The Sunday News
Nehemiah Nyathi
THIS coming Saturday marks the 18th year since Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo departed from this world. I was privileged to work closely with him in various spheres of his political life giving him security cover.
I started my security duties with Dr Nkomo in 1980 when I returned from the war of liberation. Just before Independence I was still at an intelligence school in Kitwe, Zambia.
Before I went for intelligence training I had done guerilla warfare as a Zipra cadre having joined the armed struggle in 1977. It was after my guerilla training that I was selected for security training and then did what was then called State Security. It involved protecting the country and finding out what is troubling the nation and protecting the leaders.
When I returned home from Zambia there was already a new Government and I was deployed into Dr Nkomo’s security team. Prior to my deployment I had been at Papa Assembly Point in Mashonaland West, then later on in Chitungwiza.
That is when I started working with Dr Nkomo whom I had first met in 1961 when I was still a young pupil doing Sub-A at Khumbula Primary School in my rural home of Tsholotsho District. I was to see him for the second time in 1969 when again he visited Tsholotsho. I’m not quite sure of the purpose of his visit but I realised when I was working with him that he had these tendencies of just visiting places without any specific mission. He simply loved meeting the people.
When I joined the Zapu president’s Close Security Unit around May 1980 after the country’s first general elections, there was Albert Nxele as the head of security and he was deputised by Joseph Maphosa and below those there was Lovemore Dube, who was commonly known by his pseudo name Newsreel. Newsreel’s deputy was now Harare businessman Fred Mutandah whose war name was Chillies.
Nxele was in charge of the overall presidential security. He was involved in all departments that concerned the president. The presidential security unit was very big as before we returned to the country there were hopes that Umdala would become the Head of State. The presidential unit was very big with a number of shifts. There were shift commanders under Newsreel and Chillies.
When I joined I was put under a shift that was under Aiden Thwala whose war name was Lawrence. Each shift had around 24 officers. The other comrades I worked with included the late national hero Zenzo Ntuliki, popularly known as Maphekapheka. We also had Garnet Muleya and Albert Ngulube who is still serving the State and he was called Miles. Others were Siphithi Nkomo, Section Ncube, Prinslar Moyo, Henry Manheru, Saunders Mathwasa, Correct Dube and Boikano Ndlovu.
When our black Government took over from the Rhodesians the security team from Zipra protected ministers from PF-Zapu while our colleagues from Zanla protected Zanu ministers. When the coalition Government failed, I decided to leave employment and continued providing security duties to Dr Nkomo together with Boikano. Other comrades remained serving our new Government. It was their personal choice to do so as it was ours to go with Dr Nkomo.
It was not an easy decision because when I was employed I was receiving a salary. You know when we were coming from the bush we were now grown up men with ambitions to build homes and have families. It was more difficult if you had children. I had to put all that aside to make sure that he (Dr Nkomo) was protected. I told myself that if I failed and he (Dr Nkomo) was to die then the nation would be doomed. That is how I analysed the situation. I thought that if he died there was going to be a serious civil war.
It was easy working with him (Dr Nkomo) because he too was security conscious. Sometimes he would even alert us of possible threats. He never used to argue with us when we briefed him of our security plans.
During that time (post independence disturbances) very few people stood by him. Even among the party’s (Zapu) leadership, few really stood by him. Yes, they would visit him here and there. The visits were erratic. We couldn’t really blame them. Actually we felt we were much safer without them because we could carry out our security duties without any distractions.
Of course it was expected of them to be by Umdala’s side during such trying times. They should have stood by him and even die with him if he was to die.
The only notable politicians who stood with Dr Nkomo were Sikhwili Khohli Moyo, Vote Moyo, Makhathini Guduza, a gentleman called Sigola and Joseph Ndebele whom I believe is the only one who is still alive. There was also a Mbembesi man, Nzombane. The other person who also remained with Dr Nkomo was Naison Kutshwekhaya Ndlovu (NK). NK assisted us in a lot of ways. He helped us with money for dry cleaning.
