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As part of our efforts to recapture and reinvigorate the spirit of the liberation struggle that culminated in the birth of an independent Zimbabwe on April 18, 1980, The Herald will run a series of articles in the build-up to the actual independence day.
An attempt will be made to bring to life some of the luminaries of that valiant struggle in their own words as a way to nourish, preserve national memory and provide an inspirational springboard for future generations.
In this inaugural piece, historian and Southern African Research and Documentation Centre (SARDC) executive director Phyllis Johnson gives us a synopsis of General Josiah Magama Tongogara (JMT)’s life, character, philosophy and his general conceptualisation of the struggle. Gen Tongogara was the ZANU PF Secretary of Defence and Commander of the ZANLA forces.
4 February 1940 – 26 December 1979
“As I have always said, Lancaster is our second front, brought about by the freedom fighters. And so far what I see that has been achieved by the liberation forces of Zimbabwe is . . . they have brought about the birth of a new Zimbabwe. That is one. Two, they have buried the so-called racial supremacy . . . This is important, that in the near future, the people of Zimbabwe will be proud to have their new Zimbabwe . . . and this will never be reversed anymore.”
General Josiah Magama Tongogara, 1979
Secretary for Defence and Commander of the ZANLA Forces, General Tongogara started his revolutionary activities in ZANU in Lusaka, Zambia, in 1963.
He worked in the youth wing of ZANU in Zambia, returning to attend the first congress of ZANU in Gwelo (Gweru) in that capacity in 1964, before he went to China in 1965 for training in political science, military intelligence, mass mobilisation, and guerrilla war strategies and tactics at the Nanjing Higher Military Academy.
On his return from China in 1966, he started to train ZANLA cadres in Tanzania, and he began to review military strategy. In 1970, Cde Tongogara arranged for the ZANLA forces to work with Frelimo and later established camps in Mozambique.
It was Cde Tongogara’s military prowess and dedication that led to his appointment as the Military Commander of ZANLA and Chairman of the High Command in 1972.
In 1973, at the biennial review conference, he became Chief of Defence in the Dare re Chimurenga, the ZANU executive council charged with responsibility to direct the liberation war that brought Independence to Zimbabwe.
When the party was reorganized in 1977, Cde Tongogara was re-elected to the Central Committee as Secretary for Defence, and he continued to chair the High Command until his untimely death.
Cde Tongogara played a significant role in the Lancaster House negotiations for independence in 1979, which he regarded as a “second front” on the war, and especially the military negotiations on logistics for the ceasefire between the Rhodesian forces and the ZANLA/ZIPRA forces.
For former guerrillas and ex-combatants, and Zimbabweans in general, the name Josiah Magama Tongogara is synonymous with the successful prosecution of the liberation war.
General Tongogara died in Mozambique on 26 December 1979 in a road accident on the main highway north of Maxixe, as he was rushing to Chimoio military headquarters to inform the ZANLA commanders about arrangements for the ceasefire.
He was reburied in Zimbabwe at the national heroes’ shrine on 11 August 1981. Born near Selukwe (Shurugwi) on 4 February 1940 and named Josiah Magama – after Magama, his father – he was an exceptionally gifted child.
His brother said that school-work, which he found difficult, was easy for Josiah, as were football and other sports, and even music, adding that his brother grew up with one intention, one goal, to liberate his country, “and I think he’s done it.”
His next most important goal was that his children and others should grow in peace in a free Zimbabwe and participate in reconstruction.
He spoke about the present and future in an interview with David Martin (DM) during the Lancaster House talks in late 1979.
DM: Have you achieved finally, what you went to war to achieve?
JMT: You see, when you enter a revolution, when you take up arms, you do so in order to achieve everything you want, but when you do resort to discussing around a table, you cannot envisage to achieve everything.
But so far, at Lancaster, I am quite convinced myself that the people of Zimbabwe. . .by that I mean the liberation forces of Zimbabwe . . .have scored a tremendous victory.
They have demonstrated to the whole world that they are a force to reckon with, and they have brought about Lancaster. As I have always said, Lancaster is our second front, brought about by the freedom fighters. And so far what I see has been achieved by the liberation forces of Zimbabwe is that they have brought about the birth of a new Zimbabwe. That is one. Two, they have buried the so-called racial supremacy.
This is important, that in the near future, the people of Zimbabwe will be proud to have their new Zimbabwe, and this will never be reversed any more.
D.M: How do you see your role in the future?
JMT: In the first initial stages, definitely, as I say, we still have got a lot to do.
I have got to participate in the reconstruction of Zimbabwe.
Probably what I could say is that, since I still feel that there must be a new Zimbabwe army and I seem to be having some role to play. I would like to see myself completing this, creating a new Zimbabwe army, the army for the people, the army which has the interests of the people at heart, the army which has the interests of the country at heart.
Probably after that, one can ask me what I want to do. I may decide to go back to the countryside and do some ploughing.
See Exhibition of Tongogara photos, articles, objects, notebooks and letters at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe titled “Freedom Through the Eyes of General Tongogara”. — February-April 2020.
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