Journey back home for combat perilous
(JR) continues to recount his wartime experiences. This week, he narrates to our Features and Arts Editor (PM) the battles he was involved in after undergoing military training and eventually being deployed to the front. ******************** PM: Last week, we ended our discussion when you were under attack by enemy soldiers’ aircraft at Base Two (Mozambique). Can you tell us how you survived the onslaught? JR:
I managed to get to a bushy area and took cover, close to a river. I spent several hours in that position. The air strike began around 8am and was simultaneous as we later learnt that the enemy also attacked other areas like Chimoio and some of our camps in Zambia — around the same time.
Meanwhile, while in cover, I saw the Rhodesian forces moving into battle formation, but I could not engage them since I did not have a weapon. They caused havoc. I witnessed a fellow comrade by the name of Jack Bendaz, from Chibawawa Camp, being pursued by the attackers. It appeared they wanted to capture him alive because they could have easily shot him from a distance.
I do not know what happened to him, but he escaped in the direction where the Rhodesian soldiers were coming from. I only left my cover after 9pm, when the assault had stopped. I remained on high alert as I wandered around in the bush, trying to reconnect with my colleagues. Several people got injured while others died during the attack.
A light-skinned lady that followed me as we fled the camp — who was part of the clinic staff — did not make it. She was butchered by a helicopter.
Meanwhile, I later bumped into another comrade who was also wandering and visibly disturbed. We kept walking and by midnight, we were nine. We then started drifting towards Malawi.
PM: What was the plan now? JR:
It was no longer safe to go back to the camp. We had to find a new shelter and strategise. After walking for several hours, we decided to rest around midnight. The following day, the late Cde Josiah Tungamirai, Cde Chando Mukwanisi and Cde Khumalo started to patrol the bushy area where they thought comrades had strategically retreated to. They advised us to all meet at a central point so that we regroup.
Meanwhile, hunger was killing us. We had gone for close to two days without a decent meal, surviving on wild fruits. The ancestors protected us as we never had nasty confrontations with dangerous animals considering we were in a game park and close to a water source.
The area was said to be frequented by lions, hyenas and wild dogs. Some comrades later came and escorted us to a nearby base where all those who had completed training were officially shortlisted to travel home to join the struggle.
We were joined by comrades who were coming from Tanzania, Libya, Korea and several other places. Comrades Tongogara, Solomon Mujuru, Perrance Shiri, Vitalis Zvinavashe and the current Vice President (Dr Constantino Chiwenga) were some of the people present. I was deployed to Mt Darwin/ Centenary. The commanders had to call comrades who frequented the Zimbabwe-Mozambique route to guide us back home as they knew directions better.
PM: Can you take us through your journey back home. JR:
We got our combat kits upon deployment. The journey back home was one of the most painful for me. It was a forced march and we had to maintain a distance of 10 metres apart. However, this was difficult because you would be carrying an assortment of weapons.
The situation was very difficult and I remember one of our colleagues by the name of Godknows, from Manicaland, gave up on our way back. He was in front of me and just sat down. He put down his weaponries and told everyone that it was the end of the road for him. He could not soldier on.
The detachment commander, Jimmy Chakwamuka, then instructed others within the group to take his weapons and we left him behind. I do not think he made it thereafter. I understood his predicament.
He was tired because we had been walking for two weeks, carrying heavy stuff. However, we used to take turns to carry some of the heaviest artillery.
It was unfortunate that the person who was leading on directions got it all mixed up, resulting in us getting lost and using a longer route. At some point, we found ourselves in a mountain called Gungwa, in the Mount Darwin area.
I fell and rolled down for about three metres with my weapons on me, including a recoilless rifle. If it was not for a log that stopped me, I could have rolled for a much longer distance. I think it was at that point that I developed a back problem that troubles me up to now.
PM: Back home, did you swiftly join the struggle? JR:
When we arrived in Mashonaland Central, I eventually did not go to Centenary. Cde Steven Dombo and I operated the same gun — M90 — and we had all been deployed to Centenary. Thus, it was then decided that I stay behind in Dande, for special operations with the weapon. While in Dande, I met comrade Bernard Pfuti, Jamaica, Binyangora and several detachment commanders, among them Earnest Bhebhe.
We were involved in several operations. The idea was to attack and strategically retreat. For instance, if we fired shots in Bhinya Road — leading to Mukumbura — we would immediately go in the opposite direction, in this case Kaitano, to confuse the enemy.
It was suicidal to attack and maintain position. We also attacked in areas like Mavhuradona around 1978. But the Rhodesians later mastered our strategy and that marked the beginning of serious confrontational battles.
We were a group of about 20 comrades camped at Chigango. One day, we planned to convene at night and attack a protected area. Later on that day, another group of 20 freedom fighters joined us to make the total number 40. We camped on different sites, but still very close to each other. The target was the same.
However, we did not realise that the white soldiers were heavily monitoring our movement, including identifying the youths who were feeding us throughout the day.
The Rhodesian fighters observed us from a mountain called Munwe, using binoculars. During that time, our other group in the district was carrying out attacks at Chesa. The enemy had full information pertaining to our other planned attack but decided to first deal with the Chesa battle before turning to us.
Just after midnight, the Rhodesian soldiers shifted their attention, or guns if you like, to us. They first threw a search light into our base and Cde Paraga immediately shouted that we were under attack. At that moment, I was relaxed, with my RPG2 bazooka close to me.
However, the attack was abrupt such that I could not reach my weapon on time to fire back. Armoured cars invaded our space; helicopters and other fighter aircraft were already dropping paratroopers, while the ground force had already covered ground. I ran towards the eastern side, together with other freedom fighters.
Before we reached a depression that was in that route, others diverted but I maintained direction. But, as I got to the depression, I ran into some white soldiers who had set ambush in that direction.
PM: You can carry on. JR:
They opened towards me with their AK47 rifles. Using knowledge acquired through training in Mozambique, I managed to dodge the bullets and swiftly evade the ambush. My weapon was too heavy and slowed me down, hence I needed a lighter gun to fire back while, at the same time, making it easy for me to escape. I regrouped with five of my colleagues. However, as we were planning a counter-attack, one of our colleagues was hit by a bullet and died on the spot. I crawled towards a bushy area and climbed into a tree. But it proved to be a bad decision.
The enemy was monitoring my move from above and a helicopter came to decimate the tree. I immediately disembarked and took cover in a bushy area. The attack commenced around 12pm, but up until around 6am, the enemy was still on our case with full zeal. They did not leave because they wanted to finish off every freedom fighter they thought they had wounded. But that was a bad decision on their part. They lost several soldiers in the process as we fought back hard.
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