We fought Smith side by side with our ancestors

TODAY we bring to a close the interview with former Zanla guerilla and field political commissar, Retired Major Wurayai Levis Masimbi, one of the survivors of the 9 August 1976 raid by a column of 84 Rhodesian Selous Scouts at Nyadzonya Camp in Mozambique.

The facility that was populated mainly by non-militants who were undergoing training. The Rhodesians massacred over 1 000 Zimbabweans among them women and children. In the past two instalments in interviews with Assistant Editor Mkhululi Sibanda (MS), Rtd Maj Masimbi pseudo name Simbi Dzewondo gave an account of how he joined the armed struggle, coming straight from school, surviving the Nyadzonya attack, training at Chimoi after which he was trained at the Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology in Mozambique then later on deployed to Xai Xai where he was part of guerillas that politically oriented recruits. Today he gives an account on his deployment for operations in areas like Gezani and Chikwalakwala, which fell under the Zanla operational area code named Gaza Province that covered parts of Masvingo and Matabeleland South provinces. Below are excerpts of the interview.

MS: You are saying you were at Xai Xai for five months doing commissariat work there, politically orienting the recruits. Then take us through your deployment to the front.

Rtd Maj Masimbi: I was deployed to the Gaza Province, an operational area that covered parts of Masvingo and Matabeleland South provinces. We moved to the front towards the end of 1977 and we were deployed as a platoon. A Zanla platoon was made up of 30 troops. Usually a Zanla platoon was armed mostly with AK-47 rifles, two Light Machine Guns (LMGs) and two bazookas. We also had some artillery pieces such as Mortar 60mm, which, however, we did not move around with everyday, those were meant for special assignments. So when we were deployed we were to operate as a very mobile platoon that laid out ambushes and attacked Rhodesian installations. What I should put across is that before, Zanla guerillas used to operate in sections of around seven men, but as temperatures on the battlefield went up, the strategy was changed to involve big numbers as it was no longer a hit and run affair, but the enemy had to be taken head-on. Zanla had moved to a more mobile operational system as the war had grown in terms of intensity, so there was a need to launch operations on enemy bases and lay big ambushes like I have alluded above.

MS: How was the command structure like?

Rtd Maj Masimbi: The overall commander of the Gaza Province was Cde Freddie Matanga with his Political Commissar (PC) being Cde Muridzo. In actual fact the PC was the deputy commander. Other members of the command element were detachment commanders going down to platoons and sections, all reflecting the command structure of the province. I held the rank of platoon commissar with my commander being Cde Gabagodingo. After deployment one of the first significant battles was when we engaged the enemy in a mountainous area there in Gezane. We were tipped off that about 10 enemy forces had been spotted near a mountain. We approached the enemy and found them in a sort of relaxed mood as they were having a meal. We had a Mortar 60mm , which we used to pound them. The battle lasted less than an hour as the enemy forces had to summon their aircraft, so we made a tactical withdrawal and fled from the scene. However, something strange happened that indicated that the war we were fighting was not ours but of our ancestors. Tales of the war of liberation are incomplete without telling the people about the spiritual side of things. The guerillas were not alone in fighting the war, they were being looked after by midzimu (amadlozi).

MS: So what happened in this case?

Rtd Maj Masimbi: After being harassed by the enemy forces using their helicopters, comrades dispersed in different directions and when we regrouped it was discovered that one comrade was missing. However, the missing comrade was somewhere, also wondering how he could re-unite with the other guys. Then while he was still pondering what to do next he saw a lion approaching him. The sight of the lion shocked him to the core, he wanted to run away but decided not to, so he stood stiff. He was now a ball of nerves. Then he saw the lion walking away. He heaved a sigh of relief, but that was short-lived as the lion came back. It stood a little distance from him for a short while, turned and walked away. He then summoned all the courage and followed it. The lion led him to where the other guerillas were. The other comrades heard its sound and the big cat quickly disappeared from the scene. The other incident involved me, I was leading a unit and we decided to take a rest, it was in the afternoon. So I took a nap on a flat rock while other comrades deployed around. So while I was asleep a dove flew directly at me, in fact it hit against me and I woke up. When I looked around I saw the Rhodesian soldiers approaching and we had contact there. Such incidents point out the involvement of our spirits during the armed struggle.

MS: Tell us about other battles you were involved in?

