinge and was a teacher there. He is the one who advised me to go to Zona Tea Estate to look for work.
The arrangement was that we would wake up early in the morning, work in the tea estate, then attend class in the afternoon.
Getting bus fare to travel to Chipinge was a struggle. I had to raise money through selling matemba (dried kapenta).
After raising a bit of funds, I boarded a train bound for Mutare, before catching a bus heading to Chipinge. When I arrived, I was recruited and started work in 1975.
However, the routine was very difficult.
They would wake us up as early as 4am to begin work. It was a big challenge for me in the early days.
Waking up that early was difficult and the work (plucking tea leaves) was something else.
We had targets of 100 pounds (45kg) per day for one to qualify to get paid for a day’s work.
The money would then cover our boarding fees, food, school uniforms and books.
PM: You can carry on.
LM: As time passed, we learnt that FRELIMO had freed Mozambique from colonial rule on June 25, 1975. We closely followed the developments since our school at Zona Tea Estate was close to the Mozambican border.
Also, we used to follow Radio Maputo, where comrades Webster Shamu and Robert Mugabe were regulars, encouraging locals to join the liberation struggle and free Zimbabwe from colonial rule.
The period before independence was hectic for us. There was a lot of injustice that needed to be corrected. We worked like slaves and we were poorly remunerated. So, in July, I, together with others, decided to cross the border into Mozambique to join other sons and daughters of the soil who were prepared to fight for their freedom.
We went to Espungabera, but upon arrival, FRELIMO fighters advised us to delay joining training a bit since a lot was happening that side following the attainment of their independence.
PM: What exactly was happening?
LM: Transition processes are sometimes not smooth. So, we complied and went back to school. However, the situation back home became untenable, forcing us to travel back to Mozambique around September that same year (1975).
I travelled with other learners who were the same age as me. I was below 16 then.
We went back to Espungabera before proceeding to Machaze, which is in Manica province, western Mozambique.
There were several people in the area. Food was a challenge.
We only had one meal per day, usually porridge. While there, we got to meet Cde (Robert) Mugabe, who, back then, was secretary-general of ZANU.
During that time, a lot of our leaders had been arrested and were in jail after the détente, while Cde Herbert Chitepo had been assassinated.
The development meant that it took long for logistical issues like food, clothing and training to be finalised.
We then later moved to Chibawawa Camp.
The numbers there were even double and we had to maintain the one-meal-per-day routine.
Resultantly, comrades were losing weight, while others were dying due to hunger and unknown diseases.
I remember some, especially women, suffered from a disease called rheumatism that affected the knees (making them weak) and also caused hiccups. We, however, later discovered that it was part of the white soldiers’ biological warfare. They had poisoned our water and food sources.
Cde Rex Nhongo (Solomon Mujuru) and Joice Mujuru were part of us at the camp.
They both played a crucial role in getting some of the commanders in Zambia to travel to Mozambique to work on training and logistics.
PM: When did you finally start training?
LM: Because of the numbers, it was difficult to make the grade for training, let alone to be deployed back home.
In 1976, at least 5 000 people were selected from different refugee camps in Mozambique to undergo training in East Africa, and I was part of the group. This was arguably the biggest number to be selected for such a military excursion.
I trained at Chingweya, regiment three, East Africa. The camp was commonly referred to as Nyadzonia and we were trained by Tanzanian soldiers (mandugu). Our commanders were always part of the programmes.
Some of the comrades I trained with included Cde Hazvinei, who is currently here in Macheke, and there was also Cde Douglas Mahiya. We were in the same platoon.
We trained in two phases.
In phase two, I was seconded to undergo field engineering training, which mainly involved specialising in arming and disarming landmines. I also learnt how to use other weapons like bazookas.
After completing training in 1977, we were transferred back to Mozambique.
I was then deployed to Manicaland province, under the Tangwena Sector, Zindi detachment, in Nyanga. Alick Mbada was our detachment commander. Paradzai Zimondi (we called him Tonderai Nyika) and Mike Nyambuya were also our commanders.
Next week, Cde Mutize narrates some of his unforgettable experiences after joining the liberation struggle.
