The Sunday News
WE continue our interview with former guerilla Colonel (Rtd) Ernest Mganda Dube pseudonym Cde Bookless Chizororo. Col (Rtd) Dube was first deployed in Hurungwe in Mashonaland West Province at the beginning of 1978 before moving to Kezi in Matabeleland South towards the end of 1979 as the sector commissar. Today he tells our Assistant Editor Mkhululi Sibanda (MS) about his deployment to Hurungwe. Below are excerpts from the interview. Read on…..
MS: Last time you were telling us about the attack of Kavamalanja and how you were then deployed into Hurungwe after that. Take us through that process.
Col (Rtd) Dube: Negotiating our way around the Zambezi Escarpment took time. Also moving from the river to the first villages took us eight days. Remember the guerillas would be laden with ammunition, rations such as tinned stuff and one’s weapon, grenades and mines.
MS: The Zambezi was a big obstacle and after those eight days of getting to the villages from the river, tell us about your combat life there.
Col (Rtd) Dube: We were going to Karoro under Chief Kazangarare of Mashonaland West. On reaching Karoro after eight days from the Zambezi Escarpment we were now a platoon under the command of the Somali-trained Cde Reggie. Something awkward happened when crossing the Zambezi that led to the split after having failed to resolve our fears. You may laugh at us on hearing what our differences were all about. I was in the first crossing wave when our dinghy shook violently and nearly capsized us due to hippos which had head-butted it from beneath. Sensing danger, one dinghy operator dubbed ‘the navy guys’ warned us that if among us there was a person or people with juju (charms) the hippos were not going to let us go. So, he demanded that we throw away such charms. It so happened that the company commander, Cde Mlobisi the Somali-trained comrade was seen throwing into the river a piece of small cloth, which we concluded was juju. Following our first-day crossing challenge where we spent the whole day hiding in the mountain cliff, comrades started linking it to the commander’s juju that was intended to serve him alone while the rest of us would probably be killed.
MS: So, how did you resolve the issue and how feasibly was it under a military-structured command with him as the most senior?
Col (Rtd) Dube: After negotiating the escarpment the whole night we finally reached the open patches of Chewore Game Reserve before we took another halt. This time at a place overlooked by a localised hilly place with one being at the top hence we named it “Table Mountain”. During the rest, some comrades started threatening the company commander to the extent that he could be shot dead. That resulted in what we later termed “Geneva Talks” where the three platoon commanders finally succumbed to our pressure of ordering Commander Mlobisi to move back to the river and cross back to Nkume Base in Zambia where Rodwell was. Our platoon then left first and became independent, since then never to meet others until my time to withdraw to the rear in September 1979. We later learnt that the two platoons left without the commander heading towards Magunje through Chundu settlements. I never heard of what transpired of Cde Mlobisi.
MS: Quite interesting, now take us through from the time you started operating as an independent platoon, your manoeuvres.
Col (Rtd) Dube: We finally reached Karoro later on the day around 6pm. When it became dark we marched across the first lines of villages until it became dawn. We then found a field with an ideal hedge to hide until sun-set. Where we were hiding, we individually stretched to approximately hundred metres. That gave us the chance to locate the outlay of the villages which we approached later and it was about 400 metres away.
MS: When you approached the first homestead, how were you received?
Col (Rtd) Dube: By sheer luck, the homestead we approached was that of Chief Kazangarare. In line with the Zapu Military Doctrine of operation, reporting to party structures was a pre-requisite. It so happened that the chief was a politically conscious man who then directed us where we could deploy while he was advising his traditional system. Despite having only three comrades who could speak ChiShona, conversing with the chief was a masterstroke since he was very articulate in SiNdebele. By the end of the day, the chief had brought about five elderly men who welcomed us and promised to spread the word about our presence. About other comrades operating in the area, the chief said they were aware of their presence, but at that moment was not sure of their exact location.
MS: After being welcomed by the chief and his subjects, what was your next move?
Col (Rtd) Dube: In fact, we did not stay at the chief’s area. In our endeavour to locate other comrades who were about two sections of either nine men each or so operating far apart from each other, we continued marching past Mwami settlements into the periphery of Mr White and Mr Brown’s farms along the gravel road of Karoi-Mangula (Mhangura).
MS: Now being in the farms, how long did you keep your presence away from the prying eyes of the enemy?
Col (Rtd) Dube: Our presence was finally noticed by the enemy. In fact, when we were close to the Angwa River Bridge that accesses Mangula we were attracted by the lights from White’s farm. On approaching the farm, we saw a store that we eventually took advantage of in terms of logistics replenishments and later on set on fire. We then moved backward into the hills running parallel to River Angwa as one moves towards Mwami villages and cached our loot.
MS: At that time the enemy soldiers could have been on your trail, take us through what came out next.
