The story of Sekuru Chipangura

BANHAMOMBE was an imposing man.
He was a giant, known far and wide.
And the villagers of Rota, under Chief Mangwende, Murehwa, had high hopes for Banhamombe.
We expected him to contribute to the liberation struggle in a significant way.
We expected him to contribute significantly as a freedom fighter or at least as a collaborator, mujibha.
So fearsome was Banhamombe that if his cattle strayed and destroyed the field of a fellow villager, not many had the guts to confront him for compensation.
In 1977, at the height of the liberation struggle, we expected everyone to be on board.
At this stage, we understood the reasons for fighting, the mission of the guerillas, the water (masses) — fish (guerillas) relationship had at this stage fully developed.
Meanwhile, all was not well for Rhodesians.
Rhodesia’s Finance Minister David Smith, who had been appointed on January 16 1976, had advised the then Prime Minister, Ian Smith, that because of an escalating budget deficit and falling foreign reserves, there had to be a settlement not later than June 30 1977.
On the front they were losing not just battles, but the war.
And desperate Rhodesians began to conscript boys barely out of high school.
Banhamombe shocked us all.
In our village, attacks became frequent; comrades were being attacked when they thought they were safe.
As a nurse aide I helped many injured guerillas and chimbwidos as well as mujibhas caught in crossfire.
We all helped in any way we could.
The guerillas had schooled us in the importance of assisting one another.
We had a clear vision of the war.
The war was meant to remove white supremacy personified by the brutal Smith regime.
It was a war of independence that sought to usher black majority rule.
Thus we could not imagine one of us being a sell-out.
Selling out meant certain death for vanamukoma and in some instances, villagers as well.
One’s conscience would not allow one to become a sell-out.
We were surprised by how the comrades and their tactics, as well as the activities of the collaborators in our area, were being read by the enemy.
Soon we concluded that among us was a Rhodesian informer.
No one suspected Banhamombe.
He was one of us, so we all thought.
It was only after his son was recruited to become a ‘DA’ that we became suspicious of Banhamombe.
Why had his son been recruited to work for Rhodesians?
We assigned some collaborators to keep tabs on him and watch his every move.
Soon, we discovered Banhamombe, for whom we had so much hope, was a sell-out.
We duly informed vanamukoma that Banhamombe was the source of our problems.
He was brought before a ‘court’ presided over by villagers and some comrades.
The ‘court’ was set up under a tree where Kadzere Clinic now stands.
The evidence against Banhamombe was overwhelming and the many who gathered could not believe that the ‘potential hero’ had turned traitor.
In the midst of the trial, Banhamombe bolted off.
Everyone was taken by surprise and he disappeared.
For more than three months, no one knew of his whereabouts.
It was only after his son, the DA, who had died after succumbing to punishment meted on him for collaborating with the Smith regime that Banhamombe re-appeared.
Banhamombe was captured and this time around, he could not run away and he met the same fate that befell his son.
It was sad that people like Banhamombe chose to work with the enemy instead of aiding his own to topple the repressive colonial system.
But so determined were we that sellouts never prevailed.
Eventually they fell, just like Morrison Nyathi who sold out at Nyadzonia, Mozambique, in October 1976.
He died a miserable death.
Compiled by Emison Haripindi