Sad story of sell-outs in Zanu

BORN in Damba (now Mhangura) in 1940, John Makwasha whose Chimurenga name was Bayayi Mabhunu joined politics during the early 1960s during the days of the National Democratic Party after listening to powerful speeches by people like Michel and Nelson Mawema.

In 1963, he joined Zanu, becoming the party's secretary for youth in Sinoa (now Chinhoyi) and went on to work full time in the party office after finishing Standard Six.

He worked at the party office from December 1963 until 23 August 1964 when he was terrorised by a black CID Rhodesian officer called Chimanga who he says now owns a farm around the Mazvikadei area.

In this interview with our team comprising Munyaradzi Huni and Tendai Manzvanzvike, Makwasha talks about his journey going for military training in Ghana after getting assistance from the late Vice President Muzenda, how the Rhodesian Special Branch smuggled one of its spies into their group in Ghana and for the first time reveals that one of the Zanu leaders actually sold them out to the colonial regime. Read on …




SM: Comrade Makwasha, let's pick up your story while you were working in the Zanu office in Sinoa. Narrate to us your journey from there.

Makwasha: I worked at the Zanu offices from December 1963 to August 23 1964. People coming from Zambia would first stop at our offices to hear how the situation was in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and because of that, I was harassed by the CID. There was a CID guy called Chimanga, now he has a farm in Mazvikadei, uuuhhh munhu anga ane hutsinye iyeye. He was ruthless, but interestingly after independence he became a member of our CID.

This was the provincial office – people from all over including areas such as Zvimba, Guruve and so on would come to buy party cards here.

During this time, Zanu split from Zapu. Zapu had been banned so it was now operating as People's Caretaker Council (PCC). So competition for members was quite stiff during this time.

Fortunately for us, when Zanu was formed, we had what we called Zanu line up in the office. So for people to join the party, they would ask who were among the leaders.

People would ask mainly kuti ko VaChitepo vari kupi, ko vaMugabe vari kupi toti vari kwedu wainzwa munhu oti ndipei card kuno ndiko kwandiri kuda.

The Zanu line up comprised the chairman Ndabaningi Sithole, secretary general vaMugabe, then Muzenda, Morton Malianga, Washington Malianga, Michel Mawema, Eddison Zvobgo, Eddison Sithole, vaChitepo and others.

During this time, people in the urban areas understood politics more than the people in the rural areas because of the several rallies that were held. During these days the rallies were really well attended.

Also during these days, Zanu and PCC supporters would clash frequently and the party had to arrange that I walk around with bodyguards because of my role as youth secretary and my job in the party office. One of my bodyguards was David Guzuzu, one of the Seven Comrades who perished at the famous Chinhoyi Battle in 1966. Guzuzu was my sekuru.

SM: Why clashing with PCC?

Makwasha: PCC was saying matora vanhu vedu and as Zanu we were seen as rebels. The clashes were very violent during those days.

SM: From Zanu offices in Chinhoyi, how then did you go for military training?

Makwasha: On 23 August 1964, Zanu was to be banned the next day. I wasn't aware that the party was to be banned. I went home and I was staying close to Bridgette Mugabe's house, about three houses from her house. She would frequently visit me at the Zanu offices and we would talk about politics.

So in the evening of 23 August 1964, vaMuzenda came kumba kwaBridgette and asked her where I was staying.

Someone was sent to call me and I went to Bridgette's house together with David Guzuzu. We were aware that the party was now moving from platform politics and sending comrades for military training in preparation for armed struggle.

VaMuzenda told us that the party was to be banned and chances were that we were going to be arrested. He asked us kuti do you want to remain here and be arrested or you go for military training. We agreed to go for military training.

As I made the decision to go for military training, my thinking was, kana ndadzoka pane varungu vaiti shungurudza so ndaida kudzoka nepfuti ndichivarakasha.

So that evening, I told my sister nemukuwasha vandaigara navo kuti tava kuenda. VaMuzenda drove us to Harare that night. We were taken kumba kwaSabina Mugabe.

SM: Describe what kind of a person was vaMuzenda during these days?

Makwasha: He was a very straightforward person who was determined to free his country. Very soft-spoken but full of wisdom. He was also very brave.

We spent a whole week kumba kwaSabina tichibuda panze husiku chete. After a week, vaMuzenda came back and gave us some money. He said you are now going outside the country for military training. Around 5am, he took us to the airport. During this time, Federation yanga isati yanyatso pazika, so we didn't need a visa or to book a plane. We got to the airport and bought tickets 5 pounds to fly to Malawi, Blantyre using Central African Airways (CAA).

