adminFreedom Mutanda
Zimbabwe did not come on a silver platter. In the run-up to independence in 1980, there were discrete groups who sweated for the honey of independence to be enjoyed by everyone. There were the combatants who trained in various friendly nations dotted all over the world; there were the intelligence gatherers in the form of mujibhas and chimbwidos; there were the parents who supplied provisions for the boys.
Among the intelligence operatives were some men and women who went the extra mile by being gaoled in inhospitable conditions in the Rhodesian cells. These men and women suffered the brutal treatment of white guards who did not mince their words when they shouted above the din: ‘’Kana ichifunga ichaponeswa kubva mujeri ne tororo, ngaifungewo zvakanaka.”
These taunts did not end right until one exited the prison or cell wars.
In view of the immense contributions given by these men and women of honour, the government registered the association as a welfare organization. Among the members of ZIPPEDRA (Zimbabwe Political Prisoners Detainees and Restrictees Association) is Elias Tamuka Sithole, a man who is closer to the ground in many respects.
Born in 1954, Elias Banyeni Sithole looks the part of the “artful dodger’’ found in Charles Dicken’s novel, Óliver Twist’. He is diminutive and his eyes dart from corner to corner as if he is looking for something.
He is now a member of the Johane Marange Apostolic Sect but his nationalistic fervour has not diminished with the passage of time. In fact, he is a strong advocate of ZIPPEDRA in the district.
‘’I moved around the district and mobilised all political prisoners, detainees and restrictees and urged them to sign up. Hlekani Mtetwa who used to be a ZANU NDONGA councillor is in our books now. We fought for this country and risked life and limb and it’s time to enjoy the fruits of independence.’’ His determination to see through the Zimbabwean project is evident in his eyes.
Cde Bhanyeni, drifted in and out of Chipangayi. He says the settlers in Middle Sabi terrorised people if they did not come to work. Very few children went to secondary schools. It was actually a question of following in your father’s footsteps. In a way, a non-educated person did not pose problems for the white supremacists.
Cde Best looked at the oppressive situation with horror and hoped that one day, that would come to an end; children will go to school without or favour. At times, white farmers beat up the farm workers in front of their children.
‘’I remember a young white boy barely in his teens calling an elderly by his name. It didn’t really make me happy. That man actually called baas. Independence would put a full stop to that. The comrades whom we met such as Cde Tambawaguta Mupositori called that the highest form of oppression when children do not respect elders irrespective of differences in the skin pigmentation.”
With a .4 hectare plot at Bwerudza Irrigation Scheme in Chief Mutema area, Cde Banyeni feels that more land must be availed to those who have shown that they can farm effectively.
‘’indeed, I am very grateful to the government for the acre I have but with the big family I have, it won’t be enough. We have heard that there is still some land lying idle somewhere. Can the government allow us to extend up to one hectare per- individual. Since 2006, I have learnt the ropes of farming and believe the time is ripe for me to be given more land.’’
Cde Elias Sithole, whose Chimurenga name is Best chuckles as he remembers 1976, the year nationalism took root in him. He never looked back after that.
Nyunga is located near the road to Mutare and is under the jurisdiction of Chief Mutema and the Goko Kraal head rules under Headman Mwafaone. Oral tradition has it that the first Chief Mutema had many sons some of whom are Chikwanda, Maunganidze, Mwafaone, and Munyokowere. These became headmen to this day.
It is at Nyunga that Elias Bhanyeni Sithole alias Best met the freedom fighters who passed through the area on their way to Buhera and in some instances, they conversed with villagers in pungwe meetings to explain their ideology and the reasons for the prosecution of the war of liberation.
Best explains his awe at seeing young men of his age with bazookas and AK 47’s dancing to the Chimurenga music as the evening wore on.
‘’I was struck by the earnestness of the young men. We had heard about the escalation of the war after detente had failed and Smith’s determination to put spanners in the liberation train was legendary. Now, the comrades said if we work together with them, independence was near. There and there I decided to join the war.’’
