The story of Cde Raviro Zvirevashe

THE horrendous yoke of colonialism saw me join the liberation struggle as a mere teenger of 14, in 1976.
My situation was different from many of my colleagues.
Although our parents were fully behind the war effort, not all of them wanted us to join the struggle before completing our education, but my mother convinced me to assist vanamukoma (freedom fighters).
She realised war was the only way to dislodge the brutal Ian Smith regime.
As collaborators, our main responsibilities were to carry food to the bases and supply fighters with information on the operations of the Rhodesian forces, among other duties.
We served as the eyes and ears of the freedom fighters who mostly operated during the night.
The life of a collaborator was risky.
If caught supporting vanamukoma, the consequences were dire, one could be killed without trial.
But this did not deter us, we were young and energetic, we believed in the cause.
And it was better to die righting this injustice than endure it.
Thus we had no choice, but to assist the freedom fighters.
So without military training and no guns we worked, sometimes on the battlefield, with the freedom fighters helping them carry ammunition.
I operated alongside comrades Georgina Maziofa, Racy and Elizabeth Bunyeya, among other girls and boys from my home village of Hozvi, Bikita.
In 1978, I escaped death by a whisker when we were attacked by Rhodesian forces at a base in Chifire Mountain.
This attack came a few weeks after the Nyadzonia and Chimoio refugee camps were attacked in Mozambique by Rhodesians, resulting in the death of thousands of women and children.
On this fateful day I was called to the base to collect clothes which were to be mended by my mother.
The environment was ‘tense’ and there was mist.
Something was just not right on this day.
Upon arrival, just before I greeted the comrades, a spotter plane flew over the base and we knew an attack was imminent.
In no time, the sky was filled with ugly helicopters dropping para-troopers and bombs.
Kwaiva kutanga kwehondo.
Liberation fighters at the base included comrades Gora, Miniskirt Chando, Tanazviuya Mabhunu, Fungai Mabhunu and Calisto Chimurenga, among other ZANLA cadres.
This was indeed a surprise attack because we were caught unaware.
A sell-out had a hand in this attack and I believe the freedom fighters knew, for they were in the process of moving away from the base.
But the enemy had paid a visit sooner than expected.
It felt like he was all over the place.
As collaborators we were taught many skills of escaping the enemy in the event of an attack and how to talk with Rhodesian forces if intercepted while on a mission.
Cde Miniskirt told us to run towards the east while they held the enemy.
I swiftly ran towards the east to Mada River where I hid among the reeds.
I instinctively removed my jersey which had a bright colour; another skill taught us by the freedom fighters, bright colours were easily noticed by the enemy.
This saved me because there was no cover since it was in summer and the trees stood bare with no leaves.
I ran for about 20 minutes before I got to the banks of Mada River.
By the time I got to the river I was exhausted and thirsty, but I could not drink the water that freely flowed.
All I wanted was to be safe and I kept still among the reeds, forgetting my thirst; this was no time to quench it.
This was the first time I was involved in a battle and fear is all I knew in that moment.
The freedom fighters gunned down two helicopters.
I was delighted when I saw a huge burst of flames in the sky.
The gunfire ceased around 6pm.
I had spent hours in the reeds.
We learnt that Cde Miniskirt
Chando and another comrade as well as two mujibhas perished in that battle.
More than 20 Rhodesian soldiers were killed and their corpses were ferried in a Bedford military truck the following morning.
Compiled by Emergencey Mwale-Kamtande