The Sunday News
In our Lest We Forget column our Assistant Editor Mkhululi Sibanda (MS) spoke to Retired Colonel Thomas Ngwenya pseudo name Cde Menu who revealed that he was one of the first cadres to undergo military training in Ghana in 1963. Today we continue with the interview with Rtd Col Ngwenya speaking about his further training in the then Soviet Union, his promotion to be Zipra’s chief of logistics, the command structure, how he saved Zapu leader Dr Joshua Nkomo from being assassinated by the blood-thirsty Rhodesian security forces and the blood curdling encounter with guerrillas at St Paul’s Assembly Point in Lupane where the freedom fighters threw a grenade into the tent that housed a senior commander, the late Retired Colonel Richard Dube (Gedi).
St Paul’s Assembly Point which was commanded by Cde Nicholas Nkomo pseudo name Gilbert Khumalo housed one of the most aggressive freedom fighters who had engaged the Rhodesian forces in the thick forests of Lupane, Nkayi and Binga districts for some years. Rtd Colonel Ngwenya reveals in this interview how they came to face with those guerrillas who were on the brink of staging an open rebellion over what they termed disparities in allowance payouts. Some of the guerrillas who were at St Paul’s at that time included Cdes Andrew Ndlovu (Volunteer Mkhwananzi), Saul Dube (Mafutha) and Nditsheni Dube. Below are excerpts of the interview with Rtd Col Ngwenya:
MS: Last week Rtd Col Ngwenya we left when you were still talking about the opening of Morogoro Camp and that you used to drive guerrillas who were going for deployment such as Dumiso Dabengwa. Can you pick up from where you left last week.
Rtd Col Ngwenya: I was then chosen to go for further training in the Soviet Union and by that time Zapu had split, resulting in the formation of Zanu. In the Soviet Union we were taken to Cremia where we were to undergo training in military communication. I stayed for sometime in Cremia with the likes of the late national hero Rtd Colonel Masala Sibanda. I was later on moved to Moscow where I did combat military work where we were taught about operations and intelligence. When I got to Moscow I found another Zipra group that had people like Abel Mazinyane. After that I went back to Zambia where I worked in the transport division which was headed by Cde Eric Nyawera, a comrade from Rusape who became a Colonel in the Zimbabwe National Army. However, I was to take over from Cde Nyawera as the head of the transport division when he was posted to the diplomatic section, if my memory still serves me right he went to Nigeria.
MS: Before the interview you insinuated that you survived a rebellion by some Zipra cadres, can you elaborate on that.
Rtd Col Ngwenya: Zapu had its own problems during the execution of the armed struggle. There was a time when we had problems when the leadership of the party was at loggerheads with each other, remember the days of Chikerema that resulted in the formation of Froliz. Within the military ranks we also faced a problem when some of our comrades led by Walter Mthimkhulu who now lives in the United Kingdom and the likes of the late Matabeleland North provincial administrator Livingstone Mashengele as well as others whom I can’t name for now attempted a coup on the party leadership. I was one of the people who was kept in captivity when those people tried to take over the party. I was only to escape when I pretended to be pressed and one of the young people who had been made to guard us fell for my trick. When we were near the fence I told the young guard that I was leaving and I will do so by jumping over the fence and true to my word I jumped over the fence and dared him to shoot me. He just froze when I made good my escape. The issue was solved when the Zambian government intervened. The Zambian government mandated Minister Aaron Milner to work on our problem and he managed to diffuse the situation which had brought the wheels of the armed struggle to a halt. However, we managed to put things back on track and Zipra was built into a force it is known today. After the crushing of the Mthimkhulu rebellion we left Mboroma where we had stayed and returned to Lusaka. It was at that time that I would be sent on missions to Botswana to assess the situation at the receiving camps where the recruits were kept. I visited places like Dukwe for such missions. In 1976 I was part of the Zipra contingent that was deployed in Mozambique under Zipa, a combination of Zanla and Zipra forces.
MS: Tell us more about Zipa and your experiences in Mozambique.
Rtd Col Ngwenya: The unfortunate thing is that Zipa was never a success because it soon disintegrated as a result of the ideological differences between the two liberation armies. The skirmishes that took place at Mgagao between our two nationalist forces also worsened things. It was at that stage that Zipra commander Rogers Nikita Mangena led the withdrawal of Zipra forces back to Zambia. However, I and some comrades who were based at KwaNgala could not withdraw immediately from Mozambique as at some point we found ourselves detained by the Mozambican security forces. We were only able to return to Zambia sometime in 1977 following the intervention of the then Organisation of African Union. When we got to Zambia that was when I was promoted to the rank of chief of logistics taking over from Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko whom we called Report. Some of the comrades who did not return were people like Dr Mudzingwa.
MS: Now you were promoted to the rank of chief of logistics, whom did you work with?
Rtd Col Ngwenya: I worked closely with Masala Sibanda and I remained in that rank even after the demise of our commander Nikita Mangena. When Mangena died in combat in 1978, Lameck Mafela (the late Gen Lookout Masuku) took over. All along Mafela had been the force’s political commissar.
MS: Then who were the senior commanders?
