The Sunday News
TODAY we conclude our interview with Cde Ezra Wadenga pseudonym Cde Trust Moyo who left the country to join the armed struggle soon after completing his Grade Seven Examinations in 1976. Cde Wadenga was then trained at Camp of General Training 1 (CGT) and CGT2 before being deployed to the front at Bright Light 2 (BL) near Kariba. Last week he told our Assistant Editor Mkhululi Sibanda (MS) how they encountered the Rhodesian forces soon after crossing the Zambezi River in a battle he believes could have seen them overrunning the enemy forces were it not for their aircrafts. Below Cde Wadenga continues his narration of his war exploits.
MS: After your contact with the Rhodesians which you say you were disappointed that you had to withdraw while on top of the situation, what was the next move?
Cde Wadenga: Ours was not the only contact as there were sporadic battles involving other units nearby, it seems the Rhodesians had information about our deployment. There could have been three or so contacts and on our side, we had some causalities, comrades who were injured and fortunately they were able to walk. On the second day we also had skirmishes with the Rhodesian forces and in the evening, it was decided that we come up with a strategy on how to proceed. The Rhodesians had disturbed our movement inland, so the commanders said we had to re-organise.
During the impromptu meeting it was realised that we had used a lot of ammunition and our rations had been depleted as well, so it was decided that others had to proceed with the journey to the villages for operations while others had to cross back to Zambia. The commanders asked for volunteers from those who wanted to proceed to the operational areas and I was one of those who asked to be allowed to continue with the journey. Those who were returning to Zambia for strategic reasons had to gives us some of their allocation of the ammunition as well as food provisions. They also had to escort the injured across to Zambia.
MS: So you were one of the comrades who chose to proceed, any specific reason?
Cde Wadenga: I have to be honest with you, besides being eager to go for operations I was also afraid of the Zambezi River. I could not stomach going all over again crossing the Zambezi and then coming back for operations, I had seen enough of that river, so I said angibuyeli (I’m not going back) kuZambezi.
MS: How many of you volunteered to proceed?
Cde Wadenga: At the end of the day we were nine, myself, others were Lagoni, a veteran guerilla who had trained at Mwembeshi and took over the command of us, Shanti, Steven, Super, White and Gilbert. I can’t recall the names of others. Lagoni as the commander then explained that we had to push through until maybe we meet other units which were in operational areas. He said we had no reason to base in our sector and anywhere, guerillas don’t stick to one place. So, we moved until we reached Karoi and it was a tough journey because it was raining. We had also run out of food. We then moved towards Sanyati and up to now I don’t know why Lagoni was taking us in that direction. After Sanyati we got into an ambush but it was poorly laid and we managed to break through, it was towards the evening. Soon after that skirmish there was an aircraft that started hovering around.
We again pushed through until we reached Nembudziya in Gokwe and that happened over a period of time. From Nembudziya we reached the Chief Jahana area and by that time we had left Cde White who could no longer walk. However, he later caught up with us. It was in Chief Jahana area that we found many guerillas and we had no energy after days and days of walking, cutting across the country. We decided to base in the Chief Jahana area. We remained operating as a unit the eight of us although later we were joined by others. So, our activities were in the Jahana, Nemangwe and Kambasha areas.
MS: Any highlights of your operations in Gokwe?
Cde Wadenga: We laid ambushes and harassed the enemy forces and that slowed their movement. Then one day we heard that cotton buyers were coming and the District Administrator (DA) would be there. We then laid siege where the buyers would be coming and that was Kambasha Business Centre. However, nobody pitched up and we then decided that we had to move to the cotton company premises and raid it for money. We forced the workers there to open the safe and there was a lot money, we took the notes and tossed the coins at members of the public. The povo was very excited at that gesture and they couldn’t believe their luck.
What we did there was part of sabotaging the Rhodesian economy. I can say the people of Gokwe supported the revolution and also the business community there gave freedom fighters supplies, they gave us food and clothes. We were welcomed there. As we continued with our operations, liaising with other units we were then joined by Cdes Mkhula Wami, Lawrence and Dingilizwe. We then spread our operations to the nearby Nkayi District in Matabeleland North.
MS: Which part of Nkayi did you cover?
Cde Wadenga: We covered Nyaje, Sabuhwisa, Kana, Mangwizi and Gobalemhuka and that is where we met other Zipra comrades like Zuze, Fortwell, Jerry and Mabaleka. When we got to Nyaje at first the villagers did not trust us, it was funny because they thought we were Rhodesian forces.
MS: Why?
Cde Wadenga: It was because of our light complexion, myself, Shanti and Lagoni. We were very light and it also explained something that villagers did not look closely at the guerillas; I think they were just stealing glances at us. So, word spread that there were some Rhodesian soldiers who were pretending to be guerillas. When the other comrades heard about that they started looking for us and they were surprised to learn that it was us whom the villagers thought were enemy forces.
Our operations further spread to Cross Roads, Lower Gweru, Empress Mine and Dimbamhiwa. We had successful battles at areas like Gababe and Mangwizi. At one point we planned to attack Zhombe Camp, a big unit of more than 40 comrades was assembled and well armed. However, when we were about 100 metres away from the camp, one of the comrades’ weapon accidentally discharged. That alerted the enemy and they started firing randomly using a Brang gun and the mission was abandoned. We were disappointed because we had planned well. We continued with our operations until the ceasefire period.
MS: Which Assembly Point did you go to?
Cde Wadenga: I went to Mike Assembly Point at St Paul’s Mission in Lupane which was under the command of Gilbert Khumalo (Nicholas Nkomo) with other senior commanders being comrades like Phibeon Mutero (Retired Lt-Col Ernest Sibanda). At St Paul’s I was in the Parirenyatwa Battalion. The ceasefire to us the guerillas came with a big disappointed, we had envisaged a situation where we were going to bring independence not through talks like what happened at Lancaster, we wanted the energy to surrender on the battle field. We had stretched the enemy to its limits, they could no longer defend some territories. We were all over. When we got to St Paul’s we were not happy that we were made to march the British way, to us we felt some people had sold out.
I remember the Zapu President, Dr Joshua Nkomo had to come to the Assembly Point to convince us that we should join the national army. In his address Dr Nkomo praised us for a job well done and said it was time to work towards nation building. Then from St Paul’s I was attested into the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), first I was sent to the then Zimbabwe Military Academy (ZMA) in Gweru and later on Bhalabhala (Mbalabala). From there I was posted to 3:2 Infantry Battalion in Rusape, during the Mozambican campaign I was at 3:2. In 1995 I moved to Head Quarters 4 Brigade in Masvingo and the following year we went for a peace keeping mission in Angola under UNAVEM 3 (United Nations Angola Verification Mission) and our commander was Gen PV Sibanda. We returned home in 1997 and I left the army on 2 October 2011. However, before we end this interview I have some additions to make.
MS: Go ahead comrade.
Cde Wadenga: I think it is important to thank his Almighty and my ancestors for guiding me through the problems I encountered during the armed struggle. As a former soldier and war veteran I also salute the late General Joshua Nkomo for his impeccable leadership during the struggle. I also pay tribute to those comrades I fought side by side and some of them died in the line of duty and did not see a free Zimbabwe.
