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LAST WEEK, CDE TAYLOR GWIRAMBIRA, whose nom de guerre was Elias Chimurenga, recounted how he was cornered and shot on the leg by Rhodesian soldiers. He concludes his account by telling our Features and Arts Editor PRINCE MUSHAWEVATO how he survived and continued with the struggle.
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Q: In our last discussion, you told us how you were shot and seriously injured. What happened next?
A: It was nearly dark, but a bright moon illuminated the groundnut field where I had fallen after being shot.
The enemy continued firing. Injured and unable to move or return fire, I found myself in a predicament that even our pre-deployment training had not prepared me for.
Desperate, I pulled out a grenade.
I planned to detonate it to take my own life and those of any enemies who might follow.
As I heard footsteps approaching, I believed it was the enemy.
My finger hovered over the pin, ready to pull it.
The moon rose higher, casting a brighter light.
As the approaching footsteps grew louder, I said a final prayer and prepared to end my life.
Just before detonating the grenade, I realised it was Cde Hilton, who had followed me.
I was relieved. This temporarily eased my pain.
I whispered his name, letting him know that I was injured.
Q: You can carry on.
A: When he arrived, he assessed the severity of my injury, noting that one part of my leg was terribly fragmented, twisting at an unnatural angle.
He pondered how best to help me.
I told him to take my weapon and leave me there, as the fight was still continuing.
I wanted him to leave me with the grenade.
However, he refused to abandon me.
I whispered to him again, asking what his plan was, as I knew it would be difficult for him to carry me alone.
I knew that if he carried me on his back, he would be risking his own life.
After some deliberation, I realised he was determined to stay with me.
I suggested that if he insisted, the only option was for him to drag me, not carry me.
He agreed.
He began crawling, holding onto one of my hands.
The rocky terrain tore my clothes and left me bruised as I was being dragged.
Q: What was the plan here?
A: He had to drag me out of the battle zone, a considerable distance away.
After successfully doing so, he placed me in a secluded location and went to seek help from others at the gathering point (GP).
When he left me, I was convinced he would not return.
The injury was so severe that it was easy for him to abandon me.
Moreover, who would risk their life returning for an injured comrade amidst the heavy fire?
After convincing myself that Cde Hilton was not coming back, I decided to move to a denser thicket that I thought would be safer.
The battle had taken place near a homestead where there were logs that had been staked in preparation for thatching.
I used some of those logs as makeshift crutches and moved to a new hiding place.
The bleeding did not stop, even though I tried to use part of my torn clothes as a bandage.
After some time, Cde Hilton returned with backup.
They arrived at my original hiding spot but could not find me, as I had moved.
They immediately took cover, assuming I had been captured.
When I heard their movements and voices, and even recognised Cde Hilton, I could not immediately come out of hiding, as I also assumed he had been captured.
After carefully observing their movements from a distance, I managed to identify another comrade I knew.
I then whispered Hilton’s name, revealing my position.
They were overjoyed to see me and mobilised to carry me on a stretcher to the GP.
Q: What happened when you got to the gathering point?
A: After an assessment, I was informed that my leg injury extended to the femur, requiring specialised attention.
Transferring me to Mozambique was deemed risky due to the distance.
A daring plan was quickly devised.
Two comrades were tasked with going to Mount Saint Mary’s Mission to capture nurses from the Roman Catholic nursing school.
They went there, took them at gunpoint and explained that they had an injured comrade who needed medical assistance.
The nurses came and treated me, removing bone fragments.
The bullet was still lodged in my leg and they successfully removed it.
They returned to the school that same day, leaving us with medication and bandages for the wounds.
Meanwhile, there was a village head named Mutsakani, who was a traditional healer and lived alone on the mountaintop.
My fellow comrades asked him for a secluded place where I could hide during treatment.
He obliged.
I stayed there with Comrade Chatambudza — a medical officer — for some time.
Neither Mutsakani nor I knew each other.
He would bring food supplies around midnight, dropping them into the hidden spot using a rope.
We would then return the utensils we had used the previous day.
He came only once a day, around midnight. I stayed underground for nearly four months until I was somewhat fit.
I began to come out around midday for light exercises until I could walk again.
Q: You were out of action for some time. What was your next move after recovering?
A: When I felt fit again, I returned to the struggle.
I participated in another battle at Gandamasungo, where I was now in charge of the area.
After the struggle ended, I operated extensively in that region.
Q: Briefly take us through your journey after independence?
A: News of the ceasefire reached me while I was in Gandamasungo.
We had a system for conveying messages to different areas using letters delivered by war collaborators.
These letters were our phones.
Initially, we were never officially informed of the ceasefire.
Instead, we were summoned to the gathering point and addressed by our leaders.
They announced that the white man had surrendered and could no longer continue the war, proposing a ceasefire and subsequent elections.
We, however, believed it was part of the enemy’s plan to delay the struggle while regrouping, especially since we were gaining momentum on the battlefield.
It took time for us to be convinced.
A series of meetings and debates involving our leadership eventually persuaded us that the war was over.
We agreed to go to the Dzapasi Assembly Point.
However, ZANLA fighters, aware of the enemy’s tactics, decided that some comrades would go to the assembly point while others maintained bases in our operational zones.
These comrades were fully equipped to defend themselves against possible attacks.
We were the first group to be transported to Dzapasi via Rusape by lorries provided by the Rhodesian government.
Q: How was the situation like at the Dzapasi Assembly Point?
A: When we arrived, local comrades initially refused to join the camp, suspicious of the move.
Dzapasi had two bases, and we were joined by Mozambique’s camaradas, who came to reinforce our security during the ceasefire.
They had anti-aircraft weapons, as Ian Smith’s strength was in air power.
There was a lot of suspicion within the camp.
For the first time, we had the opportunity to see the weapons and machinery, such as aircraft and trucks, used by the enemy.
Those of us with nearby rural homes could visit them, finding relief that the war was finally over.
For the first time in a long time, we could see our parents and relatives.
Life had changed dramatically.
We had been accustomed to sleeping outdoors, mainly in the mountains, but at the camp, we slept in tents. We also received allowances, which were unnecessary during the struggle. Food at the camp was supplied by the United Nations.
Many senior commanders from different areas were present.
When I left Dzapasi, I was unable to join the Zimbabwe National Army due to my wartime injuries.
I worked in the City of Harare’s ambulance department and later retired on medical grounds.
Integration was a complex process, and some comrades chose to return home and rest. We suffered greatly during the struggle.
Some of our colleagues died, while others had their health compromised.
I urge the public and the Government to care for the surviving comrades.
It would also be beneficial to attend to the comrades buried in shallow graves in various locations.
We know some of these places and they need to be visited and maintained.
I could have been one of those comrades in the shallow graves.
I faced death but was fortunate to survive.
Online Reporter