EDITOR — JANUARY 11 2022 is the 49th Anniversary of the battle fought at the Gwerevende homestead in Chesa, Mt Darwin.
On January 11 1973, the second shots of the North Eastern Frontier rang out at the Gwerevende Homestead in Chesa, Mt Darwin.
At the end of the battle, two whites were dead while a third had been captured.
Cde Obert Mandizadza Gwerevende and his family, a neighbour and his family took to nearby caves where they stayed for weeks.
It was the beginning of a huge war which engulfed Chesa and nearby districts too.
It had been declared: ‘The whiteman is not invincible’! The opening shots in the North Eastern Frontier had been fired three weeks earlier at Altena Farm where Commander Solomon ‘Rex Nhongo’ Mujuru and his forces had stormed and routed a white farmer stronghold and hideout.
But back to Cde Gwerevende.
He remains one of the country’s illustrious sons who stood tall against the white menace.
Yes, he paid the ultimate sacrifice for Zimbabwe.
He was eventually detained by Rhodesians and later released just before independence.
As we mark 2022, let’s remember heroes like Cde Gwerevende who gave their all for Zimbabwe. Not many know about that battle in Chesa.
Not many know about the likes of Cde Chinodakufa and the man himself, Cde Gwerevende.
The time is now to remind each other that the freedom we enjoy today did not come on a silver platter.
Lest we forget!
Cde Ropa,
Chishawasha, Harare.