The Sunday News
Rtd Brig Gen Abel Mazinyane
ZIMBABWEAN African nationalism demonstrated its gender sensitivity as early as 1961 when a woman was elected in the leadership of the National Democratic Party (NDP).
The lady was Jane Ngwenya, elected member of the NDP national executive in 1960. Jane was also the first lady of the Zapu national executive to leave Rhodesia for the purpose of joining her colleagues in Zambia (Edward Ndlovu, George Silundika and Jason Moyo) to lead the armed struggle.
ZPRA first trained women into its ranks in early 1976. This is despite that several ladies had volunteered for military training earlier. Some of them were forced to go for further education on scholarships that were sourced by the party’s department of education. I recall a case of a young lady, Cecilia Nkomazana, in 1974, who wanted to join ZPRA. ZPRA was not yet ready to take women into its ranks. I was tasked by the commander (Alfred Nikita) to persuade the young lady to instead go on a party education scholarship. It was a tall order to execute for me. I think the commander was also uncomfortable with turning away the lady. I had a difficult time to make the young lady change her mind, she was a stubborn, poor girl, and she was not aware what ZPRA military training was all about. However, all ended well. Cecilia was sent to the USSR where she successfully completed her studies and was employed by the Bulawayo City Council at independence. Some of the young ladies who were sent through that route were Julia Masangweni, Lona Sigidi, Simela (now doctor Mthupha), Khube Madeya, Martha Chimaya and many others.
In 1976 ZPRA gave in due to the influx and trained its first group of women. The first and second group of women to be trained by ZPRA trained together with men. The unfortunate women were put through an intensive military training which I believe had been strictly designed for men. Even some men found it very tough. The first group was composed of Grace Noko, Gertrude (Belinda), Jane Ndlovu, Toriso, Gloria Simela, Dorothy Ndlovu, Alice, Florence, Audrey, Anna and they trained in Morogoro, Tanzania. This group went through several mishaps, but somehow it managed to complete its training. These women were in a group of 800. This group of ladies came from Gwanda and Beitbridge. They were recruited by a member of the ZAPU National Council, Mr Vela.
The second group had 112 women in a group of about 2 000. The group had Chipo Bafana, Sylvia, Lydia, Hazel Sibanda, Sibophile and others.
Most members of these two groups were deployed to the military intelligence, training departments of ZPRA and party intelligence. These groups gave ZPRA high command possibility to open an all-women training camp. This was going to make it easy to address women issues that were sometimes complex for men and many other possibilities. The second group was predominantly from Plumtree (Bulilima/Mangwe). From this group one woman, Sylvia, broke her arm during a Judo lesson and was evacuated to Lusaka for treatment. She, however, wanted to return to training with a broken arm. On the doctor’s advice she was detained in Lusaka. She was later sent on a scholarship to the US and returned to work for the Hansard in Zimbabwe.
Then came the third and fourth groups, all trained at Mkushi camp near Kabwe, Zambia. In these groups the majority came from schools in Rhodesia. Manama Mission in Gwanda supplied the bulk of these two groups, especially the third group. However, also in these two groups were workers, political activists and girls from urban centres. These brought a new dimension to the armed struggle. Also among them were women who had been part of the nationalist political leadership in Rhodesia. Some of these ladies had dared the regime in Rhodesia. There was no doubt they were fighters. Some of them had battle scars to prove it. Some of us were still in the process of accepting Jane Ngwenya as a female party leader and now we were receiving dozens of them. Most of us had never heard or seen a party leader who was not a man before. Among the party activists and youth leaders were Lorraine Mguni, Sibonginkosi Gumede, the Togwe sisters, Gertrude Mpala, Thabani Ndebele, Ndlela and many others. Teaching (politics) to these girls was like teaching an adult education class where the students bring a lot of knowledge in the classroom. Remember some of us had learnt and read Marxism/Leninism on top of the party history as part of the ZPRA political syllabus. But these girls and some men brought us a window to the political reality at home. I recall once discussing with some of these ladies at Victory Camp. I tried to demonstrate my skills of the street lingo only for Lorraine Mguni to laugh at me. She later told me that my lingo was out-dated. This reminded me of an incident when failure to move with times almost cost me my life. I said “Form Four” instead of “O-level” at wrong place. The last time I had been in Rhodesia legally it was Form Four not O-level.
As I said, the Manama Mission 1977 intake provided the bulk of these groups. On 22 January 1977 ZPRA guerrillas recruited the entire Manama mission children and staff and marched them to Botswana. The arrival of this group in Zambia necessitated the opening of an all-women camp which was to be named Victory Camp (VC). This camp had been occupied by MPLA of Angola until it was taken over by ZPRA in early 1977. Before transferring to VC the women had been kept at Nampundwe Transit camp (NTC) together with more comrades. Like in all ZPRA camps with recruits (untrained personnel) some form of training had to commence immediately. Under ZPRA, transit camps conducted military training. This was changed when these camps were transferred to the party department of manpower. Under ZPRA these camps’ administration structures were a duplicate of those at our training camps. To me everyone who was once in a ZPRA camp during the war was military trained with the exception of those who were school-going children. The Manama mission children included Daughters Shumba (Chiratidzo Iris Mabuwa), Chipo Mabuwa, Perseverance Legane (Sebenzile Mthunzi) and others. Manama students I think contributed the highest number of deaths of our lady comrades during the war. This was brought about by the bombings of Mkushi 1 and 2. Mkushi was bombed on 19 October 1978. At the site of the camp is a mass grave where the remains of those who died during the bombing are buried.
