Pioneer nationalist who vetted Joshua Nkomo
TODAY we republish parts of the interview that Mkhululi Sibanda, Assistant Editor of our sister paper, Sunday News had in March 2018 with veteran nationalist Cde Abraham Dumezweni Nkiwane.
THE pioneer nationalist died on July 6 in Bulawayo aged 93. The Zanu-PF Politburo accorded him national hero status in recognition of the big role he played in the liberation war. Today’s instalment touches on joint operations by Zipra and Umkhonto WeSizwe, internal challenges in Zapu and other issues.
MS: Baba Nkiwane you spoke about a military operation in Kezi, can you tell us about other similar missions.
Cde Nkiwane: Moffat Hadebe who I spoke about earlier on who was involved in the Kezi operation, was later deployed into the country with the High Command. On arrival on the Rhodesian side, he was chosen to command the reconnaissance unit made up of a group that included another reconnaissance team made up of seven men. Those seven were Joe Modise of Umkhonto weSizwe, Dumiso Dabengwa, Walter, Cde Masondo, Mavuso, Report Mphoko and myself. There were also five other members from the HQ who included communication personnel.
MS: So how was the operation? Cde Nkiwane:
Moffat moved with us as a commander up to a point where we found the enemy working on a new defence line, a new road being made round the whole country. We moved on inside the country still with Cde Hadebe as overall commander of the whole force. The whole force had 123 men. We were with Cde Hadebe for six days. We had intended to move towards Guruve then Sipolilo in Mashonaland Central Province when our communication system on the Zambian side, the signal was lost. Therefore we lost contact with Lusaka.
It was then agreed that the High Command return to the point on the Zambezi and check whatever fault was with the communication system.
We discovered that the generator was burnt and since there was nothing we could do with it in the bush, we were forced to return to Lusaka to rectify and replace the generator and that was done.
MS: But how were those forces supposed to
move?
Cde Nkiwane: They were supposed to move
between the then Rhodesian and Mozam
bican borders. The Zapu cadres were to create many bases on the south east while our ANC counterparts were to move into the Kruger National Park on their way into the Northern Transvaal. The High Command of the joint alliance had decided on this strategy as a way calculated to make use of this area, which had been left completely without the presence of enemy troops. Both Rhodesians and South African forces had moved in numbers to the Zambezi since the Wankie (Hwange) battles.
I should also mention that all fighters had fake registration certificates issued purportedly in various districts depending on the language the man spoke.
For most of our ANC comrades the documents were made to look like they were issued by the district commissioner at Bubi, Matabeleland North. Ndebele speakers had theirs look like they were issued in various districts in Matabeleland while Shona speakers theirs looked like they were issued in different parts of Mashonaland.
MS: Who made those documents?
Cde Nkiwane: They were made and printed for us by friendly countries overseas and were not different in paper quality, print etc. MS: How was the joint command structured? Cde Nkiwane: The co-commanders were Ackim Ndlovu and Joe Modise, intelligence and operations were under Dumiso Dabengwa and Walter Mavuso, under personnel and training there was myself and Gatsheni, Report Mphoko and Masondo were in charge of logistics and transport, Zola Zembe was also in Operations while Walter Mthikhulu headed the communications department.
MS: What can you say about the Hwange and Sipolilo battles considering that some people view them as failed missions. Cde Nkiwane: As much as criticism was poured on us by our enemies and detractors over those battles, the Smith regime was unsettled and it started to get more and more military reinforcements from South Africa. Most of the South Africans were deployed along the Zambezi River. We may have lost the battle, but not the war.
MS: Then Zapu had problems in 1971 and
you were there. What happened? Cde Nkiwane: The causes of those problems were not about the way Zapu was run outside the country. The problem was a small administrative one affecting the Department of Special Affairs. At that time Zapu had created two major bases in Zambia and both were situated not far from the Zambezi River. The bases had been there for some time. The story started after realising that morale was gradually going down as a result that personnel were made to stay too long at the rear bases, owing to problems of securing sufficient arms and other war materials. Then it happened that in one of our weekly meetings with the representative of the national executive, in this case Cde James Chikerema. Cde Chikerema after listening to the concerns by the High Command suggested that perhaps morale would be better boosted if the High Command and himself paid regular visits to the forward bases. The idea was agreed unanimously. MS: So the visits were made?
Cde Nkiwane: Yes. We started with the Eastern front situated at the Chakwenga River towards the confluence of the Luangwa and the Zambezi rivers in Zambia. All was very well there, the spirits were indeed lifted to my satisfaction, by the way I was the Chief of Personnel at that time. We ended our stay in the east with the lads. A continuation of the visits was to be made now to the southern base situated not far from the confluence of the Gwayi/ Zambezi rivers in southern Zambia and northern Zimbabwe. However, that is where trouble started.