Col (Rtd) Dube: We never bothered to see the enemy’s reaction, instead we crossed River Angwa heading eastwards through other farms that stretched to where we did not know since we did not have guides nor maps. After the whole day walking we came to some high and domineering mountains where we could hear from a distance some stamping machines symbolising mining activity. We also heard the sound of moving vehicles that inspired us to carry out reconnaissance.
MS: What did you establish then from that?
Col (Rtd) Dube: We found ourselves at the top of a mountain overlooking Mhangura Mine. As it was around 4pm or so, we waited until dark. A section with platoon commander, Reggie descended from the mountain towards the area where the sound of music was coming from. After a while, we heard the sound of three gunshots, and the whole of Mhangura suburban went dead silent and dark. Having pressed some friendly sounds, we were excited to welcome our comrades carrying a trunk box with some cash. We then descended from the mountain only to stop a kilometre away for a night rest. As usual we woke up early to have our breakfast and then started moving back towards River Angwa. Hardly had we travelled a kilometre when we picked up sounds of approaching vehicles. Commander Reggie then stopped us before we had crossed the farm’s paddock fence line. After a haste reconnaissance of the paddock’s fire-guard, we took up an L ambush position with me as the machine gun ‘PKM’ man positioned at the centre of the L with instructions to initiate the fire fight. I don’t want to remind myself of what happened to the ambush as that became my nightmare experience.
MS: What was that nightmare experience?
Col (Rtd) Dube: Here it’s why the ambush was my nightmare experience. The ambush was in place at about 5.30am and around 9am the morning was becoming warm. My eyes were a bit heavy and was feeling sleepy as I had not slept well the previous night. I was woken up by a stone that hit me on the left cheek. An enemy platoon of about 30 men had entered the killing zone and was almost coming out while I was asleep. When I was woken up the tail of the enemy was just hundred metres away while the centre of the enemy was almost outside. When Commander Reggie came to enquire on why I had failed to initiate the fight my response was nothing but a fake excuse.
Regional Commander, Rodwell Nyika
MS: How did the commander react to that situation?
Col (Rtd) Dube: He quickly picked two sections to go where the vehicles could have stopped and waylay the enemy forces. After an hour or so we heard a loud bang from a bazooka, an anti-tank shoulder held launcher which was followed by a deafening sound from a machine gun and AK-47 rifles. In no time comrades from the contact scene came running followed by Cde Reggie who was shouting that we leave the place. We started trotting and it was at that juncture that I saw Cde Marko screaming for relief of an enemy weapon, G3 he was carrying to which no one came to his rescue. He was in my predicament as I was also heavily laden with the PKM gun plus two chain belts of ammunition. Desperate to keep pace, Cde Marko eventually threw away the gun but not the enemy patrol boots he had also harvested. At that time a spotter plane was the first to orbit at the contact scene followed by a helicopter. Our run, despite not having heavy loads some of us were carrying was a standard operandi to avoid falling into the air search orbit. On crossing River Angwa we rested a bit, reminiscing our contact and our good run while watching the low-flying helicopters searching in the area.
MS: Quite interesting. So, from your short rest across River Angwa where did you strike next?
Col (Rtd) Dube: We moved back to the Kazangarare area, our home base between Mampofu and Chikove streams. But before reaching Musemi villages we had to collect our loot from White’s store which we had cached. On the third day, we were back home, well logistically sustained. By the way our loot included the tin truck box money we had taken from Mhangura Beer Hall.
MS: After that what happened?
Col (Rtd) Dube: As usual, nobody cared that the enemy would be make follow-ups. It should have been on the fifth day that the enemy caught up with us. However, luck was on our side as the enemy fire got initiated on three or so comrades who had left our hide-out to take a bath on Mampofu River. While we were still wondering at the direction of the fire not aimed at us we saw the comrades running towards us. Cde Bluebatch was wounded and was being assisted by the other two. We hurried and lifted the wounded comrade who said he had suffered a broken leg. We immediately carried Cde Bluebatch initially on our shoulders and later through a log designed stretcher as we moved to Chikove villages towards Shamrock Mine as you go to Kanyemba-Chewore Game Park. The commander then decided that Bluebtach be taken to Zambia, another eight or so days of tormenting walk.
MS: You were going back to Zambia without seeking medical attention for the injured comrade.
Col (Rtd) Dube: By the way we had a medic with us plus a first aid kit. There was no strict control on the use of drugs and thus the comrade was given tranquilising injections to reduce pain. The only serious threat was the spotter plane which on many occasions made to take cover thus slowing our movement. Moving in the forest covered with buffalo beans was not a walk in the park, only us could do that under such circumstances of serious threats to our lives.
MS: Did you finally reach Zambia and what was the reaction from the regional commander, Rodwell Nyika?
Col (Rtd) Dube: We reached Nkume base and to our utter shock, Rodwell was not impressed, he was very hostile to us. He ordered us to rest for three days before returning to the operational theatre. After three days we were back at the Zambezi River which was heavily patrolled by the enemy.
ν To be continued next week
