The Sunday News
Barnabas Sibanda
IN your Lest We Forget column of last week you indicated that one of our compatriots seemed hard done that I accused other comrades of being cowards during our operations in the Hwange area during the war for our independence. I would like to apologise to my colleagues, I was in a desperate situation. I therefore apologise to members of the Chinamano Detachment, Inyature Liberated Zone, Wankie.
I would like to apologise to Cde Dabulamanzi aka Richard Dube-Sidleni for undermining your courage and determination in battle. It was beyond my control. During the battle of Hululu-Dinde the Rhodesian rebels had awarded me with a shrapnel which remained stuck in my tummy throughout the war. The metal piece in my stomach caused unbearable pain. Soon after the battle the zone commander, Cde Shepherd and Dabulamanzi had collected a Dr Chimedza from St Mary’s Clinic.
Having failed to remove the shrapnel Dr Chimedza advised that it could only be removed after the wound had healed at Wankie (Hwange) General Hospital and not at a clinic. Its removal at that time could lead to intestines falling out. I was therefore to live with the metal in my tummy as part of me. The pain that was brought about by this foreign body made me aggressive especially during the early hours of the night when temperatures dropped. The pain was unbearable. I would wake up long before first light when everyone was sleeping. I would do push-ups to warm up my blood and ease the pain. I was irate, it was at these times that I would urge my comrades that we should attack the enemy positions.
Our biggest problem were helicopters, our predecessors had done away with the Rhodesian African Rifles (RAR), Inyature Liberated Zone was already functional when our unit arrived. However, the helicopters stationed in Wankie aerodrome kept us on our toes, they kept us pinned down in the ravines.
St Mary’s Clinic was our border post to the west, beyond the clinic it was Rhodesian territory. On the other side of Lukosi Hills was an aerodrome that housed a squadron of Rhodesian helicopters. It was this squadron that violated the Inyanture Liberated Zone, it was this squadron that caused controversy between myself (Sector Commander Wankie) and Regis (Deputy Zone Commander) Northern Front Region One.
I wanted us to tackle the aerodrome head on but Regis knew that was going to be a suicidal operation, which it was. The aerodrome located on the east of the Wankie Industrial Site was heavily fortified. In trenches members of the Rhodesian Light Infantry guarded the aerodrome.
Further to their front were trenches of the Rhodesia Defence Regiment and a minefield protected by machine guns on pill bunkers.
The zone commander refused to sanction the operation hence my insane beastly behaviour. My reasoning was we would storm the aerodrome with mortars, destroy the helicopters, that way I would pave my way to Wankie General Hospital to remove the shrapnel. By that time the wound was oozing pus (ubomvu) with impethu dropping from the wound while flies were buzzing all over me. I was smelling. Dr Chimedza suggested that he would take me to Wankie General Hospital for an operation as whites had fled the country and was in charge of the hospital. The zone commander concurred, he had confidence in Dr Chimedza.
I quashed that idea with my double grip of the AK-47. The zone commander then hatched a plan to send me to Lusaka for treatment which I also refused. When attempts were made to force me I removed the safety pin of my defensive grenade (ukhwathe), that deferred the attempt. I therefore lived with my “medal” in my tummy until the end of the war. Thanks to Dr Chimedza, thank you Dabulamanzi and thank you Shepherd.
Down with racism.
NB: Barnabas Sibanda was soon after independence attested into the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) as a Lieutenant-Colonel. In the 1990s he made headlines when he tried to build a helicopter using an engine of a Citroen.
