The ManicaPost
DR Stanley Urayayi Sakupwanya, born on May 14, 1939 in Bulawayo, was a true hero in every sense of the word — one whose political life was shaped by indelible experiences of the liberation and post-liberation struggle — and will be remembered as such. He died on July 1, 2014 in Harare at the age of 75.
He was buried at the National Heroes Acre on Sunday.
Dr Sakupwanya remained a great man right up until his last breath.
Dr Sakupwanya lived a good life, served his country well and for that he has my utmost respect and admiration.
Treating blood-socked bomb or bullet injuries was his calling. It was a gargantuan responsibility that demanded intrinsic burning desire to save lives.
This reporter had an opportunity to interview him in 2007 and the peak of his association in the war was the bomb explosion that killed the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) vice-president Cde Jason Ziyaphapha Moyo.
He took a long pause, contorted his face and scratched his grey head as he gave an insight into that incident.
“I had seen dead bodies at battle front, but the bomb explosion that killed Cde Moyo was the worst incident. His chest and belly were blasted open, with intestines, liver and lungs all thrown out,” he explained.
What did the ‘Doctor of the War’ do?
“We plaited and stitched what we could and put all missing arms, fingers and legs in place so that the hero could be buried in his uniform. I did not like it, it was horrible.
“When I got there, everyone, the likes of (Cdes) Dabengwa, John Nkomo and Jane Ngwenya were in a state of shock. I had to give them some stabilising drugs and treated those injured. It was a painful time, an unforgettable experience. We worked hard knitting together his mutilated body.”
As a young boy, it was his dream to be a doctor. However, a white pharmacist at his father’s workplace tried to dissuade him arguing it was above a black man’s intellect.
This strengthened his resolve.
As he grew up, he would hear his father and uncles strategising resistance against forced eviction from the land of their ancestors in Mutasa to pave way for a wattle plantation.
The injustices drew young Stanley to politics with the aim of correcting them.
In 1957 he joined the ANC Makokoba youth league. He continued playing the same role in NDP in 1960.
In 1961, he relocated to Barbourfields and was elected ZAPU youth chairperson, responsible for recruiting youths into military training, sourcing funding, weapons and devising clandestine ways of smuggling them into the country through Zambia.
As a BAT driver he used his official truck to smuggle arms of war under cigarette cartons.
“We had a well-coordinated system where weapons passed from one person to another without the last person asking where it was destined. Cadres from Harare would come and bomb in Bulawayo while we boozed in shebeens to avoid suspicion by the Special Branch. We would do the same in their territory in Harare. The strategy was to avoid suspicion and cause confusion in the Special Branch. Our targets were buildings, roads, bridges and railway lines.”
The secret was leaked by Cde Sakupwanya’s pal, Cde Elijah Mzimela, who while drinking, put the pair on collision course with the Special Branch.
“We were wanted dead or alive,” he recalled.
ZIPRA intelligence supremo Cde Dabengwa posted the two to Zambia for safety, but Dr Sakupwanya was to be involved in an accident.
While in hospital, suspected intelligence details would visit him during awkward hours and he was tipped by the late national hero, Cde Edward Ndlovu to cook a story and escape from hospital.
He lied to one Dr White that he had been promoted to BAT Harare and needed to attend induction or he would lose out.
His sister Melphy had already packed his clothes and upon his release, he drove to Grand Hotel, parked his car next to Cde Mzimela’s and sneaked through the back door off to Luveve, where he sneaked into a train en route to Zambia.
On arrival in Lusaka, Dr Sakupwanya and friend met Cde Jack Ngwenya. ZIPRA intelligence unit had gathered that the Special Branch was tailing them into Zambia, forcing Dr Sakupwanya to proceed to Tanzania on foot.
Cde Amon Chikwakwata met them in Mbeya, Tanzania, and their group was later infiltrated by moles that relayed information to the Special Branch.
While in Tanzania he received three months military training, after which a coin was tossed to separate him and friend Cde Mzimela.
He lost and was penalised by being posted to Russia.
He enrolled at the Patrice Lumumba University, initially to do law, but ended up studying medicine given his astuteness in Science subjects.
His involvement in student politics saw him elected the varsity president of the Zimbabwe Students’ Association and ZAPU rep in Moscow.
He specialised in army-related (bullet, penetrating and shrapnel) wounds, chest operations, burns, midwifery and general ailments treatment.
While in the Soviet Union, he married Elita and the two were blessed with three children in Moscow.
On completing his studies in 1974, he was posted to Uganda where he took over from Cde Simon Khaya Moyo, who had been recalled to be the late Vice-President Dr Joshua Nkomo’s personal assistant.
He had several encounters with President Idi Amin in Uganda.
In 1975 he was barred by Cde Dabengwa and Cde Ethan Dube from attending his mother’s funeral for security reasons.
“I was wanted dead or alive, but at the same time I could not sustain the loss of my mother. I had to attend her funeral and I proceeded to Malawi.”
In Malawi he was spotted by a Special Branch informant, a Swazi Air hostess, who informed security agents, leading to his detention.
Suspicions about him were fuelled by his possession of a British passport and the number of communist countries like Korea, Cuba, Slovakia, East Germany, Yugoslavia, Russia, Zambia, Uganda and China he had visited for military intelligence training and soliciting of funds, drugs and arms of war.
“I was tossed. They grilled me and subjected me to all sorts of harassment. There were too many of them asking different questions at one time expecting me to answer them at once.”
His sister Melphy, who was waiting to meet him at the airport later, was tipped that her brother was in soup awaiting deportation to Rhodesia.
She immediately got hold of Dr Sakupwanya’s contact person in Malawi, Reverend Nyamuronda, who swiftly sought the intervention of Dr Kamuzu Banda. Dr Banda reportedly got hold of the intelligence unit to secure his release.
“I was shocked to hear the same people, who a minute ago had been grilling and harassing me, now offering me tea and biscuits and telling me to roam around the whole area while waiting for important visitors,” he said.
In 1976 Dr Sakupwanya went to Botswana to assist saving lives of victims of the bombing of the ZAPU Francistown offices.
During the same year, he was appointed head of ZIPRA medical corps in charge of human resources and logistics.
He was one of the Zapu delegates tasked to attend the Lancaster House talks but failed owing to some communication breakdown while in Kelembe in Uganda.
At ceasefire he was deployed with the advance team to integrate the guerillas into one force to form the Zimbabwe National Army.
He also played a major role in the integration of Zanu-PF and PF-Zapu into a united Zanu-PF.
He was co-opted into the medical corps and served as a major-medical officer at Mbidzo Barracks before moving to 1 (Zimbabwe) Commando Regiment.
He was elevated to the KGVI as deputy director-medical corps before retiring later on as lieutenant-colonel.
He then joined Mhangura Mines as a senior medical officer and was again called to work in the Entumbane bombings.
In 1986 he was in the Zapu executive that was fighting for unity that eventually came to fruition in 1987 with the signing of the Unity Accord.
He became a member of the united Zanu-PF Central Committee and later on a member of the Politburo until his untimely demise.
In the Politburo, Dr Sakupwanya was Secretary for the Welfare of the Disabled and people living with disabilities.
He had two medals, namely the Independence and liberation war medals.
Dr Sakupwanya went into private medical practice in Rusape and went on to be the Rusape Town Council chairman for three terms.
In 2008 he was elected the Senator for Makoni-Nyanga.
