Chronicle Editor
WE continue our conversation with former ZPRA regional commander for the Northern Front One (NF1), Colonel (Rtd) Waison Tshipa pseudonym Cde John Nyamupingidza. Col (Rtd) Tshipa who is no stranger to this column spoke to our Assistant Editor Mkhululi Sibanda (MS) as part of his insights on the series of stories published by Sunday News on the deployment of battalions by ZPRA in October 1979. He said contrary to the widely held view that ZPRA deployed four battalions, the correct version of the events was that the first battalion to be deployed was the one that was commanded by the now late Colonel Smile Madubeko Moyo aka Cde Middle in August 1979. Col (Rtd) Tshipa said he was the one who presided over the deployment of the battalion as it was moving to Tsholotsho, which fell under his area of command, NF1. Below he continues with his narration. Read on . . .
MS: You spoke about the deployment of the battalion under the command of Madubeko, how did you manage to infiltrate such a large contingent of troops? Take us through how the deployment was carried out.
Col (Rtd) Tshipa: When I was deployed to the NF1 as its regional commander I found out that crossing over to then Rhodesia was now complicated. This was because the area stretching from Kazangula all the way to Kariba had been mined by the Rhodesians. Also at our crossing point we had only two dinghies, which made it difficult to move large units quickly. It took time to do that. As a result of the area being heavily mined we were forced to use a swampy area which stretched from Rhodesia to Botswana. However, the tricky part was that it was very muddy, we had to go deep and while crossing the level of the mud would be at chest level. We were doing that with all the equipment. Then there was an incident that happened, which changed the way we were doing things in our region.
MS: Please continue.
Col (Rtd) Tshipa: A rogue guerilla shot at the Coley Hall Transport Company trucks and that forced the company to stop using the Pandamatenga route on its way to Katima Mulilo to now Namibia to deliver cement that was being sourced from Rhodesia. Coley Hall then started using the longer route of Bulawayo-Francistown-Nata. After delivering the cement the lorries would return empty and we spoke to the drivers with the view of using in transporting our guerillas and equipment. During those days as the regional commander I would leave my HQ in Livingstone, cross over into Rhodesia, move to Jambezi, Hwange, Tsholotsho up to Bulilima in Matabeleland South Province assessing the situation and directing the war. I will then move back to Livingstone to take care of administrative issues, things to do with logistics. I remember I once went to the ZPRA HQ in Lusaka to ask for more dinghies and I had requested that we be given three to make them five at our crossing point. When I got to the stores I found out that there were plenty of them, I then altered the figure on the requisition. I had written three in figures and I added a zero to make them 30. The comrade at the stores then gave me the 30. I was very happy since we had 33. On realising that the guerillas had a torrid time in navigating through the waters of the Zambezi River, I formed a platoon which I called the Navy Platoon. Their role was to keep their positions at the crossing point, receive new guerillas and move them across and in case some were coming from the front they will cross them back into Zambia. The platoon commander of that unit was Captain Dale.
MS: So tell us about your arrangement with Coley Hall Transport.
Col (Rtd) Tshipa: After getting a few favours from the drivers they advised me that I should approach Coley Hall himself. I had already started infiltrating my troops via Botswana. Although Botswana didn’t allow armed men in their territory I had spoken and came to an agreement with the battalion commander of the Nata area. I had trained with him at Kohima where we did our officers cadet training. I was also in good books with the Zambian security chief in the Livingstone area, who also, we had trained together at Kohima. So the security chief at times would allow me to pass through the border post from Zambia into Botswana.
MS: So you wrote to Coley Hall?
Col (Rtd) Tshipa: I did and the drivers delivered the letter to the owner of the company and he agreed to allow his trucks to transport our guerillas, not only ZPRA but of the ANC’s Umkhonto WeSizwe as well. Our troops going to Tsholotsho would be dropped in the Nata area, Kasane Town while those moving to the Southern Front (SF) would be dropped in areas around Francistown where they would be picked by our trucks. In fact, ANC had acquired two trucks and gave us one for use. That revolutionised our armed struggle, our troops would be at Kazangula being deployed at 8pm and by 3PM they would be either in Gwanda or Kezi. Cde Chris Hani would be seeing off his MK guerillas at 8pm in Kazangula and by 7pm the following day they would be reporting that they have melted into Soweto. Both ZPRA and MK guerillas were getting into the operational areas without firing a single shot as like I said we had revolutionised the deployment. The two revolutionary armies were now deploying in large numbers, MK was sending platoons. It was a great departure from what we were doing before of sending troops in our case to the SF who would cut across the country from the Zambezi River to Gwanda, Beitbridge, Plumtree, Filabusi, Mberengwa, Kezi and so on. That was slowing down things and it was a torrid time for guerillas to cut across Binga, Lupane or in some cases through Tsholotsho to get to Matabeleland South.
MS: The other interesting thing is about Coley Hall, which was a Rhodesian firm.
Col (Rtd) Tshipa: I am not happy that his role has always been downplayed. I have spoken about it on several occasions that we need to recognise the role that was played by Coley Hall during our armed struggle, not only for us here in Zimbabwe but in South Africa as well.
MS: Then the crossing of the battalion.
Col (Rtd) Tshipa: I received the battalion from Mlungushi on the Zambian side. They were fully dressed in similar military attire. Dressed like a proper army. They were brought by ZPRA trucks and we pointed to the swampy area. That is where they crossed.
To concluded next week
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