After the collapse of the coalition Government there was a lot of tension between Zanu and Zapu but because of Umdala that tension was eased and people were able to work together. Very few had imagined that the two nationalists President Mugabe who was Prime Minister then and Dr Nkomo would work together again. But that happened because of the political maturity and statesmanship of the two leaders.
From that I learnt that even if someone throws stones at my house, I will not retaliate and throw my kitchen utensils back at that person. I will find a way to dialogue with that person and make peace. That’s what Umdala taught me and I didn’t pay any school fees for that, I only paid attention.
Majority of the Zapu leadership who included the late Vice-President Joseph Msika and Dr Nkomo’s bRother, Stephen Jeqe Nkomo didn’t want to hear anything about the peace talks, but Umdala managed to convince them.
The one quality that stood out in his personality was that he was slow to anger and when he got angry he would not stay in that disposition for long.
I remember an incident before the signing of the Unity Accord when there were people who came to his home in Pelandaba and told him that they had been harassed by the security details. He decided to meet the Prime Minister (President Mugabe) and register his displeasure. When we got to Zimbabwe House, you could see that he was really livid. Considering his state, I asked if he wasn’t going to fight with the Prime Minister. He just said he wouldn’t fight with someone younger than him.
That little talk we had allowed the anger in him to subside. He had a lengthy discussion with the Prime Minister. We don’t know what they spoke about. They emerged from that meeting laughing and holding hands.
The other time I saw him very angry was during an interview with a BBC journalist after his return from the United Kingdom. The journalist said to him, “you have just come back from self-imposed exile” and went on to ask him why Dr Nkomo had gone to the UK, Zimbabwe’s former colonisers, of all countries and not Russia. I saw flames in his eyes. He almost struck that fellow with his staff (intonga). Umdala restrained himself and laughed at the journalist and asked him to read history to appreciate why he went to UK and not Russia.
The other time he got angry was when the then Zapu National Chairperson William Kona resigned from the party to join Zanu. Kona’s son went to the Press and denounced his father. He accused him of cowardice and disowned him. Umdala (Dr Nkomo) wasn’t pleased with the son’s actions. He sent for him to be collected and a Press conference to be arranged. Umdala chided Kona’s son in front of journalists. This was supposed to be a Press conference but Umdala took time talking to Kona junior telling him to respect his father’s decision to change parties. He ordered him to retract his statement in front of journalists and tell them that he was still part of the Kona family. It was his nature not to prolong anger.
Anger, according to him, steals precious time for more important things. He taught me that when you are angry at someone you will only be hurting yourself more, as that person will not feel anything and will be carrying on with his or her normal life. He taught me that we often regret most of the decisions that we make out of anger.
Dr Nkomo was an upright man when it came to women. I wouldn’t know about his past, before I joined him and when he was a lot younger, but from my experience with him, he didn’t have any girlfriends.
As a security conscious man he believed that an extra woman was a problem. In fact he considered an extra woman as an enemy. When you have two women in your life, one of them is your enemy, he would tell us.
He loved his wife (Johanna nee Fuyana). MaFuyana was a simple housewife yet very intelligent. She was clever enough not to involve herself in Umdala’s issues . She let the old man be.
When he returned to the Government after the signing of the Unity Accord in 1987 he became Senior Minister responsible for certain ministries and he arranged that we were re-integrated into the country’s State Security Department although there was resistance at first.
On my return I started off in the standby team that would be deployed to visitors and sometimes stand in for other teams that will be resting. I worked there for about a month before I was posted to the Deputy Minister of Energy and Power Edward Silonda Ndlovu. I didn’t stay there for long as well.
Umdala personally requested me to be redeployed to his team. From then on I worked with him until the end.
I was with him until the end. He was a strong man even when he was not feeling well during his last days. Most of us are cowards but he remains an inimitable kind. Dr Nkomo was something else.
When you look at him, President Mugabe and Dr Simon Muzenda that is when you realise that those three are a rare kind. You won’t find many like them. I say so because I have been privileged to work for the three providing security duties.
When he (Dr Nkomo) was ill, before his death, those close to him we could see that the old man was not well but he wouldn’t show it. He didn’t look sorry. When people visited him he would never complain about his illness. He would talk about other issues that were not even related to his state, as if he was someone who was well and fit.
I worked with Umdala, President Mugabe and Dr Muzenda and I really admire these three men. I learnt quite a lot from these nationalists.
Dr Nkomo was a father figure. He was very friendly and approachable. From a distance people saw him as someone who was very fearsome, but he was the direct opposite. He was a father to us, something I found common among the three of them (Dr Nkomo, President Mugabe and VP Muzenda).
When we knocked off from work and we were at his (Dr Nkomo) house, it would feel like we were home. You could talk to him about anything.
I remember when I lost my sister, the last born in our family Dr Nkomo played a fatherly role. He came to our home and paid his condolences and spoke to the elders. The following day he sent for me. He asked me about the funeral programme and assisted with money to cover for the funeral expenses. The money was more than enough and the elders remained with change.
He would do that to everyone. He was just like that. It’s those qualities that I feel made it possible for the Unity Accord to be signed. He treated everyone like his own kin.
The three (Dr Nkomo, President Mugabe and VP Muzenda) acted like brothers. You could never tell that there were two deputies and a President. They acted like triplets. They were very close to each other and had utmost respect for each other.
Dr Nkomo changed the perception of most ministers. When we got Independence some people thought it was time to rest and eat. He changed that, because he was hands-on.
He had ministers that reported to him. Dr Nkomo was a hands-on person such that when a minister submitted a file or a report of programmes being undertaken under their ministry, Umdala would want to go on the ground and see for himself if what was in the report corresponded with what was on the ground.
One thing that Dr Nkomo loved the most was being with the people. During his spare time he would call us and ask us to drive around just seeing people. Sometimes he would stop and talk to the people. He loved people the most.
He didn’t love football that much, but I wouldn’t say he hated the sport as well. What I know is that his favourite football team was Dynamos. He would always ask us to keep him posted on Dynamos fixtures and results. It was part of our duty to keep him updated. He loved Dynamos a lot. Sometimes he would go and watch them play when the team came to Bulawayo.
He would always talk about that team and we could see that he really loved Dynamos. Of course he loved Highlanders, but not as much as he did with Dynamos.
He knew that most of us were Highlanders supporters but when Dynamos were playing elsewhere he would say, “let’s go and watch your Highlanders”. When we were there (Barbourfields) he would want to be kept posted of how Dynamos would be playing.
He would be watching Highlanders just for fun, but the team he loved most was Dynamos. Even until his death he would always keep tabs on Dynamos.
This talk of Dynamos belonging to Shona speaking people and Highlanders being a Ndebele team comes from people who lack knowledge. The team that he had problems with was Zimbabwe Saints. Umdala didn’t quite understand that team. It’s formation seemed like it was meant to exalt a certain tribe. But they ( Dr Joshua Nkomo and Dr Herbert Ushewokunze) succeeded to change that thinking. They helped change the two teams’ name from Mashonaland United to Zimbabwe Saints and Matabeleland Highlanders to Highlanders.
The problem is with the media as well. You fuel the rivalry with the way you write. If I read the paper and I’m told that Dynamos are Highlanders fierce rivals, my perception is shaped in a certain way. Such language causes people to fight. Things like Battle of Zimbabwe and Battle of Cities also cause friction within football supporters.
-Cde Nehemiah Nyathi spoke to our Assistant Editor Mkhululi Sibanda and Senior Reporter Tinomuda Chakanyuka for this interview.
