‘By 1977 thousands of people were pouring into Zambia’
WE continue our interview with the former battalion communications officer for the ZPRA’s First Battalion, Cde Sifiso Velani. In our last interview, Cde Velani told our Assistant Editor Mkhululi Sibanda (MS) how he and his colleagues at Tshugulu African Council in Nkayi District, Matabeleland North Province were charmed by the persuasive voice of the now late national heroine, Cde Jane Lungile Ngwenya to leave their jobs and join the war in Zambia via Botswana. Today, Cde Velani pseudonym Cde Genesis Khona gives an account of his journey to Botswana and eventually to Zambia where he was enlisted into the ZPRA ranks. Below are excerpts from the interview. Read on . . .
MS: Last time you were talking about leaving Nkayi Centre for Bulawayo en route to Botswana. Take us through your journey.
Cde Velani: I left Nkayi in the company of my friends, Thabani Nkomo, the chief Agritex officer, Thomas Mathenjwa who was a clerk at the council and Khayisoni Nkomo, another worker at the council. From Khayisoni’s family, there were three others, including his brothers. We found others in Bulawayo and the number rose to 13 including one girl. We were using the car that I said Thabani was in the process of buying from our white colleague in the council but had not yet paid a cent for it. When we got to Bulawayo, we teamed up with that guerilla again and he advised that we couldn’t travel on Saturday as it was too risky because of the roadblocks. We then settled for Sunday evening. In the meantime, we stayed at the house of a man called John Ndimande in Pelandaba. We finally left Bulawayo at around 7pm on Sunday and used the Old Gwanda Road. We were being guided by that guerilla who was in the company of the bus conductor from Super Godlwayo. We arrived in the early hours of Monday at a place called Kafusi, which is on the border of Gwanda and Kezi districts. The guerilla and the bus conductor then took the car back to Bulawayo and left us there. The guerilla intended to booby-trap the car and leave it outside Meikles, but on their way back it overturned, forcing them to leave it at the scene of the accident. As for us, we crossed the border into Botswana at about 10am. While in Botswana, we got lifts from villagers who were travelling in scotch-carts and they left us at a place called Bobonong. We got to Bobonong at 9pm and spent the following day there. On the second day, we were driven in trucks to Selibe-Phikwe and at that point, we were joined
by others.
MS: How long did you stay at SelibePhikwe? Cde Velani:
We were there for two weeks as we were moved to Francistown where we spent another two weeks. From Francistown, we were flown to Lusaka International Airport and at that time hundreds and hundreds of people were pouring in to join the armed struggle. In the plane, we also had women cadres. At the airport where we arrived at around 8pm, we were received by ZPRA security personnel who took us in trucks to the camps. Men were taken to Nampundwe Transit Camp while the women were driven to Victory Camp (VC), a women’s camp.
MS: How were you received at Nampundwe? Cde Velani:
We got there at night, which was the case for all recruits as the security guys didn’t want those coming to join the war to see the directions to the camp from Lusaka. When we got to Nampundwe, some blankets were thrown at us and we were told to find somewhere to sleep, just under the trees. That’s when we realised that the situation had changed. We were told that if we heard people toytoying in the morning we should not join them as the camp instructors wanted to meet us, the new arrivals. By around 7am we were up and taken to a spot to be vetted. They wanted each individual’s background such as place of origin, village head, chief and what one was doing in Rhodesia before coming to join the war. We were also given pseudonyms and put into sections. Before dismissal, we were told that the following morning we would be woken up early in the morning between 3am and 4am to meet the party President and Commander-in-Chief of ZPRA, Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo. As you have written before that was meant to fool us as we were subjected to strenuous exercises. Those coming from South Africa would come dressed even in three-piece suits only to realise that they had been taken for a ride. Some would remove their jackets and ties and leave them hanging on trees in the bush. Some of the tough instructors were Finish, Tonderai who
lives in Bulawayo, Teddy and Tafara. We arrived in Nampundwe on 1 October 1977 and went through the same routine until December of that year. As for food, we had one meal a day, because of the large number of people, they would start serving food from 10am up to 10pm. People were fed in batches, which were companies that they belonged to. Then on the first week of January when we were doing manual work, digging trenches in the camp as there was intelligence that the Rhodesians were planning to bomb it, I decided to go and get some water to drink. I was then told by someone that the camp command element was looking for those who had passed Ordinary Level. Word then started doing the rounds that they should assemble at the parade square.
MS: How many people came forward? Cde Velani:
We were told that the Zapu director of intelligence, Cde Dumiso Dabengwa was coming to meet those with such qualifications. To answer your question, 93 of us assembled at the parade square. Dabengwa eventually arrived in a Land Rover in the afternoon. He told us that we were going abroad
and we were being taken to the Freedom Camp (FC) to await our trip. When we got to FC, we had a pleasant surprise as we were given new uniforms, boots, soap and towels, items that were a luxury at Nampundwe.
MS: Do you remember some of the 93 people who were part of the group?
Cde Velani: We had Casper Khumalo, who after independence became a Senior Assistant Commissioner in the Zimbabwe Republic Police, Mathenjwa and Josphat Mabhena were part of the group. Joshua Nkomo then came to FC and chatted with some of the people in our group. One would be called and meet him faceto-face. However, I was not so lucky as I didn’t meet him.
MS: From those who met Dr Nkomo, what did they say was his message to them?
Cde Velani: He will ask them about their background and tell them that the armed struggle had reached a crucial stage, so there was a need for the cadres to give everything to the war. Cuban doctors then came to the camp to do medical checkups on us. They would take eight or so comrades in a day. After the doctors’ exercises, we then moved to the bush, to a place that was close to a railway line. That is where we started intense military drills. Taking us through our paces were comrades who had just returned from the Soviet Union such as Mahlahla and Mahewu. We then started having doubts about whether we would indeed go for training abroad. However, in April of 1978 a large group arrived at FC from Mulungushi
MS: What was your impression of the Mulungushi contingent? Cde Velani:
We were impressed with the way they handled themselves. The Zambians had done a good job, they were well-trained and very disciplined. They were pure soldiers. Their number was around 200. We were added to them and we travelled together to the Soviet Union.
To be continued next week with Cde Velani talking about the training in the Soviet Union and the battle of Kariba against the Rhodesians, which took five days.