The Sunday News
WE continue our interview with Lt-Col (Retired) Moyo whose pseudo names were Cde Lloyd Zvananewako or Mabhikwa.
In his narration to our Assistant Editor Mkhululi Sibanda (MS) last week Lt-Col (Rtd) spoke about his early military training at Mwembeshi in Zambia before his group, which numbered more than 800 was moved to Mgagao Camp in Tanzania during the Zipa period.
However, following problems there they had to complete their training at Morogoro Camp, also in Tanzania.
Below Lt-Col (Rtd) Moyo continues with his narration.
MS: From Mgagao to Morogoro, take us through.
Lt-Col (Rtd) Moyo: After the problems at Mgagao we continued with our training at Morogoro where the Camp commander was Sam Mfakazi with Ben Dubhu Mathe (Tjile Nleya) as the chief of staff. Our instructors included those whom we went with from Mwembeshi to Mgagao such as Stanley Gagisa and Sam Madondo.
We found at Morogoro senior officers such as the current commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Philip Valerio Sibanda who was called Ananias Gwenzi, Goronga, Assaf Ndinda and Velaphi. For our physical exercises we were being taken through by Tennyson Ndlovu commonly known here as Thambolenyoka but during the war was called Magedleni. Myself I was in company A together with now Brigadier-General (Rtd) Kindness Ndlovu, uSingle who was the platoon commander.
Our company was made up of youngsters. Each company had 150 comrades and there were five companies. At Morogoro we came after the Group of 137. During training there are two subjects which I got interested in: map reading and weapon handling.
Although I did not like Geography at school but I turned to like map reading during training as I had realised its importance in navigating terrain, I realised its crucial role in a war situation. At the end of our training the whole group that is company A to E, we were sent in sections to Mount Nguru yaNdege.
The mountain range was south the Great North Road from Zambia to Dar es Salaam. It was between 30 and 50km from the camp. The sections were given compasses, maps, binoculars and rulers. My section was one of the two that arrived at the camp at the fall of day. Others arrived the next day while some never managed and a search party had to be dispatched which found them in the field confused.
The confidence gained during that map reading exercise helped me to do the same during operations. The first day we crossed the Zambezi River I separated from others and spent 24 hours on my own. I got to the intended place in two hours after separation but others arrived almost 24 hours later.
When we were in Zambia just before deployment, the group commander Dwala took us to a higher ground where we could see the Kamativi-Binga Road and I took the forward bearing and we proceeded to cross the river. I followed the angle in dead grounds up to the Cavira Forest where the rest of the unit got confused in the thick bush of the forest. Others had insisted on taking a certain direction. I refused and took my own way. I went south and got to the first village in two hours.
MS: Ooh that’s interesting. So what did you do?
Lt-Col (Rtd) Moyo: I remained near those homesteads without approaching the villagers. However, I had to raid their fields where I got away with some water melons until the rest of the guys arrived. I spotted them some 500 or 600 metres away. I realised that the number matched my unit but I could not tell if was the enemy or friendly forces. Later they arrived at the advantageous point where I was.
We talked over the separation and they all agreed with me that I had been right after all. I was immediately appointed point man. From there I was tasked to do map time appreciation. The commander asked me to give distance estimates to areas like Lupane and Tsholotsho, in case anything happens. I was also given the responsibility to hide dinghies and spare ammunition. On dinghies I was the first with Vashandi Vachena to row a dinghie across the mighty Zambezi to Rhodesia. We left a section and returned to pick up the rest. Due to my good map reading skills they asked me to hide the first dinghie.
Lt-Col (Retired) Stanford Moyo
From that time I realised that I had accepted a dangerous task. On our first return to Zambia I was tasked with Cde Ramas (Ramnyanyiwa), a tough and trigger happy fellow who came from Beitbridge to go and look for the dinghie and we found that the enemy had previously laid an ambush in the area, that is the vicinity where I had hidden the dinghie and they had left without spotting it.
There the Rhodesians had also left tinned foodstuffs such as fish and fruits. I took and opened a tin of all star fish and grape fruits. Rams refused to eat and I told him to wait for some hours to see whether I would fall sick. Rams also ate and we hid the rest of our loot. We showed them the next day when we were in Zambia.
MS: So you had gone to Rhodesia for the operations and you were returning to Zambia?
Lt-Col (Rtd) Moyo: Yes, initially we were making incursions into Rhodesia and going back to Zambia. We had a base across the Zambezi. After an operation we would quickly sneak back into Zambia. All that was meant to keep the enemy on its toes and confused. Back in Zambia we had the problem of relish and I would be sent on hunting expeditions and I would bring bucks.
One day we ventured towards the Zambezi River and we came across a herd of buffaloes. I shot three of them as they had cornered me in a stream. I opened heavy automatic fire which made comrades at the base to vacate. After that I had to search for them until I fell into their ambush.
They disarmed me and gave me a Sirminov weapon with a magazine of 10 rounds. We then took villagers to where the animals were and they skinned them. We shared the meat with the villagers. After some time the meat got finished and the comrades called on my services, but I refused to go alone armed with a Sirminov. They ended up giving me back my AK-47.
We were then redeployed to Rhodesia and told that we were to settle there. The command came from the Chief of Operations, Tshangane (Jevan Maseko). There were no more movements from Zambia to Rhodesia and back. We were to resuscitate operations.
MS: Take us through this final deployment.
Lt-Col (Rtd)Moyo: We were 13 and I can say we were properly armed as we had an RPG-7 that is Soviet made and RPG2, Chinese made. Myself I was armed with an LMG while the RPK was given to Sandlana Mafutha. Others were armed with AK-47s.
Each person was also armed with a mine. In terms of ammunition we were each given a cashier, which is commonly pronounced as a kasha. A cashier has 1 444 rounds of ammunition. However, we were given the leeway to get extra ammunition that is loose bullets.
Besides the cashier, we had magazines kubandolia. We also carried kit bags. With all that stuff we had to navigate through the raging Zambezi River, it was not easy but we were at war. It meant life and death.
To be continued next week
