He relives his Segaranze days

Freedom Mutanda
Spotting dreaded locks and a green woolen hat, Mathias Mashava looks ordinary. He is a veteran of the liberation struggle who lives at Madzadza and talks about the revolution to anyone who cares to listen.

The writer heard a lot about him and he decided to go and see what makes him tick in independent Zimbabwe and trace the long journey he made from Dzika in Chikore to Chimoio where he received his training up to the time he suddenly left the army in 1984.

Mathias Mashava, 57, is a man of medium height who loves his beer, he loves talking and he becomes animated when he talks about the liberation struggle. Indeed, it is a matter that occupies a special place in his heart.

Owing to the racist regime’s education policies, Mathias did not go to school. As a result, he went to Middle Sabi where he would work for white people such as J.J, Peter Gunn, Chimbambaira and Madonora among others. He remembers very well the oppression that pervaded the work place at that time.

“When we bent down to weed the cotton, the white man would kick our behind and we fell down much to the amusement of the white guys who laughed as if there was something to laugh about. I felt that such kind of treatment must not be allowed to continue unchecked.” Mathias said with a faraway look.

One day, the settler farmers in Middle Sabi addressed Kondo Villagers where they warned people about the comrades. They told the Africans that they must never ever join the war as the conditions for blacks in Zimbabwe were the best in the world. However, to young Mathias, it did not make sense for blacks to be ill-treated in their own land.

He returned home in December 1976 after receiving his bonus which was negligible in view of the type of work he was going to do. At that time, ZANLA forces showed their visibility by attacking white soldiers and planting mines. Comrades visited the area.

Sam Machingamidze led the group and Cde Zama and Cde Herbert ably supported him. They came to Dzika with one message only, that people can only be their own liberators.

“My parents, sisters and brothers, it is true that we have come to help each other liberate ourselves from the tyranny of the fascist. Ahead of us is the achievement of independence and the realization that we are all equal in the eyes of the lord. Inga wani they are the ones who say God is just.” Cde Sam Machimidze, who appeared to be the Commander as well as the Political Commissar said.

The comrades had come from Espungabeira affectionately called ‘Mupanyeya’ by the local people. Mathias realized that these men meant business. He saw himself as eligible to join the comrades as the war which had started in the North-East of Zimbabwe cascaded down to Chipinge.

Cde Zama also pitched in, “We haven’t come to coerce you to join us. You are sons and daughters of the soil. Let us help each other to recover the resources that were stolen from our forefathers many years ago. If someone borrows from your father you will get it even after your father’s death. The difference here is that the white man never politely borrows from us. He took the land without compensation from our ancestors and that is oppression. There is nothing Christian about that. We are equal before the almighty’s eyes.”

Mathias felt adrenaline sprinting across every part of his body. Together with his friends, Peter and Pilani Chikonzi, he surreptitiously left Dzika and began his journey to be trained in Mozambique. The latter had recently obtained independence under the leadership of FRELIMO. The fighters were called ‘maKamarada’ which must be a corruption of the word ‘comrade’ or it could be Portuguese.

From Dzika, they used the Mapungwana route via Nyamadzi and they crossed the Budzi River before they reached Chibawawa refugee Camp that housed the elderly and children who had fled the policies of the Rhodesian regime. It was also called Toronga Camp and FRELIMO controlled it. The Camp Commander was called Chidhika. For a time, they stayed at the camp. That is where his friends stayed as he proceeded to Chimoio to be part of a cast of singers who sang Chimurenga songs. At home, Mathias was a renowned Muchongoyo dancer who occasionally was roped in to sing the traditional songs.

That musical ability enabled him to go to Chimoio ostensibly to be part of the Chimurenga choir but it opened doors for training. Mathias is very articulate about his history of the liberation struggle. Intelligence comes in many forms. These are the moving historians who participated in the Chimurenga.

At Chimoio he met instructors, Cde Chiridza and Cde Finish. The training was hard but it was worth it. He remembers that the overall camp commander was called Cde Bethun who lived in Takawira 1. At Chindunduma, instructors trained young boys and girls. Towards the end of training, the boys and girls went to National Stores where they would get supplies in terms of materials for the front.

“Comrade, you had to be fit to be trained. At times, we did not have food. If you were too hungry to be trained you had to wait for your turn. Some never got trained until the war ended. Vamwe vaitofa nenzara.” Cde Mathias assumed his new Chimurenga name, Mucharemba Mabhunu, at Chimoio.

He was there when the Rhodesians bombed Chimoio.

“We had just gone and returned from collecting thatching grass. We heard the whistle to make us attend assembly. Suddenly, helicopters and other fighter aircraft hovered overhead. The best guns had gone to the front to fight inside Rhodesia. Most of us had Perepeshas that jammed if they are fired continuously. I remember children and elderly people being razed to the ground,’’ a tear dropped from his eyes. It was a painful part of his life that would remain in his mind’s eye forever.

When asked what happened to the anti-air equipment that was at Nyatsime and Nehanda, he said: “The Rhodesians knew the efficacy of an anti-air gun, that is where they first targeted their guns and Cde Brian died while the Nyatsime side was also buried under the rubble and so we were left defenceless. For me to get out of harm’s way I used the high-crouch and snake creeping styles. At times, I rolled to evade bullets. Comrade, it was survival not of the fittest but of the luckiest. As bullets rained and whistled, I would roll and continue snake creeping. I finally reached Gundura Camp. Comrade Josiah Tongogara came and told us to go and defend the revolution as the Rhodesians had the Union Jack up and running at the camp.”

Sadly, because of hunger, some comrades ate the beef left by the Rhodesian soldiers. They died because the beef had been laced with poison. Due to the high number of deaths which ran into thousands, caterpillars had to be used to bury the dead.

“We would say to the dead, hapana zvekuita makomrades, ihondo.” Cde Mucharemba Mabhunu said it pained to know that a mother had lost a son or daughter and will never know the actual circumstances of her child’s death. He knows Paul Bingepinge survived the Chimoio massacre.

Having finished training in early 1978, he became a Segaranze which means policeman of the cadres. After excelling in that position, he rose through the ranks to become an instructor.

He remained in that position up to the attainment of independence in 1980.

He was attested into the Zimbabwe National Army and his force number is 712167T. Sadly, although he got the $50 000 in 1997, he has not been able to receive the pensions that other war veterans are getting. He is not bitter, however, insisting that what he wanted was the total independence of Zimbabwe. He doesn’t have a national ID. He recalls suffering from ‘zvimatekenye’ but he is happy many people now own land.

Cde Mucharemba Mabhunu is also known as Kasina amai muZimbabwe. In the area of Mutema, he is known as an affable character who revels in reliving the Second Chimurenga to anyone who cares to listen.

His final words were, Aluta Continua. He envisages a Zimbabwe where everyone enjoys milk and honey.