The Sunday News
Pathisa Nyathi
SOME few weeks ago we sought to explain why ZAPU/ZPRA military and civilian establishments were relocated to Solwezi in the north western part of Zambia close to the borders with both the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Angola. No sooner had we started writing articles to that effect that we realised there was need to give some background information regarding what it was that precipitated the move to Solwezi. After some tortuous and convoluted movement, we finally got to write about the military and non-military installations that were relocated to the north west. The Rhodesian air raids were responsible for that move.
Then last week we sought to deal with the Rhodesian spy agents who were infiltrated into the ZAPU and its military wing, the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZPRA). For quite a while it became clear that the liberation movements were heavily infiltrated, both within the military and civilian sections. Many of these spy agents were recruited from the ranks of cadres that were captured, cleaned out of their ideological consciousness and re-launched back into Zambia, this time to work against their colleagues. We did refer to the spiriting out of spy agents that had been identified and sent to Mboroma. One of the objectives of the 19 October 1978 raids was to release and get the inmates at Mboroma.
Once again, we shall have to deal with some background information that is relevant to the events of espionage that took place at Solwezi. In that regard, we shall trace the military journey of Sterlington Shumba who after military training ended up in the Solwezi region. As a matter of fact, it was his account that we used to offer the rendition of events in the Solwezi area. Sterling committed pen to paper his experiences before during and after the liberation struggle. However, his manuscript is yet to see the light of day. Be that as it may, there is quite a lot that we can extract from his manuscript that is gathering dust and avail its excerpts to readers for their benefit.
The journey that Sterlington undertook from Rhodesia to Zambia and finally to the Soviet Union was as a result of several factors.
Sterlington’s Form 4 (“O” Level) results did not allow him to proceed to Form 5 (“A” Level). The Rhodesian education system was characterised by a bottleneck arrangement which allowed a few black students to proceed to a higher level. For example, only a few proceeded beyond Grade 7 to do Form 2 (Rhodesia Junior Certificate-RJC). The same applied beyond RJC, that is “O” Level and “A” Level.
Sterlington’s “O” Level results were not that impressive to allow him to proceed to “A” Level.
At the same time, there was a war raging on inside Rhodesia in which young black Rhodesians participated. Some played supportive roles to the trained ZPRA guerrillas operating in various areas. For those who did not make it beyond “O” Level, temporary teaching was one avenue that was open. Indeed, Sterlington was engaged as a temporary teacher in Tsholotsho District. Tsholotsho had been politicised early during the liberation struggle. As far back as 1966 there was a military unit of trained ZPRA (then Special Affairs) who infiltrated Rhodesia from Zambia with a view to undertaking some reconnaissance for a group that was scheduled to launch attacks in 1967. That was the Luthuli (named after Chief Albert Luthuli who was leader of the African National Congress (ANC) and passed on in that year). The 1966 group included, among others, Tshinga Dube, Roger Matshimini Ncube and David “Sharpshoot” Moyo.
The group operated for a while in Tsholotsho. The joint mission in 1967 also witnessed its personnel travelling through Jambezi to Nyanyuwe and Sinamatela within the Wankie (now Hwange) National Park. Proceeding beyond, the party entered Tsholotsho. In his biography Stanford Sithole (Dumisani Tembo/Dakamela) mentions seeing soldiers in Tsholotsho back in 1967 when he was a small boy. The soldiers, based at Sikula Jiyane’s homestead were deployed following the clashes in 1967 between the Rhodesian soldiers and the joint force involving ZPRA and the ANC’s Umkhonto we Sizwe.
By 1976 there was heightened recruitment by the ZPRA guerrillas. The Turning Point Strategy which required increased numbers of personnel was being crafted. In the following year large numbers of ZAPU cadres were to undergo regular training in Angola, at Luso and Boma. The guerrillas were relying on schools for both personnel and food provisions. Sterlington, being young and agile, played a key role in the recruitment exercise. The Rhodesian security agents were aware of his role in the recruitment campaign. There were times when he was arrested and tortured at the local police station.
It was as a result of the torture that he began to harbour intentions of abandoning teaching to join the guerrillas in Zambia. However, the ZPRA guerrillas who were benefiting from his reconnaissance activities wanted him to remain on the ground. At one time the ZPRA guerrillas attacked the local police station during which two police officers were killed. Sterlington had played a part in undertaking reconnaissance work with one of the ZPRA guerrillas. That was followed by more torture at the police station. At the time of attack on the police station Sterlington had crafted a powerful alibi to which he stuck during intensive interrogation and torture.
That softened the guerrillas who realised the danger that would befall Sterlington if he remained at his teaching post while also taking part in the recruitment campaigns. Rhodesia was then under a State of Emergency. Sterlington was arrested for a period of 72 hours. It was following that release that moves were made to get him outside the country to get to ZPRA’s rear bases in Zambia.
Two ZPRA guerrillas were tasked to accompany him across the border into Botswana. The timing for that was done in such a manner that there would be no untoward suspicions from the school authorities, the Rhodesian security personnel and his own parents.
The August school holidays were chosen as the opportune time to take advantage of and get out of Rhodesia. The year was 1976. Botswana seems to have been making use of their traditional chiefs to assist young Rhodesians getting into their country. Accordingly, Sterlington was surrendered to Chief Mengwe in the Maitengwe area. Other refugees who entered Botswana tell similar stories where Botswana chiefs assisted in Zimbabwe’s struggle for independence.
Sterlington was left at the chief’s homestead by the two ZPRA guerrillas who returned to Rhodesia. He was looked after by the chief who attended to his accommodation and food provisions. Meanwhile, the chief got in touch with the Botswana police who arrived to drive Sterlington to Francistown. He was taken to the Francistown State Prison for his own safety and security. Botswana was teeming with Rhodesian security agents.
The State Prison was chosen as a safe place where the marauding Rhodesian security personnel were not going to have access to them.
Within the State Prison there were other young Rhodesians who too were seeking to go and join the liberation struggle. Not all of them within the Prison belonged to the same political movement. They belonged to the ANC-Z (Nkomo’s party), ANC-Muzorewa and the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU).
After the release of political detainees in December 1974 there were efforts to unite the diverse political parties under Bishop Abel Tendekayi Muzorewa who together with Reverend Canaan Sodindo Banana had been identified by the incarcerated nationalists to spearhead rejection of the Pearce Commission of 1972. As part of that effort, the Lusaka Unity Accord was signed in December 1974.
The Accord did not hold together. Soon after that the political parties went their separate ways. Nkomo’s new party which broke ranks with the African National Council became the African National Council-Zimbabwe, in short ANC-Z and adopted the slogan Zii! and the waving of an open hand.
This was the political background to the tense situation within the State Prison in Francistown. The different political movements were keen to have the refugees join their ranks. Those recruits that chose to throw their weight behind ZAPU were airlifted to Lusaka where they found army trucks waiting to take them to Nampundwe Transit Camp where thorough vetting lay ahead of them.
To be continued
