The story of Cde Tapiwa Haadani Gudyanga alias Cde Bethune Zebediah

As the war of liberation intensified in 1978 I was involved in an operation that saw us ambushing Rhodesians at the Shashi Pass, in Madziva, Mashonaland Central.
It was in November and I was operating in Madziva B Detachment which was under the Chaminuka Sector.
By 1978, the Rhodesians had become desperate as they were losing the war.
By then we had many liberated zones and our fighting had evolved to more than guerilla warfare.
Our fighting skills were advanced.
We were relentless and the Rhodesians were overstretched.
While hundreds, on a daily basis, crossed the borders to join the liberation struggle, the Rhodesians were conscripting high school boys into their army.
I operated with Teddy Nyatsanga, Savage Magondo, William Bvunzawabaya, Mazorodze, Davi, Chikomba, Jose Zondai and Takawira.
Madziva was among the areas in the semi-liberated zones.
One day Long Chase, a senior war collaborator, informed us that ‘Tapson’, the native commissioner in the area, would be attending a meeting in Mount Darwin.
He would attend the meeting in a fortnight.
Thus we had two weeks to plan an ambush.
We were based at Chiveru Farm.
On the day the native commissioner was to attend the meeting, we left our base early in the morning.
We knew that he would pass through the Shashi Pass.
We travelled in heavy rains for two hours to the pass.
The native commissioner would be accompanied by a convoy.
Our weapons of choice included a bazooka.
The plan was that I would hit the lead vehicle with the bazooka and Cde William Bvunzawabaya would blast the last truck on the convoy.
This form of attack was meant to create confusion that would enable us to hit the enemy hard without them returning fire.
They would be thinking more about how to get out of the killing bag.
And in that confusion we had the upper hand.
I took position and anxiously waited for the enemy to come into view.
The mine-detector that led the Rhodesian convoy appeared in all its ugliness.
And I took aim and let loose a booze.
I blasted the wheels of the mine-detector that led about eight trucks.
Cde William Bvunzawabaya blasted the truck on the rear.
Rhodesians started firing back, but it was a feeble attempt.
They were beneath us as some of the comrades fired from the top of the mountains that sandwiched the pass.
A team of Rhodesians we had not noticed crept upon us.
It was Cde Bvunzawabaya and Cde Second Goal Mabhunu who first took note of their presence.
He shouted informing us of the new entrees into the battle.
Their plan was to distract us and stop us from pummeling their compatriots.
At this stage, a bullet struck my left knee, but I did not feel it as the leg was numb.
I soon fell and I started crawling.
The Rhodesian soldiers saw the spoor of blood and began tracking me.
The loss of blood was making me weak and I felt exhausted.
I found a tree that I hoped would provide me with cover, but in no time, I heard the sound of a walkie- talkie.
I was no longer in a position to fight back so I said my prayers and made my peace.
This was my end, I thought, but before they got to where I was, they turned, they had received an instruction that saved my life.
Fellow comrades, after getting to the Gathering Point and noting my absence, came back for me and they got to me just in time.
I guess my will to live and continue fighting was stronger.
I was carried to the Gathering Point where I also found out that Cdes Zondai and Second Goal Mabhunu had also been injured.
I lost consciousness and only came back to life when I was dipped in water.
For three weeks, we remained hidden from a massive manhunt that had been launched.
The native commissioner died in that attack.
We finally managed to cross to Mozambique where I received proper treatment.