WHEN the First Chimurenga broke out in June 1896, the Rhodesian white settlers who were staying at mines and on farms found themselves in deep trouble.
Below we hear a Rhodesian settler policeman narrate what happened in those early days of the war.
“About 4 am on the morning of June 17 1896, we were startled from sleep by the sound of a horse galloping into the barrack-square at Salisbury (Harare) and hastily donning anything handy in the way of uniform we tumbled out to gather the news.
“Our visitor, Sergeant – Major Bray of the Rhodesian Horse Volunteers lost no time in explaining his haste and told us that a native (black person) had arrived at his store six miles from town half-dead from fatigue to warn him to leave the place without delay.
“His master had been murdered, together with other whitemen and the Mashona (and Ndebele) were up in arms all over the country: He himself had barely escaped with his life!
“Soon from all directions of the country whites began to run for their lives to the little urban centres where laagers had been set up.
“Some wonderful escapes were effected through the bush from outlying districts.
“At times a group of three or more would arrive safely.
“At others men would dribble in one by one from distances of anything from six to 60 miles out of town.
“Each arrival was of course greeted with enthusiastic cheers.”
Yes, the settlers were in hot soup out in the countryside.
With the countryside on fire, the leaders of the Rhodesian settlers decided to go out there with their rag tag army to douse the flames.
It turned out not to be an easy undertaking.
In this article we narrate a journey, we recently made to two former battle sites where the Rhodesians dismally failed to dislodge the African freedom fighters and had to seek the help of imperial troops from Britain.
And even the imperial forces were not able to defeat the freedom fighters.
These battle sites are: The Matopos Hills battle sites in Matabeleland South and Mashayamombe old village battle sites in Chegutu district, Mashonaland West province.
Our journey began from the city of Bulawayo.
To get to the hills we used the very route that was used by the wagons that carried the late imperialist Cecil John Rhodes body into the Matopo where he is buried.
On our way we went past an agricultural research station where it is said Rhodes’ body was given a whole day’s rest before it was finally carried to its resting place in the iconic Matopo Hills.
At last we arrived in the Matopo Hills.
We had come to a real ‘awe-inspiring granite scenery’.
The Matopo Hills is referred to by many names.
In the olden days it was called ‘Kumabweadziva’ or “Kumanyanga’.
When the Ndebele came from South Africa, they referred to the hills as ‘Ndaba zaka mambo’ meaning the hills of the Rozvi Mambo because the hills were his headquarters.
The settler whites called the hills the Matopo Hills.
The sites all around are really amazing.
Rocks start looking like castles, camels, mushrooms or people, sometimes delicately balancing on top of each other.
One of these impressive rocks is called ‘mother and child’.
The rocks and boulders form very large caves.
These numerous rocks and caves in the Matopos turned out to be fantastic strongholds for the Ndebele freedom fighters who operated from here during the First Chimurenga.
The area was a real paradise for guerrilla fighting which Ndebele fighters had resorted to.
The Rhodesians who came to attack them here suffered one defeat after another.
Desperate, the Rhodesian settlers asked for help from their mother country.
And so one “Sir Fredrick Carrington (an imperial officer) accordingly sent to the Matopos on July 12 1896, the largest force he could master under Col Plummer (another imperial officer) nearly 800 strong with Lt. Col. Baden Powell (yet another imperial officer).”
On top of this they had to use American scouts such as Russel Burnham to assist them in trying to locate the freedom fighters.
But the geographical layout of the Matopos we have just described above made even the imperial forces fail in their mission.
In the end the Rhodesians had to use diplomatic chicanery led by Cecil John Rhodes himself to end the war in the Matopos.
Moving up and down the Matopo Hills area, we saw small cemeteries here and there where the whites who were killed in the battles in those mountains are buried.
The next day we left early morning and drove all the way to Mashayamombe’s place in Chegutu district arriving there in the afternoon.
One Chinengundu Mashayamombe, a Chief, stayed on the banks of the perennial Mupfure River in his village which was a big stronghold of granite stones.
It was very much like the strongholds in the Matopo Hills – huge caves, massive boulders, fantastic hideouts.
When the Rhodesians came to attack Mashayamombe they were defeated now and again.
And just like what happened in the Matopos, they asked for help from imperial soldiers who came under the command of one Edwin Alderson.
But he too was hit for six out of that area.
Below one of the soldiers who took part in the battle against Mashayamombe’s forces tells the sad story.
“The following casualties occurred during the day (of fighting at Mashayamombe’s kraal) severely wounded – Lt RF Ashe. Artillery troops, Rhodesia horse no. 5357, Private F. Colin 1st Battalion Royal Dublin Fishers, serving with the mounted infantry, slightly wounded – Sergeant A. Feltam, artillery Troop Rhodesia horse, killed Trooper J.S. Coryndon, Salisbury Rifles No. 4213 Private B. Byrne 1st Royal Dublin fusiliers and No. 4014 Private J. Mkay, 1st Royal Irish Regiment.”
When the imperial troops failed to dislodge Mashayamombe from his village stronghold, they left the scene which angered Rhodes very much.
We toured the old Mashayamombe stronghold with great pride.
We were taken on a guided tour by local ‘Mhondoros’ who told us all what happened during the fighting from day one to the very end.
Like in the Matopos, there is a cemetery to the west of the old Mashayamombe village where the Rhodesian and imperial soldiers who were killed during the battles are buried.
The journeys to the First Chimurenga battle sites made us ask a lot of questions.
Why have we Zimbabweans done nothing to interest our young people in the above battle sites and others where there is a lot of our history waiting to be tapped?
Why are we not building up museums and holiday resorts near the old battle sites where our forefathers shone line beacons?
It is sad to note for example, that the people who go to the Matopos, go there to see the arch imperialist Rhode’s grave and not our own battle sites and hideouts!
Why can’t we construct monuments at the old battle sites to celebrate the heroism of our forefathers?