Online Reporter
WHEN Cde Neddie Sibanda (née Nkiwane) was “recruited” from Manama Mission School in Gwanda District, Matabeleland South Province, by a unit of guerrillas in January 1977, she says she was politically innocent. Now a retired nurse, Cde Sibanda recalls that she had only recently been admitted to Form One at Manama Mission. Less than a month later, she had been whisked away, first to Botswana, and later to Zambia to undergo rigorous guerrilla warfare training at Mkushi in the jungles of Zambia. From the Evangelical Lutheran institution, the guerrillas took away 400 pupils, five teachers, two nurses, and a clerk. Of the 400 pupils, 230 were boys while 170 were girls.
Among the teachers was the now former Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and former Member of Parliament for Zvishavane, Cde Obert Matshalaga. The group of pupils also included the late Cabinet Minister Lt-General Dr Sibusiso Busi Moyo; former Air Force of Zimbabwe commander, Chief Air Marshal (Rtd) Elson Moyo; Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Matabeleland South, Albert Nguluvhe; as well as Cde Chiratidzo Mabuwa, former Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce during the First Republic. For this interview on Friday, Cde Sibanda whose pseudonym was Cde Sithembiso Nxumalo was accompanied by her former schoolmate and fellow Form One pupil at the time, Cde Siphiwe Mantombi Siduli (née Mathabani), with whom she had travelled with to Zambia. One day that Cde Sibanda says she will never forget is 19 October 1978, when Rhodesian forces launched a devastating ground and aerial attack on Mkushi, killing hundreds of girls at the female-only cantonment. With tomorrow marking 47 years since the bombing of Mkushi, Cde Sibanda told our Assistant Editor, Mkhululi Sibanda (MS), that the events of that fateful day remain vivid as if they happened yesterday. She says she sometimes has nightmares in which she is attacked by jets and fighter planes.
Below are excerpts from the interview. Read on…
MS: Before you talk about the bombing of Mkushi, could you please tell us about yourself?
Cde Sibanda: I was born Neddie Nkiwane on 4 October 1960 at Guyu in Gwanda District, Matabeleland South Province. I did my primary schooling at Bethel, after which I proceeded to Manama Mission for Form One, also in Gwanda District. That was in 1977. I was at Manama for only a few weeks, perhaps even just days before ZPRA guerrillas swooped on the school one Sunday evening and took us to Botswana en route to Zambia to join the armed struggle.
MS: At that time, were you ready to join the liberation struggle?
Cde Sibanda: To be honest, I was just an innocent girl politically. I knew nothing about politics, other than hearing from the elders that we, as black people, were fighting for our independence. I had never imagined myself being involved in politics, let alone training as a guerrilla. It was beyond my imagination. But there I was, along with fellow Form One pupils and our seniors as well as staff members footing all the way to Botswana to join the liberation struggle. From time to time, I replay the events of that night in my mind and wonder how we managed to walk all the way to Botswana considering the distance.
MS: In what must have been a tense and confusing situation, how did the others react?
Cde Sibanda: Some especially the older pupils didn’t seem bothered. It was clear that a few had longed for this opportunity. We travelled at night, walking past places like Mapate and Halisupi in Gwanda District. We stopped to rest at certain points. It was a difficult journey, not only because we were on foot, but also because we didn’t know our destination. Eventually, we crossed the Shashi River, which separates Zimbabwe and Botswana. It was early in the morning. We arrived at a place called Gobazhango, where we were assembled. From there, we were taken to Bobonong. The weather was unfriendly because of the summer rains. We were soaked, there was no shelter, and we had no blankets. I remember shivering from the cold during the night, unable to do anything about it (At that point Cde Siduli intervenes).
Cde Siduli: When we got to the Shashi River it was still dark and because it was January which is part of the rainy season, the river had water. The guerillas urged us to plunge into the river and as we walked I felt the water rising to my chest level. I asked someone who was close to me to provide me with the balance so that I don’t slip into the water and drown. The situation then became a bit tricky for me and fortunately enough one of the guerillas picked me up. I was relieved. Among the group was my elder sister, Cecilia Bhebhe who was in Form 2 at Manama. We were taken together from Manama to join the armed struggle. However, when it comes to the 19 October bombing I was no longer at Mkushi. I was part of the first group to train at Mkushi and I had been deployed elsewhere when the camp was attacked.
MS: That’s interesting, let us go back to the journey Cde Sibanda.
Cde Sibanda: The following morning from Bobonong, we were transported by trucks to Selebi-Phikwe. From Selibe-Phikwe we were moved to Francistown. It was at Francistown that moves to go to Zambia were put into motion and people started being flown to Lusaka. We were eventually boarded the plane and flown to Lusaka in Zambia. On arrival, the security guys took our details. We were then taken to Nampundwe on heavy trucks that were not easy to climb.
