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LAST week, CDE WATSON KUDARO, whose Chimurenga name was Cde Kuda Munyama, chronicled a gruelling nine-hour battle that took place in Gwanda at the height of the liberation struggle in 1978. This week, he concludes by explaining to our Political Editor KUDA BWITITI how he survived this encounter.
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Q: You spoke about how you struggled to breathe as you fled from marauding Rhodesian paratroopers. Please continue.
A: I was affected by the smoke because the bomb they had used was very powerful. It also had a teargas-like effect. I managed to crawl and got to a tree. I was later told that for some time I fainted while lying under that tree. When I woke up, I saw that the enemy planes were still hovering above.
Strangely, the tree where I had hidden had been bombarded; it was filled with bullet holes.
How I survived remains a mystery, though shrapnel wounds scarred my body. I then saw a big rock and used it as a spot to rest for a while and plan the next move. I was in pain.
I took down my military bag and hid it under some leaves. I thought that, since I could no longer see any fellow comrades close by, it was better to remain there until the enemy planes left. So, for a while, I rested. I then decided to ask my ancestral spirits for guidance.
Q: How did you ask your ancestral spirits?
A: I took out some bute (snuff). It was common to use bute to seek protection and guidance from the ancestors. This strengthened my resolve. After that, I decided to continue moving.
After walking for some time, I met Cde Tsuro. We got to the top of another rock and lay in firing position. We continued to see the enemy helicopters. From our position, we also saw some enemy soldiers who were gathered at a spot where they were having a meal. The time was about 2pm. After they had finished eating, they started moving towards our direction. One of them had a bazooka.
I was holding my aim, getting ready to shoot. However, Cde Tsuro advised me that this would not be wise, as we were outnumbered.
They continued approaching, edging closer and closer. We could see them, but they were not able to see us. Their group also included some black soldiers, one who was talking on an “over-over” (walkie talkie) and another who was the sellout I talked about earlier.
As the enemy soldiers continued approaching our position, something mysterious happened, which you, the young people of today and those who did not fight in the war, do not understand sometimes.
Q: Please explain this, Cde.
A: You see, during the war, comrades would disappear. When I say comrades would disappear, I mean it. The enemy soldiers could not see us, even when we were just about two metres away from them. I looked straight into the eyes of one of them. He was so close, but still, he could not see me.
Q: So, what caused this?
A: It was the power of our ancestral spirits. When we say we were protected by Mbuya Nehanda during the war, this is exactly what we mean. We watched these enemy forces walk away from us. All we had to do was to remain dead quiet.
Q: What happened after they walked away?
A: We could hear the battle raging on the other side until there were only two helicopters that were flying above. Soon, the helicopters left. Later on, we sent a mujibha who had come to our position to observe the situation and he told us he had seen bodies of about 20 enemy soldiers.
We continued walking and around 5pm, we decided to check if the enemy soldiers were still in the area. I fired some shots in the bush to see if there would be any response from the enemy. When there was no response, I knew they had left.
We then ran to the nearest villages to meet the povo. They were in awe that we had fought gallantly. After all, they had heard the raging sounds of gunfire. Indeed, this was an unforgettable battle.
However, we also lost many comrades on our side.
Also, our bazooka man was captured. This explains why the enemy forces were carrying our bazooka. One of the casualties, whose death pained me the most, was my friend Cde Mannex. His death showed that there was a spiritual side to the war.
Q: Please explain what you mean by this.
A: I believe Cde Mannex died because he had money on him, yet our commanders instructed us that we were not supposed to carry cash during battles.
To take you back a bit, before we started battles, we were taken to a place called Matonjeni for spiritual healing. This is where we were told the dos and don’ts during combat with the enemy.
At Matonjeni, I was given a white piece of cloth and a blue one. I used these pieces of cloth during many battles in which I was involved. They protected me from the deadliest of situations.
I survived many encounters with the enemy because I fought from the front.
After the war, I joined the Zimbabwe National Army, serving until the 1990s. After retiring, I became a full-time farmer.
Online Reporter