The Sunday News
TODAY we bring to a close the interview with former Zipra Chief of Intelligence Retired Brigadier-General Abel Mazinyane on the death of maverick nationalist and Zapu vice-president Jason Ziyapapa Moyo (JZ). In interviews with our Assistant Editor Mkhululi Sibanda (MS) Rtd Brig-Gen Mazinyane has given an insight on what kind of person JZ was. Rtd Brig-Gen Mazinyane spoke glowingly about how JZ managed to steady the ship when Zapu was on the brink of collapse during its internal problems in 1971. Below are excerpts of the last instalment.
MS: Then what were the comrades based at the headquarters supposed to eat?
Rtd Brig-Gen Mazinyane: Vegetables and beans. However, it was also difficult to get that type of produce, but we had Zimbabweans who had relocated to Zambia, they came handy in that regard.
MS: Do you remember some of the families that assisted Zapu a lot?
Rtd Brig-Gen Mazinyane: Where I come from that is Lower Gweru in the Midlands Province our people have over the years been doing very well in growing vegetables and other produce because there are so many wetlands there. So there were a couple of families from my area, then there was the Manyika/ Dube family, Reuben Ncube (Matshelwazingubo) and the Mliswa family. The Mliswa family was doing well in agriculture along the great east in the Chinyunyu area on the way to what we called Mwembeshi. As for the Manyika family it was quite big because there were four brothers with their families excluding James, the father. Others were Stompie Dube in whose farm the Luthuli Camp was located in and also Mahlenyika who had seven wives. Mahlenyika took his wives in one of his expeditions to Algeria to attend a Cultural Festival as part of a Zapu contingent and he came back with a traditional dancing award. He and his seven wives had dazzled the festival with the Jerusalema Dance. So I am mentioned all this to show how difficult things were and it was through the unwavering patriotism of JZ that Zapu quickly recovered from its internal problems. Ably supported by others such as Silundika, Edward Ndlovu and Jane Ngwenya as party leaders, of course with the military personnel they were able to build Zipra and Zapu into a formidable force. Zipra was soon on top of the situation that had Lancaster Talks delayed for nine months, it would have been able to summon the Rhodesians for talks under a tree in many parts of Zimbabwe. I am saying so because Zipra was slowly and surely tightening the noose around Rhodesia’s neck. The bombing of the rear bases by the Rhodesians was an act of desperation. It did not help their military position in Rhodesia. Zipra forces had deployed east of the Salisbury Road from Plumtree to Norton. Zipra had deployed urban units in Salisbury, Bulawayo and Gweru. Zipra strategic noose was tightening. This is Zipra built from the ashes of Zapu’s Special Affairs. JZ built this force.
MS: Let’s come to his death. A number of theories have over the years been flying around what could have led to his death. What’s your comment on that?
Rtd Brig-Gen Mazinyane: Theories will always be theories and I cannot dismiss the theories, but what I can say is that on the day JZ died I was away in Kariba for operations, tasked as a military intelligence officer to tour bases along the Zambezi River. We learnt of his death through a news bulletin in the evening. It was in the 6pm news and it was broadcast by a South African radio station. As guerillas we used to listen to the news in the morning and evening. I had to quickly leave for Lusaka the next morning. At that time I was the Deputy Chief of Military Intelligence deputising Gordon Munyanyi. What should be noted is that JZ was given a State funeral by the Zambian government, the same as the Zanu chairman, Herbert Chitepo who was killed by a bomb planted under his car. That is the official version.
MS: But what do you make of his death?
Rtd Brig-Gen Mazinyane: I think the significant thing is that a Commission of Inquiry was set up to investigate JZ’s death. That to me is very significant. I was then appointed a member of that commission and I think it was chaired by Cde Mayisa who is still alive and lives at his rural home in Matabeleland North. Cde Mayisa coming from the party’s intelligence wing, which at that time was called PRO headed by Dumiso Dabengwa. PRO had evolved from the Zimbabwe Intelligence Service (ZIS) that was headed by Ethan Dube, who had been kidnapped in Botswana by the Rhodesians. PRO was a disguised name and it stood for Public Relations Office. Then the commission set to do its inquiry and lined up a number of people as witnesses.
MS: How many of you were in the Commission?
Rtd Brig-Gen Mazinyane: Aaah. I’m not sure now. But I remember there was Mayisa himself, Davie from the party intelligence, myself I was seconded coming from the army, Zipra and I think there were two others, coming from other departments. It must have been an inter-departmental commission.
MS: So who were the people that you interviewed?
Rtd Brig-Gen Mazinyane: I think the first to appear before the commission was Jane Ngwenya followed by the now late Vice-President John Landa Nkomo. Jane even urged the Commission to follow the issue to its logical conclusion. Those were among the people who were present when the bomb blew up JZ in the Zapu offices. I am not sure now whether we interviewed Ronnie Patel, who was a victim of the bomb, but he was in the line-up of those to be interviewed. Cde Patel is around here in Bulawayo, he ended up going to the Soviet Union. We should also have had someone from the Maphenduka family, who ran a business nearby under the name, Moyo Brothers. The Maphendukas had a garage near our offices. Mkhululi you should know the Maphendukas, they are your home boys from Kezi. Kini eKezi. It’s the family that gave us in Zipra, senior commanders such as Soneni and Bitwell.
MS: Where were the interviews made?
Rtd Brig-Gen Mazinyane: The interviews were carried out at one of the Zapu houses, the house was situated in Kabatwa Stage 2, I think. That area was known in stages, so our Zapu house should have been in Kabatwa Stage 2. However, we did not interview all the people who had been lined up. So the Commission of Inquiry did not complete its hearings.
MS: In other words the Commission abandoned its work.
Rtd Brig-Gen Mazinyane: I don’t want to say that, but what I can say is that we did not have a conclusion. I think the Commission got disrupted by something. Besides writing notes the recordings were also captured on tape where we were making copies.
MS: As part of the panel in the Commission Of Inquiry and intelligence officer what did you make of the witnesses who were called to testify. Do you think they were honest in their testimonies? I mean the likes of Jane Ngwenya and late Vice-President John Nkomo as well as Jack Ngwenya who delivered the parcel to the office.
Rtd Brig-Gen Mazinyane: The findings of the Commission of Inquiry were not made public. Why do you want me to tell you what was happening behind closed doors, so you want me to report to you. What you should know is that a Commission of Inquiry on the death of JZ Moyo was set up.
MS: But people still want to know.
Rtd Brig-Gen Mazinyane: Well, they told us what they witnessed, someone like Jane Ngwenya was injured during that incident. John Nkomo was also injured and he appeared wearing an arm sling. We handed our findings to the relevant authorities.
MS: Some of the people who were there when JZ was killed was Dumiso Dabengwa, Jack Amos Ngwenya and others. Did they appear before the Commission?
Rtd Brig-Gen Mazinyane: We did not interview Dabengwa. He and others had not yet appeared before the Commission.
MS: But was he lined up to appear before the Commission?
Rtd Brig-Gen Mazinyane: Yes, he was but we did not interview him. Like I said the Commission never finished its business. So some people lined up did not give testimonies.
