HomeOld_Posts‘How I was sold out and tortured’

‘How I was sold out and tortured’

Published on

The story of Cde Morris Matimba

THE day I knew fear was when the barrel of a gun was poked in my face.
I waited for the gun to spit the fatal bullet that would close the chapter of my life.
Before this deadly ‘thunder-stick’ had been thrust in my face, I was with fellow mujibhas slaughtering a bull that would be relish for ZANLA guerillas operating in our area, Domboshava, Maringohwe Village.
I remember very well it was Christmas Eve, December 24 1978.
I was on my way to summon the chimbwidos to collect the meat for cooking.
Cde Mabasa Ehondo, the political commissar in our area, tasked us to slaughter, skin and cook the bull which had been availed by our headman, Chirimuta.
The slaughtering of the beast was taking place on Zhenje Mountain, but unbeknown to us, we had been sold-out.
Taurai Senzere, my uncle Dzikamai Makoni, Trevor Shoko, Alfred Jambaya and Takunda Muzerengwa were the other mujibhas I was working with.
Little did we know that one Thomas Siziba, a school teacher at Cheza Primary School had sold us out to the Rhodesians.
I began my mujibha duties when I was 12 years old.
Arguably, we were the most effective collaborators because of our age.
We had innocence on our side and as much as Rhodesians hated blacks, it was some time before Rhodesian soldiers knew that we were not so innocent.
Nimble-footed, we became the most effective information carriers.
And I was more motivated to serve in any way I could because my father, Arnold Matimba, had been killed by Rhodesian soldiers; his crime; feeding guerillas.
I had approached Cde Dzungu Musa Musango and expressed my intention to go for military training, but he told me I was too young to fight with the gun, but that I would be of equal importance and service as a mujibha.
From then on, I began to work with various groups that operated in our area.
The first group I worked with was made up of comrades Musango, Teddy Wehondo and Mabasa Ehondo.
Thus the duty we were tasked with, the slaughtering of the beast, was one of many we were doing during the liberation struggle.
We swiftly killed the bull.
We had been instructed that if Rhodesians bumped into us, we would tell them the animal had been slaughtered for a traditional ceremony, kurova guva.
When we were done, that is when I was instructed to call the chimbwidos who would cook the meat.
I sped to the headman’s homestead where Tsitsi Murwira, Tendai Manyati, Seki Mujeki and Tambudzai Makoni were waiting for instructions to come and get the meat.
The silence at the homestead was unsettling.
I sensed danger.
Then my eyes locked with those of the Rhodesian soldier.
And I stared at the ominous barrel of the gun.
I could not turn back and make good my escape.
After a few seconds, I realised my head was still intact, my brains had not been splattered.
In a swift motion, the barrel was lowered and the butt of the gun whacked my left leg.
I felt a searing pain as I fell to the ground.
I had been late to the ‘brutal party’ that the Rhodesians had begun in my absence.
The other mujibhas and chimbwidos at the homestead were already unrecognisable as their faces were swollen from thorough beating by the Rhodies.
Slaps began raining on me.
I was slapped to deafness, all the while being asked what I had been up to and the whereabouts of the other mujibhas who intended to feed the guerillas with a beast they had slaughtered.
My heart sank and at that moment, I knew we had been sold-out.
When I heard that we were going to be taken to Makumbi Hospital I almost fainted.
I knew what it meant.
That is the place where my father was tortured to death by the infamous Selous Scout Roy ‘Muzezuru’ Bennett.
Bennett was fluent in Shona hence the nickname Muzezuru.
We were all bundled onto a truck and driven to the hospital.
We arrived at the Makumbe Base, where we were greeted by a horrific sight.
I saw my Uncle Anton Senzere’s corpse recklessly piled with other corpses just outside the building in which we were to be incarcerated and tortured.
I did not want to cry, I did not want to give the Rhodesians the pleasure of my tears, but the physical and emotional pain overwhelmed me and I burst into tears.
A black soldier slapped me senseless until I bled through the nose.
Muzezuru, who watched from a distance, instructed the soldier to take me to his office.
I seethed with anger, this was the man who had killed my father and now he was going to kill me.
My age shocked him and probably believing I was a naive little boy, he asked me to tell him all the details of guerilla operations in our area.
He promised me goodies in return for invaluable information.
When I feigned ignorance he was livid.
He thoroughly beat me until I lost consciousness.
I woke up in a hospital bed.
I pinched myself to check if I was still alive and indeed I was.
I spent 10 days in the hospital before I was released.
Unfortunately Sekai and Tambudzai succumbed to the torture.
Compiled by Emergencey Mwale-Kamtande

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Latest articles

FOZEU’s call for strike…an attempt at provoking anarchy

By Elizabeth Sitotombe IN an attempt to sow anarch across the country by calling for...

Chitepo’s fight for land

This story was first published on 21/03/2016 By Patience Rusare LAND ranked highest among the grievances...

Winning mindset in post-elections

WE, in the village, are known for our resilience, we never give up and...

Import of US illegal sanctions

By Jonathan N. Moyo TWENTY-ONE years ago, on March 6 2003, US President George W....

More like this

FOZEU’s call for strike…an attempt at provoking anarchy

By Elizabeth Sitotombe IN an attempt to sow anarch across the country by calling for...

Chitepo’s fight for land

This story was first published on 21/03/2016 By Patience Rusare LAND ranked highest among the grievances...

Winning mindset in post-elections

WE, in the village, are known for our resilience, we never give up and...

Discover more from Celebrating Being Zimbabwean

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading