Mnangagwa sheds light on betrayal, arrest, torture

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has reflected on his 10-year imprisonment, which began in 1965 when he was just 18, describing it as one of the most difficult yet defining periods of his life during Zimbabwe's liberation struggle.

In a recent interview with the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), the President recounted how he was arrested by Rhodesian authorities after being betrayed while compiling a report for the late national hero Cde Herbert Chitepo.

President Mnangagwa said he was detained for his involvement in the Crocodile Gang, an early nationalist group whose activities included acts of sabotage against the Rhodesian regime, among them an attack on a train near Fort Victoria, now Masvingo.

He revealed that his arrest followed a betrayal by nationalist leader Michael Mawema, at whose Highfield home he had been writing an appraisal report destined for Cde Chitepo, who was then based in Lusaka.

"I don't need to hide it because Michael Mawema sold me out," President Mnangagwa said. "I was busy writing my report at his house so that it would be sent to Chitepo in Lusaka. I did not know that he had gone to inform the special branch."

The President said Rhodesian security agents surrounded the house and arrested him, marking the beginning of a long period of incarceration.

He went on to describe harsh interrogation methods used by the Rhodesian security apparatus, saying he was subjected to severe treatment during questioning at Harare Central Police Station. President Mnangagwa said these experiences were intended to break his resolve, but instead strengthened his commitment to the liberation cause.

Despite the ordeal, he said he remained steadfast and committed to the struggle for independence.

"I enjoyed being a guerrilla person; I enjoyed it," he said, adding that his parents travelled from Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia, to visit him in prison.

He recalled urging them not to despair but to continue with their lives and support the family back home.

"They cried, and I said, ‘No, go back, continue farming and send the children to school. I will come back,'" he said.

President Mnangagwa served the full 10-year sentence before his release. He said that after completing his term, he was taken to the Victoria Falls border area between Zimbabwe and Zambia, where he was freed.

"They removed the handcuffs and leg irons, and I walked into Zambia," he said, adding that he was received by the late General Josiah Tongogara, whom he met for the first time at that point.

President Mnangagwa said the experience of imprisonment did not weaken his resolve but instead reinforced his dedication to the liberation of Zimbabwe, which was eventually achieved in 1980.