The Sunday News
We conclude our conversation with former commander of the CGT2 Retired Colonel Waison Tshipa pseudo name Cde John Nyamupingidza who last week absolved the late former Zipra commanders, Mike Reynolds (Brigadier Charles Grey) and Maseka of ordering the disarming of guerillas on the day two camps, Freedom Camp and Mkushi were bombed.
Rtd Col Tshipa in an interview with Assistant Editor Mkhululi Sibanda (MS) last week explained that he was the one who issued the order to disarm the guerillas because they were becoming unruly. He said that was after two attempts were made on his life by some unruly elements who attacked his tent on two successive nights.
MS: You spoke about you suggesting to Cde Reynolds and Maseka that there was a need to disarm the guerillas as Dr Joshua Nkomo was paying the visit, so take us through that day.
Rtd Col Tshipa: At 10am on the 19th of October 1978 was the day Dr Nkomo was supposed to pay the visit. In fact, he was also supposed to visit FC and Mkushi camps, that was what we heard. So, at 10am we were at the parade square and some military aircrafts flew over the camp. We took them for the Zambian Airforce that was rehearsing for their Independence Day, which is on the 24th of October.
At that time that was the belief we had and some people even circulated that message that those aircrafts were rehearsing for the Independence Day of Zambia. So, we took it for the fly past rehearsals. We waited for the arrival of Dr Nkomo up to around 1pm and then an order was issued from the command element that the troops should break for lunch and come back at around 2pm. At 2pm the troops were to be deployed at the main road waiting for Dr Nkomo. At that moment we said the troops should take their guns and retreat for lunch. In, fact we had prepared food for the three camps, it was enough for everybody.
MS: By that time, you had not heard that either FC or Mkushi had been bombed?
Rtd Col Tshipa: It was while the troops were preparing to go for lunch that the signals man at the camp, Cde Claydon Seula, the one who until a few years back was the overall commander for the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services in the Matabeleland region came running with the message that FC had been bombed.
He had got the signal to that effect from our Zipra Headquarters. Then in the afternoon many helicopters which we were later told were coming from Mkushi flew over our camp. We quickly took cover. Then the guerillas started spreading those unfounded accusations that Nyamupingidza had sold out. Then after a week one of the guerillas disappeared from the camp only to return after three days.
MS: So, what happened to him?
Rtd Col Tshipa: We took the necessary measures expected in a military set-up.
MS: Meaning?
Rtd Col Tshipa: We subjected him to a rigorous interrogation process and he owned up that he was an enemy agent. We then detained him, but then some unruly elements surrounded our HQ (headquarters) demanding that we release him, arguing that he was innocent. In the ongoing melee badumela mina (grabbed me) and went on to tie me by the tree. The ring leader was Cde Mugadza, a senior guerilla who also believed that commanders from Kohima had lost touch with the revolution.
Up to now I still believe there were Selous Scouts who were stoking the fire, they wanted to divide us. I then spoke to Cde Musa and told him to look for Cde Mugabe who was my deputy and tell him what was happening. I wanted Mugabe because like I said before he seemed to be sympathetic to the cause of the guerillas.
MS: While all that confusion was happening where had Mugabe been?
Rtd Col Tshipa: He had conveniently gone up to the anti-air deployment. Musa found him there and came back with him. Mugabe then demanded that I be released but those guerillas insisted that I should be detained, indeed I was detained. However, while all that was happening Cde Seula sent a signal to the HQ to report that there were elements who were causing havoc in the camp.
A platoon under the command of Eddie Sigoge was then dispatched to CGT2. Sigoge then said he was taking those who were at the fore-front so that they could go and meet the commanders so as to present their grievances. They read correctly that the commanders wanted to use an ancient trap on them of calling them to the meeting and then arrest them. Mugadza and his group flatly refused to go. Sigoge left empty handed, it was also dangerous for him to enforce that because we had about four battalions there.
MS: What did the guerillas tell Sigoge?
Rtd Col Tshipa: They told him that there was no way they could go to the Zipra HQ because they would be arrested and detained. They said if the issue was so serious then the senior commanders themselves should come to CGT2.
After being released, I quickly armed myself and that way felt safe. I then took Musa with me to Lusaka. It was there that General Lookout Masuku recommend that I be redeployed. I was sent back to the front where I took over the command of the Northern Front One (NF1) that covered Bulilima, Hwange and Tsholotsho districts. The frontal commander was the now late Rodwell Nyika (Retired Brigadier-General Collin Moyo) deputised by Gilbert Khumalo (Nicholas Nkomo).
MS: Then tell us about your time as the commander of the NF1 region .
Rtd Col Tshipa: I took over from Cde Todd Mpisi and I returned to the front as a new soldier, someone who had done both guerilla and conventional training and that laid a strong foundation for my career in the army after our Independence. In my region our fighting strategies also changed and as I made sure that we laid siege on the Rhodesians especially in Tsholotsho District where by the time of the ceasefire it was a semi-liberated zone as we had destroyed all the Rhodesian camps dotted around the district.
We were only left with Tsholotsho Centre and were even planning of re-opening schools so that children continued with their education. We had made those plans known at the party headquarters in Zambia that they should deploy those with the teaching background to teach the children. Of particular interest was that in Tsholotsho I had a battalion that was dug in at an area called 24 BH and had all the equipment to defend our positions.
It was under the command of Cde Middle (the late Retired Colonel Smile Madubeko) and they were complete with all the support arms any military unit could need. Madubeko crossed with 1 000 guerillas and I received him at the border in the company of Cde Makandiwa.
MS: Who were the commanders serving under you in the region?
Rtd Col Tshipa: The Jambezi sector was under the command of Cde Musunte Ndlovu and under him there were comrades like Embassy, Tsambani, Douglas Mkhwebu and Victor Ncube who was in charge of communications while in Tsholotsho there was Paul Ngozi, Todd Mlolo. As for Bulilima the commander was Bruce deputised by Zenzo Moyo.
As for the whole region I worked closely with Cde Makandiwa (Patrick Dube) who was the regional chief of staff and mainly operated from Tsholotsho while the now Brigadier- General Exsebios Tshuma was in charge of reconnaissance in my region. As a way of speeding up the crossing of the guerillas into my operational area I established what we later termed a navy platoon.
From the High Command I requested for 30 dingies and made Cde Muchina the commander of this platoon which had about 24 comrades and his deputy was Cde Maphunyuka. Whenever they were comrades coming from the rear going to the operational areas it was the responsibility of this platoon to escort them across the Zambezi River which was a very big obstacle in our operational activities.