In Blantyre, the Zanu representative Mawere was waiting for us. He took us to his house in Soche high density suburb.

There were other comrades who were already there at this time. We were told that some comrades would join us coming from Zambia. After about two weeks, several other comrades came and we were told that our tickets to Ghana had been sorted. We flew to Tanzania using East African Airways. We were about 15 comrades.

SM: Do you still remember the names of the other comrades who joined you as you flew to Tanzania?

Makwasha: Yes. Sekuru Guzuzu was still there. Others who joined us the ones I can still remember are Christopher Sakala, Lainos Mukaro, Shadreck Rambanepasi, Watson Chihota, Shame Zvikaramba, Stephen Musungwa Zvinavashe (big brother to the late General Zvinavashe) Wisdom Chimanga, Cephas Musakasa, Gilbert Majiri, Emmanuel Masanga, Kenneth Chisango, John Changa, Exavier Virukai and Titus Chakavanga.

We got to Tanzania and stayed for two weeks. There were other comrades in Tanzania, who included Rugare Gumbo. We later discovered that hatisi tose tiri parwendo rumwe chete. Vamwe vakanga vaine rwendo rwekuti vari kuenda kuchikoro.

SM: How come others were going to school while others were going for military training?

Makwasha: There was no clear policy. There were comrades who had relatives outside the country, vakuru vakuru. So these comrades vaiti vakasvika like kuTanzania, their relatives vakuru vakuru vaivarambidza kuti aiwa usaende kuhondo enda kuchikoro.

Others who went to school at that time include people like Salatiel Hamadziripi, Rugare Gumbo who told us point blank kuti imi musina kudzidza, ndimi muri kuenda kunodzidza zvepfuti. Kana matora nyika, isusu tiri kuenda kuchikoro touya tokutongai.

SM: Did he say that, did this happen or you are saying this because of current politics? We need to be very clear here, these interviews are never supposed to be influenced by current politics. We want to record the correct history here.

Makwasha: Zvandiri kutaura izvi, kana mukabvunza vamwe vandaiva navo, ndakanga ndisiri ndega, zvinhu zvakazoita tide kurwa. Some comrades had to be removed from this big house where we were staying. There were two gangs now – vaye vari kunzi vari kuenda kuchikoro and vaiva vashoma and isusu taienda kuhondo. Zvine chokwadi, kwete kuti ipolitics dzanhasi.

Kana dai akamira apa nhasi, I will tell him kuti this is what you said. And Rugare Gumbo anga asinganzi Rugare, ainzi Alex Gumbo. Takatozoziva nyika yasununguka kuti anonzi Rugare.

Before leaving for Ghana, we were screened again. We were told that in Ghana we were not going to be trained as regular army. We were told that our training would be on guerrilla warfare. We were going to be taught how to manufacture and operate explosives.

So this required someone ane kachikoro. Minimum requirement was Standard Six. This is how I got separated from sekuru wangu David Guzuzu. He had standard 3. He was sent kuchikoro chema refugees kuti vawedzere chikoro.

Takawonekana zvakanaka but sevanhu who were close, tumisodzi twakabuda. Takavimbisana kuti tichasangana kana vambodzidza because we thought vachazotevera kwataienda kuGhana.

In September 1964, we got to Ghana. We were welcomed by the Zanu representative in Ghana at that time, Stanley Parirewa. We were taken to a province called Kumasi which borders Ghana with Ivory Coast. There were comrades from other east and west African countries. There were also some comrades from South Africa.

SM: You spoke about regular and guerrilla warfare – what's the difference?

Makwasha: Regular army is taught drills, that is marching, left and right turn and so on. From there you go for training kuranch where you are taught how to shoot. From there you are taught resistance. The main focus of the training in regular is that when you meet the enemy, you don't run away. You fight till you have run out of ammunition.

On the other hand, guerrilla warfare, is being taught hit and run tactics. You hit your enemy where the enemy is weakest and preserve yourself. The main idea is to destroy the enemy and preserve yourself.

So our training was in guerrilla warfare and because of this only the cream of youths were recruited during these early days. After training, we were supposed to come back and destroy the infrastructure of the Rhodesian system so that the colonial government would be forced to sit down and talk about independence.

The thinking during these early days was that vanhu vakaita kana 100 nyika taikwanisa kuitora. And I am sure if the comrades who went for this training succeeded in their missions, the colonial regime was going to be forced to talk.

