By Sylvester Ruzive

SO bad was Rhodesia that my father Raphael and uncles Pio, Alouis and Hieronymo thought they would not live to see a free Zimbabwe.
But they never doubted that independence would come and that kept them going despite the hardships.
The Ian Smith regime was brutal and intolerant to the extent that thoughts of imminent death were not misplaced.
For political activists, death was never far away.
The ban of political parties in 1964 saw my father and uncles operating underground, but this did not mean that their operations in and around Mbare were not known.
They became popular in Mbare and were described as the fearless brothers that were fighting the white man despite the dangers associated with the fight.
Uncle Pio talks of how political violence stirred them to do more and further propel the liberation struggle.
The Rhodesians were increasingly using the divide and rule tactic to stem the revolution which had been ignited by the black majority.
Although the tactic failed, it caused problems as activists and black sell-outs began attacking each other.
But this did not deter my father and his brothers.
They resorted to playing hide-and-seek with the enemy and house number 72 Zata Street in Mbare, their home, became a very dangerous place.
Uncle Pio has kept a huge stone as a reminder of the brutality of the Ian Smith regime; the stone was thrown through the window and could have killed his little sister Theresa.
He remembers a horrific 11 months in which their home was subject to attacks that almost resulted in the total destruction of the house.
The brothers were arrested, but uncle Pio escaped.
The arrested brothers were sent to Whawha Prison.
At the prison, my father and his brothers had the fortune to interact with President Robert Mugabe who was also among the prisoners.
Regular arrests did not deter my father and uncles as they did not stop attending political meetings.
Some of the meetings were held at Vanguard House, a head office for ZANU.
At the offices, they met luminaries of the struggle that included Cdes Leopold Takawira, Nathan Shamuyarira, Shadreck Chipanga, Moton and Washington Malianga.
They became part of the planning to recruit youths to join the liberation struggle.
Uncle Pio recalls Cde Ignatius Chigwendere who would recruit many in the disguise that they were going for job orientations.
In and around the city they began to be involved in sabotage acts that saw them destroy properties in a bid to weaken the enemy.
They also participated in distributing food and clothes to activists around the country.
The Ruzive brothers became an inspiration to many Cdes that include Webster Shamu and many others that left the Blue Bar in Mbare to join the liberation struggle.
The brothers continued with political activism after independence.
Sadly in 2012, my father Raphael and uncles Alouis and Hieronymo passed away.
They were all declared provincial heroes.
Although my father and his brothers are no longer with us, I will never forget the role they played in liberating the country and the importance of patriotism they taught us through their selfless acts.
Only uncle Pio is left to tell this famous story of the brothers from Mbare who risked their lives to set Zimbabwe free.