Rtd Col Ngwenya: Let me give you the command structure that we brought home after the ceasefire. The army commander was Mafela deputised by Ben Dubhu Mathe (Rtd Brigadier-General Tshile Nleya) with the now late Major-General Jevan Maseko being the chief of staff. Others were myself as the chief of logistics, Rtd Col Tshinga Dube as chief of communications, Kenny Ndlovu who lost his sight while in combat as chief of military engineering, the late national hero Elliot Masengo (Chirinda), the late Mike Reynolds, Cephas Cele were the people in the senior command element. That was the senior command of Zipra. From this list you have to note that the surviving senior commanders of Zipra are myself, Tshinga Dube, Kenny Ndlovu and Dubhu. For the record Dubhu is the most senior surviving Zipra cadre.
MS: I notice you did not mention Dumiso Dabengwa.
Rtd Col Ngwenya: Yes, I did not mention Dabengwa because at the later stages of the revolution he was no longer part of the military establishment, he was the head of the intelligence unit, the National Security Organisation (NSO). However, that does not mean that DD was not in the thick of things, he still performed his role of liberating the country but on the intelligence side of things. I can give you an example, Masuku (Lookout) was like the current Zimbabwe Defence Force commander, General Chiwenga while DD was like the country current head of CIO, Cde Bonyongwe. The NSO had its own command structure with Dabengwa as the head and below him were his deputies commanding different units or desks as some might call them, comrades like Noah Mvenge, Gordon Butshe, Swazini Ndlovu, Victor Mlambo, Patrick Mhandu, Nephat Madlela and below them were young people like Jeconia Moyo.
MS: You have been quoted in the Press as having saved the life of Zapu leader, Joshua Nkomo when the Rhodesian forces raided his Lusaka residence on 14 April 1979, how did you do that?
Rtd Col Ngwenya: I intercepted communication by the Rhodesian forces of an impending bombing on Dr Nkomo’s house and a raid of all suspected residences of the senior officials in Zambia. The warning saw Dr Nkomo’s security personnel immediately moving him to another house. The message I intercepted was simple: “We are ready to hit,” I trusted my source very much hence I relayed the message to Zimbabwe House in Lusaka that every leader, including Dr Nkomo, should not sleep in their usual residence. When Dr Nkomo later related the story he told me that he was reluctant to believe the intelligence I had sent. It had to take his head of security, Cde Albert Nxele, to threaten him that if he did not want to comply they would have to lift him and force him into the car.
True to my warnings that very day Rhodesian forces descended on Zambia, bombing all bridges leading to Livingstone and even sent out an order for the capture of Dr Nkomo dead or alive. Dr Nkomo told me that Cde Nxele initially did not inform him of the warning but he saw them packing all his personal belongings into a car. When they eventually told him, he refused to move. He only complied when they told him that they would be forced to literally lift him into the vehicle. Up to the day the old man died, he would say I saved his life on that day.
MS: How was the mood on that day of the bombing?
Rtd Col Ngwenya: I remember that the mood was quite tense on that day, the Rhodesians bombed all the bridges leading to Livingstone, it was the day Cde Lookout Masuku was injured as well. I was not in Lusaka but near the border with the then Rhodesia on that day but I was immediately ordered to travel to Lusaka but due to the nature of the situation, we had to avoid the normal sleeping bases along the way by sleeping in the bushes.
While we were driving towards Lusaka we passed a car that had been burnt and some comrades killed in cold blood. I told my driver to stop and hide the car in the bush while my security detail and I went to try and identify the bodies but as we approached the scene, we spotted helicopters just close by. That’s when we saw that the area was compromised hence we retreated.
As we continued we met the current commander of the Zimbabwe National Army Lieutenant-General Philip Valerio Sibanda, who then was commanding the northern front. He was going towards the place where we had come from. I warned him to turn back because he was walking into an ambush. So you can safely say that on that very day I also saved the life of Lt- Gen Sibanda.
MS: Then tell us about the ceasefire period.
Rtd Col Ngwenya: After the ceasefire and attainment of Independence I was in the first group that was integrated into the newly created Zimbabwe National Army. I was in the group that included the likes of the late Fox, General Vitalis Zvinavashe and another late general, Amoth Chingombe whom we later on became very close friends. We were to become neighbours in Harare and our families became very close as well. However, during the days of Assembly Points there was a disturbing incident at St Paul’s in Lupane when our Zipra guerillas openly protested against the payouts that they were being given.
MS: Tell us more about that incident?
Rtd Col Ngwenya: As the fighters started to receive some payouts they realised that the commanders were getting more and that infuriated them, their argument being that while fighting in the bush no one had been treated as a chef, comrades were on the same footing, so why the discrimination now. So at St Paul’s they made an attempt on the life of the late Gedi (Rtd Col Richard Dube) by throwing a grenade into his tent, he was injured on that night. So a delegation of senior commanders was sent to St Paul’s which was under the command of Gilbert (Nicholas Nkomo).
Among the senior command element was Dabengwa, myself and Ackim Ndlovu. When Ackim tried to explain the disparities in allowances there was a loud grumbling and I am talking about fighters who were armed to the teeth. Sensing danger Dabengwa took to the podium, pushed Ackim aside and addressed the fighters. Dabengwa flatly told the fighters that indiscipline would not be tolerated and there was a sudden silence. They then started co-operating. I remember Dr Nkomo was supposed to visit the camp the following day but he was advised against going to St Paul’s and instead went to Gwayi River Mine.