We were supposed to cause maximum damage targeting bridges, electricity pylons, service stations, fuel tanks, farm houses and so on.

SM: So when you got to Kumasi in Ghana what happened?

Makwasha: We were mixed with recruits from these other countries I told you about and our training was the same. So in the beginning, we were taught regular warfare – how to march, how to strip and assemble a gun. The training was going on well, until one day when one of our comrades discovered that the area we were staying yakanga ine makurwe aya ekudya. So we went with our plates tikabata makurwe akawanda. We came back ndokubika makurwe aya. Now we were using the same kitchen with comrades from West Africa and to them makurwe chinhu chinosemesa. Uummm, when they discovered we had used the same pots to cook makurwe aya, pakaita hondo chaiyo. We clashed big time like we almost shot each other as they were saying mabikira mapoto zvinhu zvisingadyiwe.

We tried to explain, but it didn't work. These comrades from West Africa vaiendawo kunobata hozhwa vachibika and we protest kuti isu hatidye this. So after these clashes, we started using separate kitchens.

SM: You said you were also taught politics. What exactly were you being taught?

Makwasha: We were taught politics about courage and how to mobilise masses. We were taught how to conduct ourselves before the masses and we were taught how to explain to the masses who the enemy was and why? And also explaining what a free Zimbabwe would mean for the general populace.

SM: So how was your day like during training?

Makwasha: We would wake up and go for jogging. The trainers would decide the kilometres, like 20 km. After jogging, we would go bathing then eat breakfast. From there we went for parade around past nine where there was an inspection to see how smart we were.

After this we would follow that day's programme, let's say if it was drills, we would go marching for about an hour then go jogging again for kilometres. We would come back and be taught hide and escape tactics, especially crawling. From there we would go kuranch to learn how to shoot and aim. Our main instructor was called Archempong from Ghana. He was a veteran from the Second World War. When we arrived from Zimbabwe, we were about 20 but more and more comrades came from home.

Our training went for three months at Kumasi and this camp we were at was called Half Asini. After these three months, we were moved to another camp still in Kumasi province, but now away from the border with Ivory Coast. At this new camp, that's when we got instructors from China who taught us real guerrilla warfare – how to manufacture bombs and so on.

SM: So after training, where did you go?

Makwasha: About two months before we finished our training, the last person to arrive was a guy called Simon Bhene. When he arrived, akaratidza kungwara kusingaite. Aida kuita shamwari nemunhu wese who was at training and we started having questions kuti haaa, this guy dzakati kwesere here? You can't get to a place woita close to everyone? That's very suspicious.

People like Shadreck Chipanga who had earlier joined us at Half Asini knew about Bhene and they knew him as someone who was involved in politics at lower level. So while we got suspicious, we never thought Bhene had been sent by the Rhodesian Special Branch.

We later discovered that Bhene had a spy camera that was like a matchbox that he was using to take pictures during training.

SM: How had Bhene been recruited to come this far?

Makwasha: Our recruiting system was very weak in terms of security during these early days. Bhene came all the way to Accra in Ghana alone and the party representative, Parirewa and Simpson Mutambanengwe brought him to this training camp. I think they didn't know he was on a spying mission.

On our way back, we stopped in Kenya and Bhene disappeared at the airport. He had his own ticket and we later learnt that he had boarded Air Rhodesia. We asked Bernard Chidzero who had come to see us at the airport in Kenya why they had let Bhene board Air Rhodesia, but no one gave us a satisfactory response.

From Nairobi we flew to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and we were welcomed by Augustine Mombeshora. After two days, we got into a bus and we were driven to Mbeya. Mbeya is in Tanzania but close to the Zambian border. Here our representative was comrade Chihota. We stayed at Mbeya for about a month.

While at Mbeya, that was the last time and place I saw Sekeru vangu Guzuzu. While waiting to go back to Rhodesia, we met anaGuzuzu as they were preparing to go to Cuba for training, but I didn't have the opportunity to talk to him. Security arrangements didn't allow that. I just saw him and in no time they were moved away from the house where we were staying.

SM: Now from Mbeya, take us through what happened leading to your deployment into Rhodesia?

Makwasha: Before being deployed, we were put into groups and allocated provinces in Rhodesia where we were supposed to go and operate. We were told that we were to meet some contacts in Rhodesia who were supposed to assist us.

