Zipra strategy led to Lancaster House talk - Dabengwa

ZIPRA Intelligence Supremo Dumiso Dabengwa has said Zipra's turning point strategy introduced in 1977/78 gave birth to the idea of the Lancaster House talks.

Dabengwa said this while giving a memorial lecture on the late General Lookout Masuku in Bulawayo today.

He said Zipra was ready to return to the bush if Britain refused to grant independence in 1980.

Below are excerpts of his presentation:

#LookoutMasuku worked diligently during training in Algeria and was under the Special Wing led by James Chikerema

#LookoutMasuku was part of group that planned Hwange and Sipolilo battles

#LookoutMasuku trained ZIPRA units tasked with carrying out Hwange and Sipolilo battles

#LookoutMasuku as Commissar advised ZIPRA Commanders in carrying out combat attacks so as to protect civilians

#LookoutMasuku was part of the United Zimbabwe People's Army, a brainchild of Julius Nyerere and Samora Machel

#LookoutMasuku -Nyerere and Machel conceptualized Zim People Army as a unit devoid of political influence

#LookoutMasuku -OAU Liberation Committee said ZIPRA and ZANLA should work under Zimbabwe's People's Army as condition to get weapons -

#LookoutMasuku Part of ZIPRA Army thus remained in Zambia under the command ship of LookoutMasuku

#LookoutMasuku -Zim Peoples Army collapsed as ZIPRA element did not want military takeover of the country

#LookoutMasuku ZAPU was of the view that the people of Zimbabwe  should decide who their leader should be

#LookoutMasuku ZIPRA thus went back to Zambia and #LookoutMasuku resumed position as Deputy Commander to Nikita Mangena

#LookoutMasuku ZIPRA introduced turning point strategy in 1977/78 by laying landmines in Zambezi basin

#LookoutMasuku Turning Point Strategy entailed liberating specific zones in Zimbabwe and sabotaging identified institutions

#LookoutMasuku Margaret Thatcher sought Kaunda to chuck out ZIPRA from Zambia. Kaunda refused

#LookoutMasuku We were ready to return to the bush if Britain refused to grant independence -

#LookoutMasuku I led ZIPRA delegation while Josiah Tongogara led ZANLA. We went to London for talks -

#LookoutMasuku It's the turning point strategy that brought about the idea of the Lancaster house talks

#LookoutMasuku 31 December 1979 we came back to Zimbabwe after Lancaster House talks

#LookoutMasuku Rex Nhongo (Solomon Mujuru) was appointed Army Commander and we supported him as we had worked well before

#LookoutMasuku We queried ceasefire arrangement as it benefited Rhodesian Army at expense of ZIPRA  and Zanla

#LookoutMasuku Discovered that ZANLA guerillas at ceasefire camps were replaced with mujimbas. Guerillas then created no go areas for ZAPU

#LookoutMasuku We retaliated by proposing to Joshua Nkomo that we create our own no go areas

#LookoutMasuku Joshua Nkomo did not believe our intelligence brief and was only shocked after elections

#LookoutMasuku Joshua Nkomo discussed with Lord Soames who said votes in no go areas won't be valid

#LookoutMasuku We further received intelligence that ZAPU would not win more than 20 seats during 1980 elections

#LookoutMasuku There were skirmishes after independence as we sought to integrate ZANLA and ZIPRA forces

#LookoutMasuku We opposed idea of bringing guerillas to town as they would threaten peace and stability

#LookoutMasuku We will narrate our contribution in the liberation struggle in a book we are writing

#LookoutMasuku is buried at Lady Stanley. I was denied chance to see him at mortuary and to bury him too