Injiva had a torrid time at Nampundwe

12 Mar, 2023 - 00:03 0 Views
Injiva had a torrid time at Nampundwe A Rhodesia Airforce plane

The Sunday News

WE continue our interview with former freedom fighter Cde Charles Ndebele, pseudonym Cde Victor Gasela.

In our first interview Cde Ndebele spoke about how on his way to cross into Botswana he avoided five roadblocks mounted by the Rhodesian forces after being given some charms by a Malawian traditional healer from Bulawayo’s Nguboyenja suburb.

Today he tells our Assistant Editor Mkhululi Sibanda (MS) about his arrival in Zambia, training at Mwembeshi and the at ZPRA School of Intelligence named Moscow in Zambia. Below are excerpts from the interview. Read on . . .

MS: Last time you were still talking about your arrival at Lusaka International Airport in Zambia. Take us through what happened after your arrival.

The late Zapu president Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo

Cde Ndebele: Our group arrived at the Lusaka International Airport at night and we found some vehicles meant to take us to Nampundwe Transit Camp. Those were the Russian made trucks, the Zyl and Cruz. When we got to Nampundwe it did not need anyone to tell us that the situation had changed, it was clear that lapha akusela mama, akusela baba (there is no mother, there is no father).

Each of us was thrown at the camp and told to find somewhere to sleep. The instructors told us that Zapu President and ZPRA Commander-In-Chief, Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo would early the following morning be coming to greet us as a welcome gesture. They said we would meet him around 3am and 4am, the meeting place being at a nearby mountain as part of security measures. We were told to dress in our best clothes which we discovered later was the usual trick they played on the new arrivals and those from South Africa, as injiva would even wear suits, ties, Boston hats, and pointed shoes.

Some had briefcases. As told, a whistle was blown at 3 am the following day as a way of summoning us to the parade square. Forward stepped Cde Tonderai, he is around here in Bulawayo and I think he is running a butchery business in Barbourfields suburb. Tonderai who was physically fit and armed with an AK-47 rifle bellowed slogans and seemed satisfied with our response led us on a road run towards the mountain where we had been told we would meet Joshua Nkomo. Other instructors were running by our side and some were at the tail end of the group. When we go to the mountain orders were barked that we climb it using Number nine, that is frog jump. After ascending using Number nine, we had to do Number six, push-ups after which we were made to roll down to the foot of the hill. We were made to repeat the same drills and you could see comrades removing their suit jackets and ties. Some people were injured during those drills. There was one instructor who was very rough, Teddy. He did not choose his words, he would just spit vulgar words at the recruits. Think of any vulgar word, the guy was something else.

MS: Besides Tonderai who were some of the instructors you found at Nampundwe?
Cde Ndebele: There was Finish, Jerry, Teddy and Professor Malandu. Malandu was a Professor in the true sense of an academic professor, he had left his academic work to join the armed struggle. He dealt mainly with political orientation, teaching us about the ideological side of things.

The conditions at Nampundwe were very tough. As for physical exercises, I did not struggle that much because I had been playing football here in Bulawayo with guys like Alfred ‘“Ngedla” Phiri who went on to star for Black Chiefs. There were food shortages at Nampundwe and some comrades were not adequately dressed as you would find someone walking bare-foot. During military drills, such comrades participated like everybody else despite being pricked by thorns and sharp stones. That is what those who took part in the armed struggle went through. People suffered for our Independence which some take for granted. From Nampundwe I was in a group that was taken for full military training at Mwembeshi. We replaced the group that had girls.

MS: Tell us about your training . . .
Cde Ndebele: We went through hell there. We had uncompromising instructors who emphasised on producing a brilliant soldier who was also super fit. Kwakufiwa laphana. We went through the hands of now national heroes, Stanley Gagisa and Billy Mzamo, Jack Mpofu, uDaki, now late Mike Reynolds (Brigadier-General Charles Grey), also now late Khwela (Colonel Kenneth Chitambo). Col Chitambo was in charge of the commissariat. After Mwembeshi I was among a group of about 50 that was chosen to go for further training, specialising in reconnaissance. We were taken to Emagojini at a camp called Moscow where we went through a crush programme in reconnaissance. We were there for three months after which we were deployed to Foxhole. At Foxhole that is where guerillas who had trained at camps such as Mwembeshi and CGT were sent awaiting deployment to the front and other areas.

MS: How was Foxhole?
Cde Ndebele: The camp was well equipped in terms of armament. We had all sorts of weapons, anti-tanks, anti-air and so on. The commander there at Foxhole was Silas Chenjerai who unfortunately is now late. We are the ones who brought down Green Leader (Chris Dixon), the notorious Rhodesian pilot.  Green Leader was shot down immediately after the bombing of Freedom Camp and Mkushi camps.

MS: Then take us through how Green Leader was brought down.
Cde Ndebele: A day before FC and Mkushi were bombed that was in October 1978, Cde Mike Reynolds, that is the now late Brigadier-General Charles Grey arrived at Fox Hole to announce that Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo would  visit as part of assessing his troops. We were told to prepare for Dr Nkomo’s visit. It was then decided that instead of Dr Nkomo going through the rugged terrain to Emagojini we should meet him along the Great East Road.  On the day we were moving to the Great East Road there was signal that FC had been bombed. FC and Mkushi were bombed on the 19th of October 1978 and Dr Nkomo was supposed to visit on the 20th. Our commander, Cde Chenjerai then decided we evacuate our camp as the Rhodesian aircrafts had flown over our camp. There was a strong belief that they might have located our camp. So on that night, we moved to Moscow Camp and pulled our heavy weapons such as Zegues, amaB10, Grad P and mortars. Then the following day at about 9am helicopters came flying very low. We were surprised but still very prepared. In fact, since that morning a spotter plane had been hovering around. You know those helicopters were very tempting and not one to fear anything, Magedleni, you call him Thambolenyoka (Tennyson Ndlovu) who was one of the senior instructors opened fire at them with his AK-47.

MS: How many were those helicopters?
Cde Ndebele: They could have been about 10 and after Magedleni had opened fire at them, they changed direction and flew away. They flew towards Foxhole. They were soon joined by jet fighters which started bombing the evacuated camp. It was at that point that Cde Chenjerai ordered for the distribution of ammunition and preparation of defensive positions. An order was also given that we should cook food as quickly as possible. This was because the enemy forces had a tendency of launching their raids during meal times, that is at breakfast, lunch and supper.

To be continued next week with Cde Ndebele narrating how they handled the Rhodesian Airforce, which resulted in the shooting down of Green Leader.

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