Zim soldiers swim to safety in the Atlantic for hours after boats capsize

The Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) has promoted five soldiers who had to swim to safety for three- and-a-half hours in the shark-infested Atlantic Ocean after the boats they were in capsized and sank during a SADC Special Forces operation late last year.

The five - corporals Manunure Frequency, Mapfumo Samuel and Mutemera Shadreck of 1 Commando Regiment and lance corporals Jakarasi Obey and Mukandiona Justice of Parachute Regiment - have been promoted by a rank each following their October 2013 heroics in Namibia.

According to the latest issue of the ZNA magazine, the Army Commander, Lieutenant-General Phillip Valerio Sibanda, recommended their elevation as a result of "enduring difficult conditions in the ocean to survive disaster."

In an interview with The Sunday Mail last week, the Commanding Officer of 1 Commando Regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel Washington Chidavanyika, who was Zimbabwean stick commander for the Namibian operation, hailed the five as heroes.

He disclosed that the five were among the 21 members of the SADC Special Forces that successfully swam for their lives after a sea-borne exercise code-named Weiwitchia went horribly wrong in the Atlantic Ocean, off the Namibian coast.

One Malawian soldier died during the mishap after being hit on the head by propellers while two South Africans were "reported missing in action."

Lieut-Col Chidavanyika said their ability to make split-second decisions made the difference between life and death for the crew.

"They came face-to-face with death but, like true soldiers, they did not let the daunting odds of survival deter them," he said.

"On realising that their boat was slowly drifting deeper into the ocean, the team decided to swim to the shoreline but since it was pitch dark, orientation was difficult to maintain.

"They decided to swim close to each other and helped those who would have been tired by carrying them on their backs."
Lieut-Col Chidavanyika hailed the troops for putting the training they received before embarking on the exercise to good use. The training was aimed at strengthening regional co-operation.

"I was confident that they would survive because we embark on some intensive pre-exercise training before such operations.
"The first thing they said to me when they made it to shore was 'shefu, we made it'. It was a joyous moment for all involved."

According to the ZNA magazine, the survival of the Zimbabwean soldiers attests to the army's training methods.

"The survival of the ZNA soldiers in the Atlantic Ocean boat disaster in Namibia, despite that Zimbabwe is a landlocked country, is a true reflection of the country's Special Forces' commitment to conditions of training in acquiring skills to operate in any terrain and weather conditions.

"The high standard of training in military skills makes it easy for the soldiers to quickly adapt to changed conditions, making it possible for them to even operate in oceans and deserts even though they may not have been acclimatised to such environments," it said.