Ex-Zipra commander praises new Govt for Mangena, Masuku honour
THE late former Zipra commanders Rogers Alfred Nikita Mangena and Lookout Vumindaba Khalisabantu Mafela Masuku among other commanders contributed immensely into building Zapu military wing, Zipra into a mean machine.
As for Mangena he is credited with building Zipra from scratch and turning it into a mean machine following the Zapu internal crisis of 1971. This week, the Sunday News spoke to former Zipra adjutant-general and later on chief of military engineering, Cde Jeffery Ndlovu, pseudonym Kenny Murwiri who worked with both commanders and shared experiences of his interaction with the two.
Cde Ndlovu began by hailing the Government for honouring Cde Mangena through the renaming of the Zimbabwe Defence University after him while Imbizo Barracks on the outskirts of Bulawayo was named after Cde Masuku.
“We are very proud in the recognition we receive from the Government for the efforts that were made in the liberation of this country. It is a really good thing that they did,” said Cde Ndlovu who lost his sight in combat close to the Zambezi River while in operations in 1979.
Cde Ndlovu recalls meeting Cdes Mangena and Masuku when he was undergoing military training at Morogoro, Tanzania in 1970. Both were instructors at the camp. He said towards the start of the crisis, Cde Mangena and Ambrose Mutinhiri who was camp commander were recalled to Lusaka. Cde Masuku remained as camp commander taking over from Cde Mutinhiri. He said in 1972 at the transformation of Zapu’s military wing from the Department of Special Affairs to Zipra, Cde Mangena was at the helm.
“I was to come into contact with Cde Mangena again in March 1972 at the headquarters. Mangena was appointed army commander by the executive that had remained including Jason Ziyaphapha Moyo, George Silundika, Edward Ndlovu who were later joined by Jane Ngwenya.
“These are the people who appointed the command filling the gaps that had been left after the crisis. Mangena was deputised by Lookout Masuku who by virtue of being the political commissar, was the second in charge. Others in the High Command were Tapson Nkomani Sibanda, Charles Sotsha Ngwenya, Report Mphoko and Cephas Cele, I was the adjutant general at the HQ that’s why I know that. My brief was to keep all the army’s records.
“Mangena took up the assignment he had been given by the executive together with his command element. They took to operationalise their instructions. Mangena was charged with drawing up duties for all the people under him taking instructions from the party.
“There were three missions, firstly training were some combatants who were sent to the Soviet Union for further training, secondly to resuscitate the operations which had been defunct because of the crisis then thirdly arms storage into the country. We had to recruit personnel for training which we did.”
He said the first operation Mangena commissioned was in March 1972 where Zipra combatants placed explosives along the HwangeVictoria Falls railway line causing the derailment of a train.
“At the same time, we were carrying out reconnaissance missions, identifying all enemy positions along the Zambezi frontier from Kazungula right up to Feira Kanyemba, at the same time these units would carry out mining operations along the routes. That kept the enemy guessing not knowing how many we were and when we were going to strike. That is when we really announced our presence,” said Cde Ndlovu.
In January 1973, the whites published a time table of terror where they documented the Zipra and Zanla operations in the main stream media. Cde Ndlovu said the reconnaissance units were also deployed deep into the country recruiting members who were taken for training.
“Mangena was a versatile and a no nonsense man. He will give you a mission and expect you to carry it out as instructed. There was no room for failure,” he said, adding that the two commanders were not fond of giving instructions from the office but in the front.
Cde Ndlovu said Zipra fighters intensified the war and the Rhodesians were aware that they were not going to stop the fighters despite the guerillas’ inferior arms. He said the Rhodesian army started dismantling small units and creating bigger ones in reaction to the fire power.
At the same time, Cde Ndlovu said the commanders organised training for the future including the airforce, armoured units, artillery, engineering, arms storage, medics, reconnaissance specialists.
“Mangena made it a point that in our camps we had our defence units, artillery, security, connection with arms and food supplies. We made it a point that the armed forces were not starved of the things he wanted,” he said.
“Mangena built Zipra from scratch to a fighting force, he didn’t do this alone but with his team. Each move that they were taking, I had the records, all the operations including our first urban units. The enemy was not going to publish what would make them seem vulnerable but instead denigrate the Zipra operations to create a false impression that we were weak,” he said.
Cde Ndlovu said the Zipra force grew bigger as more and more recruits poured into Zambia to join the armed struggle while others returned from overseas where they had gone for further training. He said once in the then Rhodesia, the combatants would melt into the communities that assisted especially with food supplies saying they would have not survived without the support of the masses.
After the death of Cde Mangena and replaced by Cde Masuku, Cde Ndlovu was also later on promoted to the crucial rank of chief of military engineering. He said Cde Masuku did not deviate from the missions given by the party but instead intensified the operations putting the enemy forces under pressure.
“Mangena never saw the fruition of our airforce, they came after Mangena had died just as the armoured units. The training was not overnight, however, as they had gone for training while he was alive. The deployment of the antiair personnel was done while Mangena was still there, we would not have downed the Viscount and other strategic installations while we were outside the country,” said Cde Ndlovu.
On the character and vision of Cde Mangena, Cde Ndlovu said the Zipra commander encouraged them to be committed to the liberation struggle.
He said Cde Masuku wanted the Zipra to be able to create wealth and not come back home and grab other people’s properties. He said it was the vision of Cde Masuku that former Zipra combatants engaged in various income generating projects.
“We received a lot of political training from Masuku. He was the one who informed our political orientation and inculcated in us the values and principles of the liberation,” said Cde Ndlovu.
He, however, said the achievements of the Zipra operations from the 1972 could not be individually attributed to neither Cdes Mangena or Masuku but they were successful in the execution of their directions because of the commitment of the combatants that worked under them. He said the country attained independence because of collective efforts from various sections in the community, liberation fighters from both Zipra and Zanla, as well as ordinary people.