Rtd Maj Masimbi: There was the famous 31 days war there in Gezane. What happened was that on 1 March in 1978 the Rhodesian forces on realising that they could not keep pace with the war they decided to raid villagers. When we were deployed in late 1977, we were reinforcing comrades who were already on the ground. More troops kept on being deployed. So at the beginning of March of 1978 there was that raid of villages where the Rhodesian forces burnt down homesteads and took villagers to their concentration camps which were commonly known as keeps. The strategy was to deprive freedom fighters access to food as they were very much aware that we were fed and clothed by the masses. They wanted us cut off from the villagers and lose all the logistical support. R e m emb e r we also had mujibhas who were part of our intelligence network. We then came up with a strategy to forcibly take away the villagers from the keeps, we were now surviving on meat only as the enemy forces had also made sure that no grain remained in the villages, where homesteads had been razed to the ground.

MS: So you went on offensive?

Rtd Maj Masimbi: Yes, yes, we had to do it. I remember on the day we went for the attack it was drizzling and two platoons had been deployed for the rescue operation. The villagers were being held at a facility called Asani, which is in the Shangani language. When we were about to get closer to the Keep, we saw a spotter plane and it was about to land. It eventually landed and we took advantage of that situation and stormed the place. In that ensuing confusion the villagers managed to escape from that concentration camp. We had achieved our objective. From there people had to live in the bush surviving on meat from cattle and goats. It was after that rescue operation that I had a misfortune. We were on our way to get supplies in Mozambique when we bumped into booby traps, resulting in us losing one comrade while I was seriously injured. I was taken to Malvernia and from there to Xai Xai. I was further referred to Chimoi where I recovered. After recovering fully I was selected to go for further training in Romania. Our group leader to Romania was the now Minister of Agriculture, the Retired Chief Air Marshal Perrance Shiri. Cde Shiri had been a field commander and had been in the thick of things as one of the provincial commanders. He is an accomplished guerilla commander that one.

MS: What was your area of specialisation in Romania?

Rtd Maj Masimbi: I specialised in military communications while Cde Shiri was in artillery. After arriving in Bucharest we were taken to a place called Chingu, 60km away where comrades specialised in different fields in military science. On my part we did telegraphic comms — Moscot. We were in Romania for six months after which we returned home. When we got

the back to Mozambique, it was soon after the battle of Mavonde where Zanla displayed to all and sundry that it was a mean military machine after holding at bay the Rhodesian forces who came with all sorts of armaments. The Mavonde Battle was fought over five days and it was one of the fiercest battles fought by Zanla during the armed struggle. That is the battle that proved to all how prepared we were for military victory. When it happened the Lancaster House Talks were on. Soon after that we were told that the war was over and we were supposed to return home. Other comrades and I moved to LM Mission Assembly Point in Nyanga.

MS: From there what happened to you?

Rtd Maj Masimbi: From LM Mission I was one of the comrades who were moved to Chipinge, that is Tongogara Assembly Point. I was then selected for integration into the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) and I moved to Llewellin Barracks, now called Imbizo Barracks. It was at Imbizo where we undertook examinations to go undergo an officers course at the then Zimbabwe Military Academy (ZMA) in Gweru for a standardisation course where I was attested as a full Lieutenant. I then moved to Ntabazinduna Camp which was under the command of the now famous Barnabas Sibanda, the comrade who tried to manufacture a helicopter here in Bulawayo using Citroen engine. Cde Sibanda commanded that ZNA Battalion in Ntabazinduna as a Lt-Col, coming from ZPRA. Later on I was posted in different camps working as a pay officer, at one point I was in Harare, then Sizhubane in Gwanda where there was 1:3 and also came to Imbizo. I was also promoted to the rank of Captain in 1991. I also worked at One Brigade Headquarters now King Mzilikazi Barracks where I was the purchasing and procurement officer. Then in 1994 I retired from the army and got promoted to the rank of Major. But before we end this interview I want to put a message across to the people of Zimbabwe about the revolution that saw us getting our Independence.

MS: Yes Major, go ahead.

Rtd Maj Masimbi: At the moment we are going through serious economic challenges and as freedom fighters we knew we will reach this stage and it will soon pass. This is because a revolution has to go through stages, the first one was when we took up arms against the colonial government. We were decolonising Zimbabwe, now we are in the economic liberation, which we started through the land reform programme. We have economic problems because we are being punished by the so-called super powers for our stance on the land reform and soon those problems will be over. After the economic emancipation we have to go to the third stage of the revolution, which cultural revolution. Cultural revolution is necessary so that we revive our culture and stop borrowing foreign cultures which are not for our country and people. After that then we will be fully independent as a nation.