By Cde Willie Mazarura

I WAS delighted when I read Cde Sando Kano’s story in The Patriot.
I remember rescuing him from the jaws of the Rhodesians in 1978 in Mberengwa during the liberation war.
My name is Cde Willie Mazarura.
I live in Budiriro, but I last met Cde Sando Kano 30 years ago.
I was born in Mutoko and left to join the liberation struggle at the age of 17 in 1976.
Perhaps one incident that I will never forget is when we rescued a fellow freedom fighter, Cde Sando Kano, who had been captured by Rhodesians in Mberengwa in 1978.
Prior to Cde Sando Kano’s capture, we had been informed by the Negari villagers about the presence of Selous Scouts and Auxiliary Forces’ in the area.
I was with Cde Ngirazi who was firing the bazooka, Cde Willy, Cde Vasko, Cde Bond, Cde Pengapenga and Cde Hondo.
Cde Sando Kano was with Cde Zoo and other six comrades when we combined forces to attack the Rhodesians.
We launched a surprise attack that lasted about 30 minutes and we nearly wiped out the enemy.
After that battle, we parted ways with Cde Sando Kano as we had come from different bases.
Two hours later, I saw helicopters flying towards Cde Kano’s base and in no time, we heard gunshots.
There was nothing we could do to help our fellow comrades.
I later learnt that Cde Sando Kano had been captured by the Rhodesians.
A fortnight later while we were resting at Matibi Base, one Chenjerai, a mujibha, came with good news.
He had been sent by Cde Sando Kano who was in the company of the Rhodesian forces.
Cde Sando Kano had instructed Chenjerai to tell us to change our base because Rhodesians were forcing him to show them ZANLA bases in the area.
This was serious information which required a swift response.
We immediately gathered and planned to attack the Rhodesians as Chenjerai had told us that the enemy, together with Cde Sando Kano were based at Karongo, a former ZANLA base.
I took Cde Ngirazi, Cde Vasko, Cde Willy, Cde Bond, Cde Pengapenga, Cde Nhamo, Cde Hamadziripi and Cde Sango, among others, to fight more than 30 well equipped Rhodesians.
Chenjerai, the mujibha, got scared as we approached the base and I was quick to notice this.
I ordered him to go back home.
As soon as he left, I instructed my platoon to take battle positions.
The Rhodesians were busy talking and laughing on top of their voices.
I instructed Cde Willy and Cde Ngirazi to crawl and ascertain the position of our captured guerillas.
We then got closer to the base and I told my fighters not to fire until I gave the order.
There were some civilians at the base.
Although it was getting dark, I took my final position and fired the first shot that hit a Selous Scout.
Commotion followed as civilians dispersed.
I then ordered my guerrillas to fire before the Rhodesians fired back.
The battle was fierce.
I took cover behind a tree and missed death by a whisker after a missile hit the tree.
As the battle intensified, I heard a white Rhodesian soldier shouting to Cde Sando Kano to fire the motor bomb at us.
I knew Cde Sando Kano would not obey the order to kill fellow comrades.
As fate would have it, although we were outnumbered, we managed to overpower the enemy because of the element of surprise.
The following morning as we took a rest a chimbwido advised us that she had met Cde Sando Kano and Cde Zoo Tichatonga looking for other ZANLA cadres.
I was delighted upon hearing this because our mission to rescue the captured guerrillas had been successful.
We later met them at Marasha Base before we quickly regrouped and left since it was a hit-and-run operation.
Rhodesians had a tendency of sending reinforcements after a battle, especially if they had been defeated.