The Sunday News
Retired Brigadier-General Abel Mazinyane
THE Freedom Camp (FC) was given to Zapu in 1976, before that it had been a Frelimo Camp. The camp was situated about 10 miles north of Lusaka (Zambia), off Kabwe Road.
The camp was immediately used as a transit camp by Zipra. On transit were cadres coming from further training or those waiting to go for further training. However, there were groups that were going to Angola for their initial training who through FC.
The first command of FC had Cde Kerius Msimanga (Gadaffi) as the commander. For those on transit for further training, documentation, medical procedures such as inoculation against diseases (yellow fever, bilharzia, typhoid etc) were done there. Also travel documents were processed there.
During the same year Gadaffi was replaced by Cde Mabhuku as the commander of FC. Cde Mabhukwa was deputized by Kindness Ndlovu (Single) as Chief of Staff. Single had just returned from Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) where he had completed an officer’s course. Single actually administered the camp. He was a fine soldier. I think the ZPRA commander, Rogers Alfred Nikita Mangena had a lot of trust in him. During Mabhuku’s reign a training wing was introduced. This was necessitated by the long presence of the Angola bound recruits. They had to be introduced to the military life like what was happening at Nampundwe. This early training was introduced when ZPRA firmly pegged its training at six months.
At FC comrades who had returned from Somali Military Cadet Course were added to the administration. Among them were Devine Malaba/Clever Mthethwa. In 1977 the ZPRA Headquarters were moved from Zimbabwe House (ZH) to FC. That attracted other ZPRA institutions to move in. Those were the Communication Centre, Logistics Main Stores, Transport Department and the main clinic. ZPRA HQ itself became a big complex with more secretaries than only one who manned it at ZH.
A detention centre was also established at FC the Military Intelligence. This was later moved to Mboroma, east of Mkushi when the Zambian government offered the camp to ZPRA. FC hosted the Cubans who came from Angola to collect the first group of recruits who were going for training in Angola. A cultural exchange party was held for them at FC. The Cubans had also brought some food supplies and trucks for ZPRA. FC also hosted the second Conference of Militants in 1977, which was chaired by the party President and Commander-In-Chief of ZPRA, Dr Joshua Nkomo.
In 1978 ZPRA moved its HQ to Kasupe, west of Lusaka. In actual fact before ZPRA moved out of FC, the Department of Agriculture in the party made its intentions clear that it wanted FC for agriculture purposes. After ZPRA HQ moved out FC remained a transit camp for ZPRA personnel. Some ladies were brought to FC from Victory Camp (VC) to join the pool of secretaries. They included Helen Dube (Dainah), Nobesuthu and Maggie Matshazi. When ZPRA was resident at FC for security there were first two companies that came from Angola and were later replaced by two from Mlungushi that were commanded by Abu Basuthu.
FC was bombed on 19 October 1978 by the Rhodesian Air Force. Some of the comrades who died during the bombing were Alcamyang Jabuli, Ratael Bhebhe, Roma Dube, Thambo Dube, Forward Dube, Clever Mpofu, Jeremiah Maphosa, Ezekiel Mbedzi, Trevor Ndlovu, Antony Ndiweni, Raphael Hadebe, Muranda Ncube and Leonard Lazarus.
There is a mass grave for those who perished at FC. A monument was erected by the Zimbabwe National Museum and Monuments with the list of those buried there displayed at the site. The list includes names from comrades from Umkhonto WeSizwe and the Zambian Defence Forces. Our Museum Department has to consider building a small museum at the site once stood the ZPRA HQ like what they did at Chimoio in Mozambique. We pray for that to happen.
