adminSamuel Kadungure
His liberation name was Cde Tongai Vatema, a fighter who firmly believed that war was the only way to attain majority black rule. He grabbed this national duty and laid his life for his country when he was 17. Born on June 1 1960 in Kadoma, even the fact that at the time he wore long dreadlocks could not deter him from putting the splendour of life behind him.
His real name is Cde Mavhura Bandera, the secretary-general of the Makoni District war veterans’ chapter, a man whose journey is traced to 1977 when he, with two friends, crossed into Mozambique through a flooded Nyangombe River.
His first port of call in Mozambique was Gwezere Base. He proceeded to Guru Base in the Villa Katandika and became one of the pioneer guerillas to undergo training at this makeshift training base.
This followed the annihilation and destabilisation of well-established training bases in Mozambique.
Cde Bandera’s decision to go to war was inspired by his brother, Francis Javious Tembo, who often told him how oppressive the whites were. His family was well up since his father, Wise Bandera, was a surveyor at Rio Tinto Mine.
His desire to put the splendour of life behind him was saturated by frequent contacts and intense politicisation by nationalists at Inyati Mine and personal experience of discrimination, brutality and exploitation.
His gateway to war was Inyati Mine, where he was recruited as a sprinter athlete after being scouted during a Chamber of Mines games at Mashava, Masvingo, in 1976.
“It was during my stay at Inyati Mine that I got exposed to clandestine political activities which eventually resulted in my joining the war. We would meet at night with the likes of Cde John Banda, Cde Dhaka, Cde Kariba, Cde Chirwa and Cde Tarizeni,” explained Cde Bandera.
“I ended up having a strong appreciation of the war because these guys were in the thick of things as they were the link between the community and the liberation fighters. They would supply them with food and clothes. One day, I took leave from work and went to see my parents at Empress Mine in Zhombe. I met Cde Phibeon Kariwini who told me he had been assaulted by British South African Police at Bell Bottom Base after being intercepted while on his way to join ZIPRA forces. I took him to Inyati where he shared his experience with Cde Chombe, whose sister was shot dead while on her way to join the war. We agreed to join the war and fight the system to avenge the deaths of black comrades. We advised Cde Dhaka and Cde Karizeni who warned us of the dangers and risks involved, but that did not deter us,” said Cde Bandera.
Cde Bandera and his two friends boarded a bus at Magwaro, for Nyahove area that borders Makoni and Nyanga districts.
Cde Bandera and crew were sold out by their immaculate dressing.
The local youths plotted to kidnap them, but were saved by a Moslem man who had recognised his friend Cde Mine Asimani.
“Asimani was good in Chewa and when the old man heard about the plot to kidnap us, he signalled to him and divulged everything in Chewa. The man invited us to his house. At about 8pm, the youths descended on us, but the old man calmed them down, arguing that Asimani was his son. He told them that our mission was to join the war,” said Cde Bandera.
Cde Bandera said when they were separated he was taken to another family where he stayed for a week doing household chores.
A week later he was introduced to Cde Itai Hondo, Cde Mabhunu Muchatibaba and Cde Portipher Gonzo, who politicised and indoctrinated him.
“We were advised to stay behind while arrangements were being made to take us to Mozambique. The feeling was that the number of recruits had swelled and taking us at once posed risks in the event of an attack,” recalled Cde Bandera.
They were later taken to Gwezere Base in Mozambique. They later proceeded and briefly stayed at a rehabilitation base for the critically ill and injured cadres in Mupata Wegwenya before heading to Guru Base in Villa Katandika.
“Our arrival at Guru coincided with the bombing of Mt Guru, which was an underground armoury for the guerillas.
The armoury was deep and the attack had no effect at all. We were instructed to carry arms of war which included bombs, guns and grenades among others, for safe keeping.”
The destabilisation had an impact on the operations of the guerillas and made it impossible for Cde Bandera’s group to proceed to Chimoio.
Chimoio had also been bombed.
“We were made to undergo training there. We were the pioneer group of cadres trained at that base. The training focused on the use of guns, assembling and dissembling of guns, intense physical training, marching drills, guerilla training and political instruction, all of which I greeted with great excitement,” said Cde Bandera.
His instructors were Cde Freedom Muchatonga, while Cde Full Gomo was the political commissar.
The chief instructor was Cde Den Unonyepa.
Those who trained him included Cde Beware Maguerilla, Cde Martha and Cde Bloodshed Tichatonga.
In 1978, Cde Bandera was deployed to Chitepo Sector A in Nyanga, where he served under the tutelage of the likes of Cde Charlie Magidi, Cde Same Order Mashizha and Cde Sparka-Sparka Chirichega.
His first battle was against “madhimu-dhimu” in Nyamaropa area of Nyanga.
He was also involved in the Mayo, Chiendambuya and Kadodo battles with the settler forces.
