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When Gandanzara became a liberated zone

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The story of Cde Jeremiah Bvirindi alias Cde Taps Siza Gwenzi

IN 1975, while I was working in Harare (Salisbury) as a messenger, I was distressed by the treatment of fellow Africans at Fashion Enterprise by racist Rhodesians who were our superiors.
This led me to embark on the arduous journey to Mozambique to join the liberation struggle.
I was convinced of joining the struggle by the ZANLA cadres whom I met at our homestead in Zimunya during the Shangani Day holiday.
Shangani Day, also known as Allan Wilson Day, marked the anniversary of the Battle of Shangani.
The day celebrated the so-called bravery of 34 soldiers in the service of the British South Africa Company (BSAC) who were wiped out by Matabele Warriors on December 4 1893 at Shangani River while pursuing King Lobengula.
The political commissar, Cde Tsuro, who was addressing villagers at the pungwe on this holiday delivered a speech that enlightened me.
Here I was, forced to commemorate the defeated Allan Wilson and his men instead of celebrating my fellow Africans’ victory.
I was convinced by Cde Tsuro’s message that the gun was the only way to liberate our country and that if King Lobengula’s impi decimated the Allan Wilson Patrol in 1893, ZANLA’s well-trained and equipped guerillas could not fail to fight the Rhodies for Zimbabwe’s independence.
I received military training at Tembwe, a ZANLA military training camp in Tete, Mozambique, popularly known as Chikoro Chehondo in 1975.
I specialised in light and heavy artillery as well as the recoilless rifle popularly known as kanyau by the freedom fighters.
Upon completion of my military training, I was deployed to Manica Province where I operated in Tangwena Sector which was in Gandanzara Detachment.
I operated with comrades George Onyango, Sten Matipa, Sony Mtsvina, Dhuze Kabondera, TNT, Ziso and Soft Guy, among other brave comrades.
In 1978, our local collaborators, led by Naboth Gandanzara, informed us about a deployment of Rhodesian forces and the infamous Selous Scouts.
There were more than 100.
They camped at Gandanzara Primary School.
We made plans to attack them before they began operations in the area.
Our landmine specialists, Cde Whisky and Cde Vhundura planted landmines along the road that led to the school.
The whole detachment was involved in this attack.
The rain season was just beginning and there was not much vegetation cover.
Since it was a heavy attack, we were equipped with heavy artillery.
I had a recoilless, Cde George Onyango had a Light Machine Gun and Cde Forward Masango a Mortar 82.
Cde George Onyango led the attack.
After he was satisfied by the reconnaissance which was done two days before, we left our base in Mt Jena.
We walked for almost seven hours to our target and arrived around 7pm.
The Rhodies were camped in classes and we could clearly see them since the school was electrified.
We all took positions and waited for Cde George Onyango’s best shot which was a signal for our attack.
At exactly 7.30pm the best shot was fired.
I felt some kind of joy as I saw my boozes destroy the classrooms and Rhodesian military trucks.
It was not the joy of killing, but crippling an enemy who caused us sleepless nights.
We ceaselessly fired at the enemy for about 20 minutes.
We stopped the fire at the instruction of our commander.
The enemy never returned fire.
Instead, all we could hear were groans and cries of the injured Rhodesian soldiers.
I and two fellow comrades were the first to leave the battlefield since we were carrying the recoilless gun.
It was a big machine which would require to be dismantled first before carrying it and would also require at least three people to carry it.
This was a successful attack.
We swiftly retreated to our gathering point.
The following day, we celebrated as we saw Rhodesian military vehicles that came to offer support exploding.
Our mine specialists had done a good job.
Four Rhodesian military vehicles which had come to collect the corpses were blasted by the mines.
From that day, Gandanzara became a liberated zone.
We then started attacking the Rhodies in the farming areas were the Rhodesian soldiers were now basing.
Compiled By Emergencey Mwale-Kamtande

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