Tinaye Agere
LAST WEEK, Cde BATSIRAI GONDO, who used the nom de guerre Cde Resistance Mawuto during the liberation struggle, chronicled how his arrival at Mavonde — ZANLA’s military headquarters — coincided with an attack by the Rhodesian security forces. This week, he narrates to our Political Editor KUDA BWITITI how gallant liberation fighters managed to fend off enemy attacks during the historic Battle of Mavonde in 1979.
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Q: You told us that you downed many planes during the Battle of Mavonde. How many enemy planes do you think you shot down?
A: It’s difficult to know the exact count. Sometimes, even after a successful hit, the plane wouldn’t immediately crash within our range.
However, a direct strike on the fuel tank was almost always catastrophic.
The jet fuel would ignite, causing a rapid explosion and sending the aircraft plummeting to the ground within our reach.
Once an enemy plane entered the effective range of our anti-aircraft defences, its chances of escape were slim.
Our arsenal wasn’t limited to bullets; we employed a variety of projectiles, including surface-to-air missiles and heat-seeking missiles, designed to intercept and destroy aerial targets.
Q: Please give us more details about the battle.
A: Mavonde area was full of gorges. This network of deep, rugged gorges proved to be an ideal sanctuary for us guerrilla fighters. Our training had rigorously prepared us for the challenges of such terrain, where we could seamlessly blend into the landscape, utilising the natural features for concealment, ambush and swift movement.
This environment, while treacherous to the uninitiated, becamQe our domain, a place where we could operate with a degree of freedom and tactical advantage.
Q: How did you set up to pounce on the enemy?
A: We used the mountaintops as strategic observation points, maintaining constant vigilance over enemy movements. Mount Cassino was the highest peak. This is why the Battle of Mavonde is also known as the Battle of Mount Cassino.
At Mavonde, we were more organised than our previous battles. Our commanders had made meticulous preparations.
We had adequate ammunition and well-trained fighters.
Some of the arms we used were donations from our friends who had used the weapons during War World II.
Reinforcements were readily available, and a significant portion of our fighters had undergone rigorous military training in countries like Romania and Yugoslavia. My own 18-month training regimen in Tanzania had sharpened me into an effective and formidable combatant.
Q: Tell us about the battle itself. What happened?
A: Aircraft owned by the Rhodesian security forces flew in the sky like birds. Aside of the significant gains we made in gunning down their planes, which I spoke of earlier, we also defeated the enemy in terms of the ground battle. The combat on the ground was a resounding success for us, as we pounded their forces with relentless determination.
At some point during the battle, we made a tactical retreat.
This made the enemy forces to advance deeper into the Mavonde gorges. They assumed that they would pursue us until we surrendered.
Little did they know that they had just placed themselves into our ambush.
As such, the Rhodesian infantry, advancing into this treacherous landscape, found itself under relentless fire from our ZANLA fighterQs entrenched within guerilla positions. We made the most of this and shot down many enemy forces.
I witnessed the sight of many enemy soldiers crumpling to the ground, felled by the relentless storm of our gunfire.
The stuff that you see in those thrilling war movies was nothing compared to what happened at Mavonde.
You see, when you are in a battle, the sound of gunfire gives you courage; it strengthens your resolve. When you are in the thick of things during the war, it’s like you are possessed by some spirit; a spirit to dare; a spirit to dodge bullets from the enemy and a spirit of fearlessness.
Q: What was it that made you decisively win the battle?
A: I can mention a couple of things.
As reinforcements arrived, we recognised an opportunity to encircle and decimate the enemy forces.
Also, the tide of battle further shifted in our favour with the arrival of FRELIMO forces who bolstered our ranks.
We later learnt that it was one of our commanders who communicated with FRELIMO and called for their reinforcements.
It was a timely and crucial intervention because the FRELIMO forces knew the Mavonde area well and they used this knowledge to hit the enemy relentlessly.
They were well-armed with heavy artillery.
Q: Since this was a protracted battle, how were the losses on your side and the enemy side?
A: The enemy forces suffered heavy losses. This is precisely why they surrendered. They knew that we had devastated them, and they could not continue.
Of course, we also lost comrades on our side, but the overall losses on our ZANLA side were relatively contained. Notably though, the biggest casualty for us during the battle was that of one of our high-ranking commanders, Cde Mupunzawarima. This somehow cast a sombre shadow over our victory.
Despite our hard-won victory, the path to cross back into our country from Mozambique was far from a stroll in the park.
In fact, the journey was fraught with hardship.
It turned out to be a long walk filled with unforeseen obstacles and immense suffering.
Next week, Cde Gondo speaks more about the arduous journey to return home after the Battle of Mavonde.
Online Reporter