“We had another assignment near Regina Coeli at Nyamusamba Mountain. We were midway studying the terrain so that we could deploy the troops when we were certain that the area was safe. While in the process, we heard an LMG gunshot and later on there was an exchange, and we could tell that it was a NATO-type gun being fired at us by the whites. We had gone straight into enemy ambush.
“It was a surprise attack and we did not know where the other fighters were and how the enemy had deployed. There was no order and it was impossible to wage a war like that. We dumped everything we had and used the withdrawal tactic. We were supposed to converge at our GP (gathering point), but I fell into a trance while I was carrying my rifle. I went in a different direction and got lost in that mountain for the whole day. It was like I had lost my senses. I could not recall my direction. I spent the whole day in the state of confusion and at the same time fearing being apprehended. When I had given up hope, the confusion got off me and I regained my senses. I spotted two people in a field at a distance and after studying my terrain, I crawled closer to them and whistled. One of them, a girl, reacted and I signalled to her to come where I was. The girl recalled my war name and linked me with Cde Patrick. She directed us to our gathering point,” said Cde Bandera.
He continued operating in Nyadowa area.
After ceasefire in 1979, Cde Bandera was deployed to ECHO (Ruwange Assembly Point, where he was in Company B.
After sometime they were involved in some skirmishes with Company D.
“A war erupted against Company D after the comrades had trooped out of the perimeter fence. We could not understand what the ceasefire was about, we could not trust living side by side with whites. We suspected they wanted to capture us. We could not stomach being kept under the watchful eye of the British,” he said.
Cde Bandera said he quit the army and was given Z$410 to go home.
He got stranded in Mutare and was offered overnight accommodation at Wise Owl.
“I was dreadlocked and we were terribly scruffy. Many people stared at us as we walked through Mutare. We were allowed to wear dreadlocks during the liberation war. We later went to my friend Cde Makuni’s home in Mabvuku.
The following morning we went to 88 Manica Road looking for a job. We were posted to Zhombe by Cde Mayor Urimbo to do commissariat work for Zanu. The area was dominated by ZAPU and ANC so they wanted us to make Zanu known in the area,” said Cde Bandera.
Cde Bandera and his friend were received by Cde Ernest Tongogara and Cde Patrick Kombayi.
“They made it clear to us that our mission was to penetrate the area and make Zanu popular. We joined two other cadres Cde Attention Easy and Cde John Tichapera. We assumed the commissariat role and started grooming other cadres with ease.
“However, we ran into problems. We did not know that Cde Attention Easy and John Tichapera were committing offences, beating up people in an attempt to enforce discipline. They had a guerilla mentality yet we were now in a country which respected the rule of law.
“They were on the police wanted list and we ended up being caught in crossfire. We were arrested one evening and put in leg irons after Cde John tried to wrestle a police driver from the steering wheel as the Jeep was driving past Munyati Bridge. They took us to Kadoma Central and we created a scene when the leg irons had been removed. There was drama as we fled along Chakari Road, but were eventually contained and beaten up,” said Cde Bandera.
He was transferred to Rimuka Police Station, where together with a friend spent a week without a statement being recorded.
They were later released without charge.
“We were arrested while doing Zanu work, but nobody from Zanu paid us a visit in prison and I viewed them as uncaring cadres. I was taken aback.
“The party did nothing to intervene. They never came to see us prompting me to quit politics upon release,” he added.
He returned to Harare where he was vetted before being integrated into the police wing responsible for guarding Cabinet ministers and other VIPs.
He was the first body-guard to the late Economic Planning Minister, Cde Bernard Chidzero.
He later became his chauffeur.
He also served as a bodyguard to the late Cde Enos Nkala, Senator Makombe, Fred Shava and Didymus Mutasa in 1994.
“Zanu-PF wanted its ministers to be guarded by people it trusted, that is why we were integrated into the system,” said Cde Bandera.
As a member of the Ministerial Guard Unit, Cde Bandera was arrested and charged with treason after the MGU members beat up a white police superintendent after being denied decent guardrooms and raincoats.
“They declared the May Day after the incident. The riot police unit and army reacted and cordoned the premises. We got arrested for this treasonous act. We were being framed. It was an attempt by the white elements in the system to suppress us. We were taken to Chikurubi Maximum,” said Cde Bandera.
In 1989 he underwent formal police training for three months at Morris Depot.
He served the force for 32 years.
He also furthered his education to Form Two.
In 1999 he was transferred to Inyati Mine Support Unit.
Cde Bandera is the secretary-general of ZNLWVA in Makoni and a beneficiary of the land reform programme.
He owns a 12ha plot at Cavala Farm.
Cde Bandera is married and has four children, whom he raised and sent to school after the death of his first wife in 1992.
He remarried after 13 years.
He owns a house in Sanzaguru.
Online Reporter