The ManicaPost
In the next 10 days, Zimbabwe celebrates its independence.
This is a major event considering that Zimbabwe has been a sovereign state for the past 42 years.
This week, The Manica Post’s Freedom Mutanda had a chat with Cde Maxwell Ndunduma (62), a veteran of the liberation struggle who hails from Chibuwe in Chipinge District, to understand what drove him and his peers to choose to liberate this country.
His story spans from Chibuwe via Muumbe, Espungabera, Machazi, Chibawawa and Tembwe Training Camps and finally to the war front in Gaza Province.
His nom de guerre was Win Mauto while he is commonly known as Cde Max by his colleagues.
Read on:
Q: Cde Ndunduma, what made you join the liberation struggle?
A: In June 1975, my friends and l decided to join the other young men and women who were going to the war. We left Chibuwe for Mozambique. We had heard that the FRELIMO fighters in Mozambique had managed to take power through the barrel of the gun.
Q: How old were you at that time?
A: I was 15 years old and doing Grade Seven at the time. My colleagues were Military and Maxwell Jeza, Vusani Chigugudlo, Vaina Mufote and Zacheous Makapu and another girl.
I cannot really say that I was fully aware of the injustices, but I just wanted to be a part of the solution. It appeared as if an inner spirit drove us to go that very night.
Q: How did your journey go?
A: We passed through Mwangazi River and we climbed Gomo reBakonye which led us to Mozambique. The following morning as we looked back, we saw scores of Rhodesian Front soldiers at the foot of the mountain and it was a lucky escape.
The Mazibiye brothers were our guides as they hailed from Mozambique. Willie Mtetwa and the girl completed the group. My aunt at Mudhe tried to dissuade me from continuing with the journey, but my colleagues said they would not leave me behind.
Similar calls were made by my uncle at Macherure, but those calls fell on deaf ears.
Q: A lot has been said about the Chibawawa Camp, tell us more about the conditions there.
A: Our sleeping quarters were made from sacks and at one time l saw my mates skinning a python and braaing it. As for the girls at Machazi, they ran out of their sleeping quarters and later slept alongside male comrades as they were claiming something was suckling their breasts.
Q: You were trained at Tembwe Base 2. It was attacked, how did you survive?
A: A spirit medium told us that we were supposed to leave the camp as he had seen eagles circling over the camp in his dreams. Cde Garwi and I left the base and went to Chari. In no time, we saw Migs spewing bullets of death at the camp.
Cde John Walker later asked us to go and volunteer our services in a mop up campaign. I was told that a comrade called other comrades as if he wanted to rescue them, only to shoot them. Only one person survived the attack.
Q: After the training, you went to the front. How was your experience there?
A: Yes, I was a member of the 150 cadres who left Tembwe in 1977. Leading us to the Gaza Sector was the late national hero, Cde Rex Nhongo. I had been trained as a medical assistant. Each one of us was given 700 bullets, a gun and I had an M90 which weighed about 10kg.
We crossed the Limpopo River and along the way we met the Shangan masses and we also met Chief Gezani who told us that war was not a walk in the park. However, Cde Zvikaramba committed suicide as he said he was too tired to continue with the journey. Cde Godiba did the same and he used a grenade to kill himself.
At that time, the people had been shepherded into the protected villages in the Chikombedzi area. Comrades and villagers would drive Brahmans from commercial farms in Lower Gweru, slaughter the beasts, dry the meat and ground it into a powder called nyoroti. We would then cook it in the same way we prepare sadza.
Q: Tell us about the battles you fought.
A: I remember when we ambushed a white farm manager, Stephen. He was guarded by mapuruvera (black soldiers), but after we had surrounded the house, Stephen and his family left in a huff after a 30-minute battle. I had a B10, a Russian made assault rifle.
We had anticipated that Rhodesian Front soldiers would come for reconnaissance. We planted landmines at a hilly place and the Bedfords from the army base at Rutenga overturned after hitting them. Soldiers died in huge numbers.
The thrill I got in that first battle is indescribable. At Maranda, I joined the demolition department. We bombed railway lines. Only goods trains were using the railway line. Horses that came from South Africa died in those bombings.
Then at Buchwa, we had a traitor in the form of a businessman. We had a pungwe meeting and from nowhere a ground and air force combined operation left us in a quandary and there was little bush cover.
After a heavy exchange of gunfire with us rolling on our tummies towards the escape route, we managed to survive. Interestingly, one of the comrades got into a trance during the battle. We walked all night to our base.
Q: In 1980 independence came, what did you do after that?
A: First, we went to Chipinda Pools and later went to Mutandahwe. Finally, we went to Entumbane. I was demobilised and started Grade Seven at Chivhunze before enrolling at Mount Selinda Institute where I graduated in 1986. My brother, Luke, encouraged me to go to school.
I worked for many years as a plumber at ARDA estates. I am retired now. I am married to Hilda and we were blessed with six children – Shamiso, Nyasha, Takudzwa, Batsirai, Kumbirai and Tawanashe.
Q: Cde, what is your final word to the youths?
A: Liberate yourself from mental slavery. To succeed, you have to sacrifice. My wishes are for liberation fighters to benefit from the economic activities in their respective areas.
Just like during the liberation struggle, the masses and former fighters can unite for a common purpose, which is economic liberation.
The writer can be contacted on [email protected]. If you have a story about the liberation struggle, feel free to contact the writer on that email address.
