The Sunday News
Obituary By Roma Nyathi
I was privileged to work closely with Cde Abraham Nkiwane affectionately known as Bra Nkie, who was rightfully declared as a National Hero by President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Thursday following his passing on.
Cde Nkiwane who passed on last week on Tuesday had unflinching loyalty to the liberation struggle of his country that he had to sacrifice his relatively comfortable life in Zambia where he was working as a sales executive to get into the trenches when a majority of the people had immense doubts about the possibility of attaining majority rule.
Myself I was to work with Cde Nkiwane in the first ZAPU military wing then called Special Affairs Department before it was renamed ZPRA in the early 1970s. Together with Cde Nkiwane we were part of the first High Command of the ZAPU military wing in the 1960s with comrades such as Ackim Ndlovu who was the commander, Dumiso Dabengwa, Robson Manyika, Ambrose Mutinhiri, Phelekezela Report Mphoko and Tshinga Dube. Cde Nkiwane was the Chief of Personnel.
I became part of the High Command structure in 1967 following my return to Zambia from the then Soviet Union where I had spent five years, a period which also saw me graduating with a Masters Degree in Economics. I was appointed by the leadership of James Chikerema and Jason Ziyapapa Moyo who led ZAPU in exile. In that High Command I was the Political Commissar.
Enough about myself as this article is a tribute to Bra Nkie. I was just putting things into perspective. Cde Nkiwane took the unenviable task of smuggling the weapons of war in the early 1960s at a time when few people believed that the colonial government could be toppled. It was after the Constitutional Conference of 1961 in Salisbury now Harare, when the colonial government rejected the advancements of the nationalists to have a One Man One Vote that it became imperative to take up arms. We rightfully believed that taking up arms was the only language the stubborn Rhodesian racists could understand.
Following the abortive Constitutional Conference of 1961, fired up youths whom I am proud to have been part of successfully pressured the nationalist leadership that there was a need to confront the colonial regime through the armed struggle.
The days of the sabotage were now over, there was a need to take the regime hands on in a military battle.
Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo as the leader of the National Democratic Party (NDP) then visited Zambia where he spoke to former Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda (KK) and said since there were people from Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), KK should assist in identifying an intelligent and reliable person whose task was to be part of the laying of the foundation stone of the armed struggle.
It did not take KK much time to look around as Cde Nkiwane who was a prominent member of KK’s party, UNIP fitted that profile Dr Nkomo was looking for. On his next visit KK told Dr Nkomo that he had found that person and it was the diminutive and sharp minded Bra Nkie. Dr Nkomo then met Bra Nkie and told him about the task at hand and the now National Hero did not hesitate, he jumped at the opportunity Nkomo briefed him about. Dr Nkomo had laid his cards on the table and said as a Zimbabwean liberation force they were looking for someone who will lay the ground work for the armed struggle and that entailed smuggling weapons of war across to Rhodesia, organise the training of guerillas and seeking of resources.
Cde Nkiwane who undoubtably was endowed with a lot of courage, reliability, selfishness and patience shouldered that responsibility with aplomb as soon weapons of war were able to be rolled over the Victoria Falls Bridge that separated Zambia and now Zimbabwe. By carrying out that task he displayed unparalleled bravery.
Those weapons would be received in Bulawayo by equally brave cadres such as Misheck Velaphi Ncube who lies at the National Heroes Acre in Harare, a then youthful Dumiso Dabengwa, now Retired Colonel Thomas “Menu” Ngwenya with the latter passing over the weapons to Boblock Manyonga who will take him to the then Salisbury (Harare) and its surroundings to cache them. Cadres such as Dabengwa and Velaphi will cache the arms in the Matopo Hills.
All these were the result of the efforts of Cde Nkiwane who collected the weapons from as far as Tanzania all the way to Rhodesia. If that is not the varlour of the highest order what else can it be. The shipping of the arms to Rhodesia was part of preparations for a military confrontation against the Rhodesians, which were to be witnessed later through the famous Wankie and Sipolilo battles which were joint operations between ZAPU and the African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa.
What should not be lost is that in managing to bring the weapons to the country, Bra Nkie had to set up his own structures, staffed with people who could be relied upon. However, it did not take him time because by nature he was very good at initiating things. He had to find people who would keep that secret and through his judgement he managed to identify those that he initially worked with before others jumped in when the train was in motion.
After Independence when other people were seeking and falling over each to get positions such as Members of Parliament and Government Ministers, the selfless Cde Nkiwane looked for a job in the private sector and retreated into the farming community of Umguza. In no time, as a hard worker he was making good use of his piece of land at his Joyfull Farm.
In fact, Cde Nkiwane liked to use his hands to eke out a living. Despite his advanced age he continued working on his land, in fact Bra Nkie was consistent with the saying that reads “a dynamite comes in small packages.” His diminutive stature did not stop him from confronting heavy tasks.
Also, after Independence he continued working with members of Umkhonto WeSizwe (MK), the military wing of ANC as they pushed for their Independence, which they were to get in 1994. Some of the MK combatants were sheltered at his farm in Umguza and he did that for no benefit.
His declaration by President Mnangagwa as a National Hero is the culmination of events that started with the recognition of veteran cadres of the armed struggle from the ZAPU side by the former late President, Robert Gabriel Mugabe soon after the signing of the Unity Accord in 1987.
Then President Mugabe invited members of our first High Command to State House where we were given medals of the Liberation War. I was there with Cde Nkiwane, Thomas Ngwenya, Tshinga Dube, Dumiso Dabengwa, among others. Swazini Ndlovu a former senior intelligence officer in the National Order and Security (NSO) was also among those honoured with the medal although he did not attend the function. It was therefore befitting that the authorities recognised the efforts of Cde Nkiwane by declaring him as a National Hero. He was a true son of the soil.
Cde Roma Nyathi is a former Political Commissar of the ZAPU military wing then called the Special Affairs Department. He spoke to Assistant Editor Mkhululi Sibanda