I was made commander of the group that was going to Fort Victoria (now Masvingo). My group was called Hyena Group and it included comrades like Shadreck Rambanepasi, Wisdom Chimanga, Watson Chihota, Christopher Sakala, Langton Kufa Banda and John Changa.

We were taken to the Zambian border with Tanzania, at Tunduma by Noel Mukono. We were given some money to spend at Tunduma as we were waiting to cross into Zambia in the evening. We later crossed into Zambia but we were arrested because we had used an illegal point to enter into Zambia. The Zambian Special Branch said why can't your leaders talk to our leaders so that we know exactly who you are. We were taken back to Tunduma border post and we got into a bus back to Mbeya. When we got there, we told Mukono what had happened and they agreed that they had indeed made a mistake.

We then went back to Dar es Salaam by bus. I am talking about my group here. Other groups, I don't know what happened.

In Dar es Salaam, we were taken to the railways by Henry Hamadziripi and we were put in goods train like parcels. While hiding in the goods train, we crossed into Zambia and then Rhodesia via Mutare all the way to Salisbury (now Harare).

When we got into Salisbury, we gave each other one week to see our relatives. After this, we would re-group and continue our journey to Fort Victoria to meet our contact. This contact was supposed to give us money to buy chemicals to manufacture explosives.

I went to Kadoma to see my big brother who the next day organised a job for me because he didn't know what I was up to. On the day we were supposed to re-group with my comrades in Fort Victoria, I told my brother that I was sick. After he had gone to work, I got into a train to Gwelo (now Gweru) then took another train to Fort Victoria.

In English there is something called premonition. Kakungonzwa kuti something is wrong somewhere and something is going to happen. When we got to Lalapanzi, I looked outside the window and saw lots of soldiers milling around. I then ignored thinking they were looking for something else.

The train stopped and the soldiers gave instruction that no one in the train should make any move. I discovered that some of the people in the train were actually soldiers in plain clothes as they started giving orders to the passengers. Still I ignored all this.

While seated, who did I see? I see Bhene coming straight to me. He said, "Hesi John!"

In no time, I was arrested and was put under leg irons. I was completely confused. Some people actually said, "Saka tanga takagara negandanga?"

Bhene actually said to me, "Mwana wamai ndizvo zvazvinoita." I was too tongue-tied to say anything.

The white soldiers called me all sorts of names from terrorist to communist as they took me away. I was driven in a police car with an escort back to Gweru. I was thrown into Gweru prison. The next day, I was taken to a prison at Selous and up to this time, no one had said anything to me. This was in May 1965.

I was in the cell alone and the next day, police came and just pushed another person into the cell. I later discovered it was Langton Kufa Banda.

When he saw me, he said, "Shef Simon Bhene zvaandiita!" I told him my story also. We actually laughed.

Two days later, some CID officers vainzi vana Beans and Mugnus came to take us to Salisbury. These two CID officers were Scotland trained and their speciality was interrogation.

In Salisbury, that's when I discovered that all the comrades in my group had been arrested and everyone was saying Bhene was to blame. What was even more suspicious was that it seemed as if someone outside the country, in Tanzania, had given him the list of who was going where. Takanongwa sehuku dzawira mumvura.

SM: How did you feel, a fellow black man doing this to you?

Makwasha: It really affected us, but we said this should not break our spirits. What we later discovered is that it wasn't Bhene only. Zvaiva nema senior mukati. We looked at how he came for training, how he refused to give his ticket to the leader of our group and vakuru vakamurega achikwira Air Rhodesia in Kenya. It was all planned.

SM: When you say you think it was planned with the blessings of some seniors, who are these seniors?

Makwasha: I won't mention names, but the leadership that was outside the country Noel Mukono, Henry Hamadziripi and John Mataure, they are the ones who knew all our movements.

SM: Are you saying between these three someone sold you out?

Makwasha: My biggest suspect was Henry Hamadziripi.

SM: Why him?

Makwasha: He was a weak person politically. Akanga aine ka tribalism. That's why he took his relatives from amongst us, like Rugare Gumbo, and send them to school while we went for military training.

I wasn't surprised that when he died he wasn't made even a provincial hero. Senior leaders in Zanu knew all this. We told them and they later discovered many other things. Some people didn't believe that one day we would be independent.

Next week, Makwasha will continue his story narrating the torture in prison, how some of his fellow comrades turned against the struggle while in prison and his time in prison with the now Vice President Mnangagwa. This is not the story for the faint-hearted. Get a copy of The Sunday Mail next week.