Moffat Mungazi
Lloyd Makonya
Correspondent
IT is exactly a week before Zimbabwe commemorates its 45th Independence Day, and it is fitting to reflect on one of the most defining confrontations in the protracted Second Chimurenga — Operation Miracle, more widely commemorated as the Battle of Mavonde.
Fought on September 16, 1979, this battle, not only demonstrated the military maturity of the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA), but also decisively weakened the Rhodesian regime’s position at the Lancaster House negotiations, hastening the country’s journey to freedom.
By late 1979, the white-minority Rhodesian government was facing immense internal resistance and international pressure.
The war had entered a critical phase, and the Rhodesian Security Forces sought one final military blow to subdue the liberation movement before a political settlement could be reached in London.
This desperation birthed Operation Miracle, an audacious assault on ZANLA’s fortified base at Mavonde, located just 20km east of the Rhodesian border in Mozambique’s Manica Province.
Earlier operations such as the brutal attacks on Chimoio, Nyadzonia, and Tembwe had inflicted heavy casualties on the camps of freedom fighters.
However, ZANLA, learning from those losses, had since bolstered its military infrastructure, defence coordination, and conventional warfare capabilities.
The Mavonde Base was situated near the huge flat-topped Mount Cacino Mountain (also referred to as Monte Cassino) and Chimbuyamwana Hill, terrains that offered strategic advantages in elevation and natural fortification.
The rugged geography of Mount Cacino allowed the freedom fighters to establish well-concealed trenches, bunkers, and artillery placements. This reference was no coincidence.
It deliberately evoked the imagery of the famous WWII Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy, where Allied forces had to storm a well-defended abbey perched on a mountain, symbolising resistance and control over vital access routes.
Monte Cassino was the mountain above the town of Cassino where the Germans had installed several defences in preparation for the Allied invasion.
Just like the Italian Monte Cassino, Mount Cacino in the Mavonde region was elevated and fortified, giving ZANLA forces a commanding view of the surroundings, and the freedom fighters had strategically mounted a single barrel anti-aircraft gun, a Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) and a mortar 82 mounted on it. Chimbuyamwana Hill was armed with a double barrel anti-aircraft gun on the top.
ZANLA’s meticulous defensive architecture made these positions exceedingly difficult to breach.
On September 26, 1979, the Rhodesian military launched a joint air and ground offensive involving elite forces: the Selous Scouts, Rhodesian Armoured Car Regiment, Rhodesian Artillery Regiment, and airborne units from 2 Commando, 3 Commando, and Support Commando.
The Rhodesian Light Infantry (RLI) provided backup to intercept freedom fighters attempting to retreat or regroup.
In a notorious act of deception, the Selous Scouts infiltrated the area in FRELIMO-branded armoured vehicles, donned in FRELIMO fatigues to disguise their intentions.
The entire operation was under the command of Wing Commander Norman Walsh and Lt.
Brian Robinson, while the ZANLA resistance was orchestrated by legendary commanders, the late generals Solomon Mujuru (Rex Nhongo) and Vitalis Zvinavashe (Sheba Gava).
The Rhodesian forces unleashed a barrage of artillery shelling and airstrikes, attempting to soften the Mavonde defences.
The artillery included 25-pounder field guns and mortars, backed by Hawker Hunter jets and helicopters delivering close air support.
However, the Rhodesians underestimated the level of preparedness and resolve embedded in ZANLA’s new operational doctrine.
ZANLA cadres fought back ferociously, with exceptional discipline and tactical cohesion.
Unlike previous camp setups, Mavonde was militarised, not civilian-oriented.
It featured a formidable command centre, interconnected trenches, underground shelters, and anti-aircraft positions.
ZANLA deployed trained specialists in communications, engineering, intelligence, and medicine. Many had undergone extensive training in Yugoslavia, Romania, Syria, China, Libya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia, reflecting the Pan-African and international solidarity that had fortified the liberation effort.
Particularly in Tanzania’s Nachingweya Camp, some 15 000 cadres were trained in phases — Songambeli, Fanyaharako, and Malizamaliza — to prepare for high-intensity warfare.
At Mavonde, these veterans translated their skills into effective anti-aircraft resistance, counter-assault tactics, and logistical resilience, repelling repeated Rhodesian waves for close to six days.
The fighters held their ground, minimising casualties and mounting counterattacks.
The failure of Operation Miracle marked a psychological and military victory for the liberation forces.
For the first time, the Rhodesians were repulsed in a major offensive, suffering equipment losses, and forced to retreat an admission General Peter Walls himself described as “man to man combat,” a rare concession to the military strength of the freedom fighters.
Just weeks before, in Operation Uric (Bootlace), Rhodesian and South African forces had faced a similar embarrassment after being forced to withdraw from Mapai in Gaza Province.
These defeats cumulatively undermined Rhodesia’s negotiating leverage at Lancaster House, where talks were being held under the British auspices.
The resilience shown at Mavonde convinced both allies and enemies that ZANLA could no longer be militarily defeated, a realisation that catalysed the political settlement leading to Zimbabwe’s independence on April 18, 1980.
Today, the Battle of Mavonde is etched in Zimbabwe’s national memory as a testament to the courage, innovation, and sacrifice of liberation fighters.
It also underscores the strategic importance of unity, preparation, and international support in the struggle for self-determination.
As Zimbabwe marks 45 years of independence, we remember Mavonde not merely as a battleground, but as a crucible of nationhood.
