‘My joining the war was accidental’
IT was either military instinct or just sheer luck that saved Cde Patricia Kelello Malemane pseudo name Cde Apollo Dube now aged 66, when the Rhodesian forces swooped on Mkushi Camp in Zambia, a Zipra military facility for women. The day was 19 October 1978. Forty-two years later Cde Malemane, now a retired nurse still remembers that fateful day vividly and said on that day she had the premonition that something dangerous would befall the camp. Because of that premonition some of her comrades mocked her by saying she was losing her mind. Cde Malemane who speaks with authority consistent with military people, a commander for that matter says 42 years later she is still bothered by the fact that the senior command element at Mkushi although warned countless times that the enemy was lurking around as there were suspicious movements around the camp, that crucial piece of intelligence was never taken seriously.
On Wednesday last week our Assistant Editor Mkhululi Sibanda (MS) traced Cde Malemane and found her at her plot in one of the commercial farming areas of Matabeleland South Province where she gave a detailed account on the attack of Mkushi, expressed disappointment with the command skills at the camp the fact that the women’s camp was poorly protected. She also spoke about how she accidentally joined the armed struggle as a young rural girl, growing up in Gwanda District. Below are excerpts of the interview.
MS: Cde Malemane may you begin by giving us your background.
Cde Malemane: I was born Patricia Kelello Malemane on 7 August 1954 at Manama Mission Hospital in Gwanda District of Matabeleland South Province. I come from Mapate. For my schooling I started my primary education at Takaliyawa that is Sub-A up to Standard 2. For Standard 3 I was taken to Zezani Boarding School in Beitbridge District and while there that is when this thing of grades was introduced. So, I wrote my Grade 7 at Zezani Boarding School. Then for Form One I enrolled at Hope Fountain Mission now Tennyson Hlabangana High School, a London Missionary Society institution, which is on the outskirts of Bulawayo. I wrote my Ordinary level examinations in 1974 and the following year, I wanted to do other subjects and later on in 1976 and 1977 I was of two minds either to continue with my education or cross the border into South Africa to look for employment. Then it happened that on 3 January 1977 I woke up and went to do my laundry at the village’s watering point. When my clothes had dried up, I returned home, but before I could arrive at our homestead, I saw a group of people approaching from the direction of the local business centre. Among that large train of people were four heavily armed men who immediately ordered me to join the group. I was told to leave my laundry on the spot where I was. I then took off with others.
MS: So, you left for the war just like that?
Cde Malemane: Yes, that is how I left my home to join the armed struggle. As we moved the comrades whose names, I never got were rounding up people as we moved towards the border with Botswana. They were targeting youngsters and some who were a little bit older but fit to train as soldiers. Some people were taken from beer drinking sessions. From my village at Mapati we collected more at places like Halisupi and Mlambapeli on our way to Botswana.
MS: Had you thought of joining the armed struggle before that incident happened?
Cde Malemane: I had never thought of that and when I was rounded up, I was afraid, I guess just like everyone else who found himself or herself in that situation. However, I got excited when the comrades said when we arrive in Zambia we would be taken to school. The mere mention of the word school really excited me. Even when I was told to leave my clothes the comrades told me not to worry because there were plenty where we were going. By the time we crossed the border into Botswana our number had grown very, very big. When we got into Botswana those comrades who had taken us handed us over to others whom we found there, but were not armed. So, from Gobajango we were moved to Selebi-Phikwe where we kept in prison as part of safety measures. Those comrades who had rounded us up are the ones I am told who went to take the school children at Manama Mission and brought them to Botswana to join the war.
MS: What was the message that you were receiving from the comrades?
Cde Malemane: We were getting political lessons, being taught about how bad colonialism was. We were also told that we would be sent to school and that we will be flown to Zambia. I could not believe my luck that I a mere rural Gwanda girl ngizagada indenge mina. That excited me a lot. The day indeed arrived when we were flown to Zambia’s Lusaka International Airport. From the airport we were picked up by Zapu trucks and driven to Nampundwe Transit Camp.
MS: How was Nampundwe?
Cde Malemane: When we got to Nampundwe things changed dramatically, that soft approach that we had been used to just vanished. We were issued with combat gear and the language changed; it was now military language that was used. We were called one by one and given pseudo names and that is how I became Apollo Dube. We were told that we had to be up at 4am for military exercises whether you are a man or woman. The treatment was the same regardless of gender. We were introduced to the toyi-toyi. I can say life at Nampundwe was difficult because there was also the problem of food. Then the Zapu leader, Dr Joshua Nkomo visited the camp and we (girls) cried before him. We told him that we were being harassed by these men at Nampundwe. In response Dr Nkomo said we should not worry much as we would soon be moved to another camp. True to his word we were later moved to Victory Camp (VC), which was for women. We continued with our military exercises there at VC. Then a time came when I was part of the five girls who were chosen to go and do a six months nursing course at the United Teaching Hospital (UTC) of Zambia. That was still 1977.
MS: Do you still recall the names of other four?
Cde Malemane: Yes, the other four were Glory, Clara, Ludo and Senzeni. Our going to UTC was part of preparations for the full military training of women. So, after six months we returned and moved to open up Mkushi Training Camp where we were also to undergo our military training. We were in the first group of 1 000 women which also included girls that had been taken from Manama Mission. Among the instructors there were also women guerillas who had been trained in Morogoro in Tanzania.
MS: How did the first command structure at Mkushi look like?
Cde Malemane: The first commander of Mkushi was Cde Billy Mzamo (Heigthen Nkomo) deputised by Moses Phinda (Farai Lawrence Makwarimba) while the head of logistics was Cde Ntatshana and below him was Cde Public. Trained women guerillas who were also part of the command element were Audrey, Ingrid, Martha and Grace Noko among others. As for instructors there were comrades like Makanyanga, Sotsha and Moto. We completed our training after eight months although initially it was supposed to be six months. It was very tough and we were properly drilled. Dr Nkomo as the Zipra commanderin-chief came to officiate at our pass-out parade. From our group of 1 000 I was among the 50 who were chosen to become instructors and be part of the administration at Mkushi as the camp was divided into two. That was because there was another group of also about a 1 000 that was to start training.
MS: What criteria was used to choose the 50 of you?
Cde Malemane: We had performed well during training that is military wise and physical we were also fit.
To be continued next week when Cde Malemane gives a detailed account of the bombing of Mkushi and how she survived.