By Fidelis Manyange
THE upcoming 44th Independence Anniversary celebrations and musical gala are a throwback to the 1980 Independence Day celebrations and night vigils (pungwes) that characterised the liberation struggle.
This year’s commemorations will be held under the theme, ‘Zim@44: Unity, Peace and Development Towards Vision 2030’.
In a war environment, there is enormous emotional pressure resulting from deaths, injuries and violence, not to mention the stress of living in the bush away from families and friends. Naturally, music and dance were a panacea in such circumstances.
This year’s Independence Day celebrations take place at Murambinda B High School in Buhera, Manicaland Province, on April 18, in line with the Government’s drive to decentralise key national programmes and events.
Lest we forget, Manicaland Province was home to gallant fighters like William Ndangana, Herbert Chitepo, Ndabaningi Sithole, Edgar Tekere, Chief Rekayi Tangwena and Kumbirai Kangai, among others.
But that’s not all.
At the conclusion of the Lancaster House talks, Buhera hosted Dzapasi Assembly Point, the largest of the gathering points for liberation fighters returning home as part of the ceasefire agreement. Some of the surviving war veterans who assembled at Dzapasi during the ceasefire are expected to converge at the site to receive the Independence Flame.
A decade ago, The Patriot witnessed the exhumation of two freedom fighters at a homestead a stone’s throw away from Dzapasi. The newspaper was accompanied by the Fallen Heroes’ Trust national chairperson, Dr Arthur Makanda; then Deputy Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga and Cde George Rutanhire (now late) — all of them decorated heroes of the liberation struggle.
The two exhumed comrades were said to have been poisoned during the war. Their secret burial place was located by a spirit medium, who is also a member of the Trust.
The highlight of this year’s independence celebrations will certainly be the music gala which features the creme de la creme of Zimbabwe’s performing artistes. It will be a night of music and dance as the people of Manicaland will be able to mix and mingle with their favourite artistes.
One such artiste is Knowledge Kunenyati, who hails from Muzokomba Village in Buhera and was one of the comrades who silenced their guns at Dzapasi Assembly Point to mark the end of the liberation war.
Soon after independence, Kunenyati dumped his AK-47 in favour of the guitar as a key member of the Kassongo Band, comprising Ketai Muchawaya, Dembo Kenyatta, Rex Moto Moto, Stalin Organ, Fainos Mapurisa, Jack Ncube and Marko Sibanda — all ex-freedom fighters.
When the Kassongo Band split, Kunenyati formed Muzokomba Movers, which he named after his home village. For the record, Kunenyati — now a man of the cloth — is the only surviving member of the original Kassongo.
Kunenyati, also known as KK, joined the Kassongo Band at its inception in 1979 at a time when most liberation war bands and choirs were recording their music under the banner of the ‘Recreation Band’. It was made up of Ujamaa Jazz Band, People’s Choir and iconic musicians like Cde Chinx.
Born at Dzapasi Assembly Point, Kassongo Band was comprised of former members of the ZANLA People’s Choir. They were soon in the studio where they churned out such hits as ‘Mapambani Makali’, ‘Sisi Mwakuu’, ‘Kuongozi Wasekela’, ‘Asante Sana’, ‘Ndiwo Baba Mugabe’ and ‘Chitepo’.
It is an open secret that music runs in the blood of most freedom fighters. Among the ex-combatants who swapped their AK-47 rifles for the microphone were Cde Chinx, Solomon Skuza (a former ZIPRA instructor in Zambia) and Sotsha Moyo of Black Umfolosi (another ZIPRA cadre).
Simon ‘Chopper’ Chimbetu, whose liberation war credentials were never authenticated, was also a full-time musician until he breathed his last on August 14, 2005.
However, it was not only the freedom fighters who fought the war on two fronts — via the exploits on the warfront and through their music.
Back home, there were prominent artistes such as Tineyi Chikupo, Zexie Manatsa, Oliver Mtukudzi and Thomas Mapfumo, among others, who risked the wrath of the Ian Smith regime by uplifting the comrades’ spirits through their morale-boosting lyrics.
Zexie Manatsa’s war songs were couched in riddles to throw the Smith regime off the scent. A good example was ‘Musango Mune Hangaiwa’, the ‘hangaiwa’ (pigeons) being a veiled reference to the guerrillas.
“Musango umu mune hangaiwa dzemudzimu Mukadziona musadzibate…
Hangaiwa dzakatetereka…
Tangai maenda kunaMbuya Nehanda mhondoro huru yenyika ino…” sang Manatsa.
Some of the chart-topping songs of the liberation war era included ‘Mukoma Nhongo Bereka Sabhu Tiende’, ‘Emoyeni Kuyatshisa’ and ‘Sendekera Mukoma Takanyu’, among others.
One of the most popular liberation war songs was, no doubt, ‘Nzira Dzemasoja’, which was a manual on how the guerillas were expected to conduct themselves during the armed struggle.
In a nutshell, the song urged freedom fighters to respect laid-down rules and regulations, not exploit or rob the masses and to return to their rightful owners all items seized for military purposes.