SOME comrades walk the mile, a feat which eludes so many who sooner than later decide the struggle is too harsh, it is better to protect one’s skin.
This year for the first time in 43 years we celebrate the anniversary of the Battle of Chesa of January 11 1973 without the legend of Chesa, the late Cde Obert Mandizadza Gwerevende at whose home the battle was fought as foretold at Mabweadziva.
He had given comrades shelter at his home although he knew this was perilous for the enemy had long had his eyes on him, including an attempt to steal his shop at Nyakasikana.
He payed the price.
After the battle, all hell broke loose.
Whites were after him as helicopters scoured the area. Neighbours and relatives were arrested and detained in an effort to locate Cde Gwerevende and the comrades who had fought and killed two white land development officers (LDOs) and captured another, Gerald Hawksworth.
Cde Gwerevende had fled to nearby hills where he and his family stayed in the caves for two months.
His cattle and goats were looted by the enemy.
His homestead was destroyed, while his mother, sister and father were jailed.
Rhodesians had got wind that a great warrior ancestor spirit was manifesting at Cde Gwerevende’s home and the three were thus tortured to reveal information on this.
They never divulged, nevertheless.
Tragically, his father succumbed to the torture and died in prison.
Inevitably Cde Gwerevende started operating with ZANLA forces.
In one of the battles with Rhodesians, he was severely mauled by a vicious dog, leading to his capture.
He was taken to Chimumvuri, hands and feet in chains, where they (Rhodesians) brutally tortured him despite that he was so severely wounded.
They did not attend to the severe wounds from the dog bites, neither did they replace his trousers which had been shredded by the canine.
Matted with blood, they left it on him just as they left his wounds to fester and become septic.
Although he was denied medication, he did not die.
Instead, the dog died some seven days after his capture and the soldiers came to demand that he be handed over to them so that they could kill him because he had caused the death of their dog.
The police however, did not grant this request.
He was in such trauma from the injuries and torture such that he was totally immobilised and incapacitated.
Only the breath of life remained in him until one day when he was miraculously healed in the night.
The Rhodesians had totally denied him any medication hoping he would die from the dog injuries, but fate denied their wish. He was tried for high treason, convicted and sentenced to 30 years imprisonment with hard labour.
When he came out of jail at the eve of independence in 1980, all he found at his homestead was a shovel.
All dwellings had been destroyed.
Although we no longer have Cde Gwerevende to celebrate with us the 43rd Anniversary of the Battle of Chesa, we still have Cde Chinodakufa, one of the ZANLA forces who fought this historic battle.
Cde Chinodakufa faced very harsh reprisals from the Rhodesians for the Battle of Chesa and the capture of the white LDO, Hawksworth.
They arrested and tried his wife, mother and father, an uncle and his wife and a second uncle.
Each was given a three-year sentence.
They impounded 21 of his cattle as well as 75 of his neighbour, one Kajongwe.
However, Cde Chinodakufa was long involved in the liberation struggle before we see him featuring in one of the earliest battles of the North East Frontier, the Battle of Chesa. As early as 1960 when he was still a youth, he was involved with the NDP in Harare, then Salisbury where he was working.
He carried out many clandestine activities with other youths. Inevitably they were on a collision course with the Rhodesians which led to arrests and detention and many times they had to bail each other out, pay fines for those convicted where possible.
To meet such expenses, they had to make personal contributions and it is when they had to choose a treasurer to look after these funds and Cde Gwerevende was chosen treasurer and that is when the two first met.
They worked together then, organising political orientation for youths, carrying out sabotage and such other activities.
When the NDP was banned and ZAPU formed, they continued working together within ZAPU and later ZANU when it broke away from ZAPU.
The escalating violence between the nationalist movements and settlers forced Rhodesians to declare a state of emergency and precipitated the arrest of the nationalist leaders in 1964.
This did not deter Cde Chinodakufa who never lost sight of the goal of liberating the country.
Thus in 1971 he left the country for Mozambique in search of Zimbabwe forces involved in the struggle to free the country. On meeting no-one, he chose to fight with FRELIMO in the struggle for Mozambique’s freedom rather than go back home.
However, eventually he met fellow Zimbabwean combatants such as Cde Chimurenga who were carrying armaments from Zambia to Zimbabwe.
ZANLA combatants then requested FRELIMO to release him so that he could join ZANLA.
That was Cde Chinodakufa’s day, his day to find fellow Zimbabwean combatants and join the fight to free his own country.
ZANLA combatants took Cde Chinodakufa to Zambia where he received training in 1972.
That same year, he, together with comrades Cephas and Chiridza were commissioned by Chairman Herbert Chitepo and General Josiah Tongogara to assist with the opening of the North-Eastern Frontier.
The first part of the mission was to ensconce with the spiritual leaders in the area, appraising them of the intention to commence the war of liberation and to seek their blessings.
This, they accomplished and went back to Zambia with the happy news that the spiritual leaders were behind the armed struggle.
The second mission for the three was reconnaissance and preparing the groundwork with the masses in the war, learning of their ways and winning their hearts and minds to the liberation struggle.
The mission of the struggle was welcomed by the community. The masses were happy and promised to assist the combatants.
The ground having been successfully laid for the Second Chimurenga to start from the north-east of the country, a military contingent consisting of three groups was then dispatched to the north-east; one group under the command of Cde Rex Nhongo (the late General Solomon Mujuru), a second commanded by Cde Chiridza and a third by Cde Chinodakufa.
Thus was opened the North-Eastern Frontier with the first shots being fired at Alterna Farm on December 21 1972.
We then had the Battle of Chesa, Mt Darwin fought at the Gwerevende Homestead on January 11 1973 and this year marks that battle’s 43rd Anniversary.
Aluta continua!