Ancestors were the war guide

mist. A contingent of hundreds of Rhodesian soldiers were encamped just north of the Masvingo-Mutare Road near the mine, writes Mafuranhunzi Gumbo in his book Guerrilla Snuff.
The artist recounts the Battle of Bikita through the memory of Weeds. These soldiers were obviously stationed there to stem the wave of guerrilla infiltration into Gutu South, Buhera and Zimuto. For several months they kept patrolling that area.
The life had become hazardous for the guerrilla fighters that were operating under their section commanders Chikarakata, Kasikai, Gringo, Stephen Bonga, Eastern Tonderai and Gondoharishayi.
Day after day different sections ran into enemy ambush and air raids. Too much information about guerrilla movements was being leaked to the soldiers. It was almost impossible to conduct a pungwe meeting in reasonable safety. There seemed to be only one solution — total destruction of the enemy camp at the mine. The Bikita Minerals attack paved the way for extended guerrilla offensive into the heart of Masvingo Province and beyond into the Midlands.
The comrades conducted a survey of the army camp. The six section commanders operating in the area chose Ticky Dawira and Nhamo Chekeche to reconnoitre both the camp and the mine. They were dressed like vendors and they sold fruits in the camp. The people who were working for the mine gave them valuable information about the schedules in the camp. The strategic picture of the camp unfolded. Ticky and Nhamo sent word that all the heavy artillery was positioned in sandbag shields facing the north-eastern highlands.
Armed convoys travelled up and down the tar road during the day. It was still early days for some of the young fighters that had come straight from their training camps in Mozambique. They held a meeting with the spirit medium of the area to find out whether it would be possible for the soldiers not to see them during the proposed attack. Svikiro Pfupajena was possessed and Gondoharishayi sat scanning the horizon for any suspicious movements.
The issue was whether it was possible for 50 fighters to be invisible to the enemy at the same time. In terms of guerrilla strategy that was a very big number. “Of course it is!” was the answer. “Trust us and the gift of invisibility comes when you really need it.”
John Chiwara had been anointed as another svikiro for the area. He knew the terrain and the camp like “the breast of his wife”. He had only resigned from the police force six months previously and could have been planted to spy on the movements of the guerrillas. The fighters were worried about him. Chimurenga held many unpleasant surprises. The commanders were not living in the mood for dramatics. They were living in situations of life and death all the time and they had been fooled before. The new spirit medium was cleared by the two detachment commanders of the Bikita B battle zone — Shamu the whip and Subshumba the lion machine-gunner — accompanied by the six section commanders. Chiwara measured out his snuff with sure fingers. The atmosphere changed from hostility.
Chiwara predicted what the guerrillas would do during the battle of Bikita Minerals. Several consultations were made with svikiro in the Vunjere farming area. The plans of action were rehearsed and refined. Nobody was able to come up with an alternative strategy to that of the spiritual war council.
The outcome of the attack hinged on too much chance factors and too much trust in the ancestors. The guerrillas moved their heavy weapons close to the target areas. Several 60 mm and 80 mm mortars and mortar launchers, heavy RPG machine guns an bazookas together with their rockets were brought in from south of the Bikita B battle zone to Chiwara and Vunjere. They were hidden in caves in Vinga Mountains and were buried in plastic wrappings at strategic points. Each section had its own network of hiding places. The day of the attack arrived. The six units were near Gumba Farm. Each section consisted of eight heavily armed fighters. Excited mujibha were liaising between the groups of fighters and the villagers who fed the men.
Despite their courage and training, even the guerrillas were showing signs of tensions. However, Jesus was relaxed; he was always like this before going into battle. Subshumba the lion gunner pointed his bazooka in the sky and said: “Time to go! We are now in the hands of our spirit war council!” How many guerrillas died in this battle?   
l Mafuranhunzi Gumbo was born Martinus Daneel. The Gumbo Rufaro people of Gutu adopted him in the 1960s. Among the books that he has written are the God of the Matopo Hills and Old and New in Southern Shona Churches. He was professor of religion at Unisa.