‘I come from a family of revolutionaries’

HE enjoys living in the shadow of his elder brother, Tennyson “Thambolenyoka” Ndlovu, but Cde Mitsho Mlobi Ndlovu pseudo name Cde Don Sidambe, believes he is equally a force to reckon with as far as the armed struggle story is concerned.

Just like his elder brother, Tennyson whose pseudo name during the armed struggle was Cde Magedleni, Cde Mitsho is as outspoken as they come. At the height of the land reform programme in the early 2000s, Cde Mitsho Ndlovu says he was part of the “inner circle” of the late national hero and chairman of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWA), Dr Chenjerai Hitler Hunzvi. He says he was so close to Dr Hunzvi that he was even part of his campaign team for the Chikomba Prliamentary seat in Mashonaland East Province during the closely fought 2000 elections. Dr Hunzvi won the seat on a Zanu-PF ticket.

On Friday last week our Assistant Editor Mkhululi Sibanda (MS) traced Cde Ndlovu where they had a conversation and he spoke about how the visit by the late Vice-President, Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo at his father’s plot at Gwatemba in Filabusi, Matabeleland South Province in the early 1960s opened his eyes to the world of politics. Below are excerpts of the interview. Read on . . .

MS: Cde Ndlovu may we start the interview by you giving us a background of yourself.

Cde Ndlovu: I was born Mitsho Mlobi Ndlovu on 26 March 1956 at Gwatemba in Insiza District which is also referred to as Filabusi.

I come from a family that played an active role in the country’s nationalist politics. I come from a family of revolutionaries. My father, Mlobi was the elder brother of the now late national hero, Cde Naison Khutshwekhaya Ndlovu himself a force to reckon with in our struggle for Indepedence.

They were siblings. They were the sons of Khutshwekhaya who was my grandfather. So my uncle, ubaba omncane uNaison or NK as he was affectionately known took up his father’s name and made it his middle name. Then from my father’s side among my siblings is Tennyson Ndlovu who is popularly known as Thambolenyoka or Magedleni. He is my elder brother that one, uThambo ngubhudi wami. Ngumfoka Mlobi njengami. Tennyson played a crucial role during the armed struggle, training many guerillas, some of them army generals now.

MS: Okay, that’s interesting. So where did you grow up?

Cde Ndlovu: I grew up at Gwatemba, emaplotini. Our father had a plot there. The plots there fell under the African Purchasing Area. The colonial government did not allow Africans to own farms, so there was this scheme where Africans of means could buy pieces of land under that scheme. To a certain extent our father was a man of means, waye lezinto zakhe.

So I grew up at Plot Number One in Gwatemba, which is a family property and is still there. I should also mention that our father, Mlobi was a war veteran having served in the Second World War Two.

So the military thing runs in our blood. As for my education I went to Gwatemba Primary School from Sub-A up to Grade Seven. Then in 1971 I moved to Bulawayo to do my secondary education at Sobukhazi High School in Mzilikazi suburb. We were the pioneers at that school.

During that time, I was staying in Nguboyenja lobaba omncane, uNaison Khutshwekhaya Ndlovu, uNK. NK was already deep into politics during that time. In fact, he was neck deep into politics. Then after completing my Rhodesia Junior Certificate (RJC) I opted out of school.

MS: Why did you stop going to school?

Cde Ndlovu: It had nothing to do with financial issues at all, money was there. I had developed a liking for music, so I enrolled at Bonongoma College of Music which was housed at the now United College of Education (UCE). I was inspired to become a musician by groups such as The Beatles. Also some church songs had an influence. I just wanted to play the guitar and nothing else.

My parents and even NK were disappointed but that’s what I wanted at that time. Then after six or so months down the line I became politically active. That time was 1973. I started working for Zapu as a youth. I was now into trade unionism.

MS: How was the situation in terms of politics at that time?

Cde Ndlovu: It was tense. Then one day during the lunch hour I went to the Tool Making Engineering Company situated along Khami Road where I addressed workers there. I was telling them about the unfair labour practice and the general political situation in Rhodesia. That was the day I had a brush with the draconian Rhodesian laws as during that address, a white cop, ijoni and a black policeman came and arrested me. I was taken to Western Commonage Police Station where I was detained.

After about four hours or so I was taken to Mabutweni Police Station. It was while I was at Mabutweni that Cde Enos Mdlongwa intervened. Cde Mdlongwa if you remember well became the Mayor of Bulawayo after Independence and was a member of the Zapu Central Committee. Mdlongwa who was a trade unionist of repute protested against my arrest and said I was on a trade union mission.

I was then released. Before my release the police were about to start beating me up. From there it was politics all the way.

MS: Tell us about some of your political activities.

Cde Ndlovu: I became the branch treasurer of the Zapu Youth Wing in Magwegwe District. There was a man in Magwegwe called Solomon Ndlovu who was very active there.

At that time we used to clash with the supporters of Bishop Abel Muzorewa. I should mention that my activities were a fulfillment of what I had promised myself when I was still a young boy in Gwatemba. I was awe struck by the visit of Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo to my father in the early 1960s. Dr Nkomo visited our plot and spoke for some time with father and after that proceeded to visit other plots.

That was the day we learnt that this man was fighting for the freedom of the blacks. I was young but his agenda struck me. I had told myself that one day I would also join in fighting white rule. Nkomo’s presence was something else, you just felt something happening in your body.

MS: Then when did you leave Rhodesia to join the armed struggle?

Cde Ndlovu: I left Rhodesia in June 1976 with six other youths. What happened was that there were two Zipra guerillas whom we met and they spent the day drinking beer. We were introduced to them by the party structures as we were already preparing to leave the country and join the war.

One of the two was Cde Bob Two, they were on an urban operation mission. Later on we hooked up with them and they are the ones who took us to Botswana. We were driven to Mazamnyama area by a man called Masina in his car, Masina used to live in Luveve. Before we left Bulawayo those guerillas went to a spot where they had hidden their weapons and dug them up. So they were armed all the way.

To be continued next week with Cde Ndlovu talking about his training at Mwembeshi in Zambia. He says he trained together with former Zimbabwe Ambassador to Mozambique, Major-General Nicholas Dube (Cde Bhuzhwa). The team of their instructors included his brother, Thambolenyoka who took them for judo, physical and bayonet charge sessions.