After the training of women at Mkushi, the ZPRA High Command formed the ZPRA Women Brigade. The brigade had in its command Sihle Ngwenya (Gertrude Mpala), deputy commmander Olie Ngwenya (Ossie Sibanda,) chief of staff, Chiratidzo Iris Mabuwa (Daughters Shumba) and Martha Dube as commissar.
The brigade had four battalions and 10 supporting service companies under the chief of medic logistics, Thabisile; training personnel, Sithabile Sibanda (Ntombiyezizweni); catering, Monica Mguni (Charity Ndiweni); transport, Moratiwa Gazi (Abigail Mabetha); artillery, Jester Nleya; engineering, Nompumelelo Moyo (Gift Tichatonga); communication, Mavis Nyathi and Sebenzile Sigoge (Doreen), security and reconnaissance.
The availability of women in big numbers enabled Zapu to take scholarships that prepared Zimbabweans for the challenge of running independent Zimbabwe.
We were able to send ladies to train as officers in police academies in Zambia and Yugoslavia. We sent ladies to train as nurses in Libya, these were Salfina Noko, Mugove Hove, Jane Ncube, Baphi Ndlovu, Primrose Makhonjwa, Queen Madonko, Edzayi , Keliboni, Maplanka, Paulin Sidambe and others. This group had 20 members. Others were sent to train as medical doctors in various east European countries. These ladies are now serving the people of Zimbabwe. Zambia offered several opportunities at Mindolo and Evelyn colleges in Ndola and Lusaka, respectably for ZPRA girls. These were, Mrs Hananda, Docas Mthupha, Elizabeth Gwebu, Jennifer Jiyane, Perseverance Legane and Rachel Silandu. Those sent to Evelyn Hone were, Cecilia Mosendami, Florence Ndlovu, Patricia Dube, Uridice Ngwane and Margret Shaba (these were studying accounts).
Some ladies were withdrawn from VC and Mkushi to Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana for various secretariat courses. Zenzele Gumede, Loraine Mguni, Annah Shoko, Thokozile Nleya, Nodumo Mlilo, Margaret Khumalo, Catherine Jele, Winnie, Thabani Ndebele, Debra, Margret Kanongovere, Otiliah Maphosa, Majorie Mlambo, Melodie Masolo, Babili Nyathi, Kilinetsi Malemane, Bester Mlilo, Juliet Maphosa and Elizabeth Malaba were sent to either Trinidad or Jamaica.
The group of 20 girls sent to Libya to train in nursing enabled the organisation to open a hospital in Makeni Lusaka and staff it with its members. These girls I am told, displayed a lot of bravery during the bombardment of camps in Zambia. I met some in Yugoslavia, when they attended a course that was sponsored by the International Red Cross. They came in two groups. One of them, Cynthia Noko (Marie Gold), was a cheerful young girl. She was full of laughter. I recall during her short course in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, when a man from one West African country who was doing the same course with her caused her to laugh for days. Students from the Red Cross centre walked to the business district to the city when after about 20 minutes the West African man realised that he had forgotten to wear shoes. This incident left Marie Gold literally in tears with laughter. She had to be calmed down by colleagues.
Other ladies were sent to study in the following countries, Germany (Ndlela, Nokuthula Mafu and others), India (Ruth Maphosa), Ethiopia, Yugoslavia (Gladys Sibanda and several police officers), United States of America (Helen Dube), Cuba (Ruth Tshabangu, Finch Ndiweni, Cristabel Ngwenya, Sibonginkosi Gumede, Sihle Ngwenya and others), Poland (Chipo Mabuwa, Easter Mwale, Jean Mahala), Senegal (Elmah and others).
Other ladies were sent to perform other tasks that contributed to the liberation of Zimbabwe. A secretarial college was opened in Kafue, Zambia, to train Zimbabweans with the help of Ghanaian experts. The college was run by our ladies. Schools were opened in Zambia and Botswana so that children who had run away can continue their education. These were mostly run by our ladies. The following ladies are buried at a mass grave in Mkushi, Sikhohlisiwe Mkhwananzi, Sithabisile Mtshayisa (Tsholotsho), Egine Nareta (Masvingo), Mpokiseng Lehong, Belina Tshuma, Pretty Mbedzi ( Beitbridge), Mankosi Dube (Plumtree), Rorisang Noko, Maltilda Ndebele, Dudla Sibanda ( Plumtree), Sifile Ndabalinye, Tsitsi Gwanzura, Patience Vundule, Ratidzo Dube, Mashudu Ndou (Beitbridge), Mashudu Malipana, Mariam Sigwari, Mirriam Madema, Lucia Chigumbo, Vigi Tafiranyika, Beauty Siziba, Dorothy Ncube (Tsholotsho), Halibali Ncube (Gwanda), Violet Phuthi, Mankosi Dube, Legina Moy, Mabis Mleya, Jane Gumbo, Lethani Mohadi, Concellia Ncube, Sehliselo Nyathi, Nsingo Tsepang and many more others.
ZPRA liberated zones were poised to demonstrate how a liberated Zimbabwe was going to be. Liberated zones were to demonstrate the superiority of independence compared to colonialism. The defence administration of liberated zones depended on the readiness of the ZPRA Women Brigade in close co-operation with local people’s committees.