The comrades asked Elias to stay put and help them in carrying out intelligence work as well as committing sabotage against the regime’s key installations. It meant he would not be a trained cadre but a comrade Danger reassured him what he would be doing is part of the war effort.
‘’From that day, I became active as I talked to businesspeople for them to help in cash and kind towards helping the comrades’ needs. For example, I led a group of people who took shoes, jeans and money from shops that would be given to the boys. At times, we had to persuade the shop owners especially after they had been bullied by the Rhodesian Special Branch into stopping the support they rendered to us.” Cde Bhanyeni explained that in war situations, kindness could not be entertained when the goal was to win the war and enjoy the fruits.
Best’s area of operation was from Nyunga to Middle Sabi. He remembers the late Cde Aaron Mudekunye, a businessman at Birchenough Bridge Township, as a man who never got tired of supporting the Chimurenga. As a result, he went in and out of jail with unfortunate regularity. It was that man that Cde Best visited on many occasions to get logistics as the war went on.
There were times when things turned nasty in the bush even for those who supported the nationalist cause. There is an incident that Cde Elias Sithole remembers vividly.
‘’There was this businessman, a Makuyana. We went to his shop and took some cool drinks. There were many crates to be carried. A commander, Cde Vhirimayi Tafirenyika asked him to carry the crate. Makuyana flatly refused to do so arguing that as a businessman, it was beneath him to carry bottles. Cde Tafirenyika, in a fit of rage, shot him but he survived. It was a grim reminder of how at times, one may be a victim of friendly fire.’’ Cde Best did not smile but those were trying times.
It was standard procedure for sell-outs to be reprimanded or killed to warn would-be-sell-outs to stop the practice. Examples set would nip the cancer in its early stages.
“A sell-out, I have forgotten his name, was bathing in the Save River in May 1978. It was close to the Devuli Ranch when bam! He was shot on the hip and left for dead. He didn’t die and lived to tell the tale. He implicated me as one of the people who shot him. I was arrested and jailed at Mandikisi Prison for three months. Although I was jailed I maintained my not guilty plea.”
Inside the prison walls, torture was the modus operandi of the investigation officers who never followed the rule of procedure inherent in all court processes even in times of war.
‘’I ate, drank and slept torture. Baton sticks ravaged my body while the Special Branch man constantly asked me about the whereabouts of the comrades. They would put my head in a culvert where there was running water and beat me. Crying did not help anyone. During the day, we did our prison labour at Chibonere Farm on the way to Mount Selinda. Out there, prison guards with fierce looking Alsatians told us if we attempted to escape, then, the dogs would rip us apart while they watched and laughed.’’ His pained face said it all.
As political prisoners, they were classified as D-Class prisoners who had to be handcuffed and in leg irons once they are back in the prison. They lived in 24’s in rooms that were big enough for them.
‘’We slept with legs and hands cuffed. We suffered from electric shocks. An immobile electric bicycle was used to punish us in prison. Guards forced us to use it at great disadvantage to us. We had to mould bricks using very little water. That was meant to break our backs and resolve. We did not deviate from the way. We knew that there is darkness before dawn.’’
As the war entered the home stretch, the Smith regime authored the infamous Internal Settlement which culminated in the formation of the short lived Zimbabwe-Rhodesia. That is when Cde Best was released by the authorities in August 1979.
“I was released in August 1979 but not before, I survived an assassination attempt. We were put in a line in prison. The guards fired indiscriminately at us. One of us got shot but he didn’t die. It was a scary experience for me. For the first time, I thought I should have gone to be trained as a combatant than to survive at the whim of individuals.’’
Cde Best said most whites were unrepentant after the war. Their treatment of farm workers bears testimony of their bellicosity. He cites the compounds found in the Middle Sabi area.
Cde Best fought for the rights of political detainees, restrictees and prisoners. His prayers have been answered since the government has promised the organization that once the economy improves, something will be done to alleviate ZIPPEDRA members’ situation.
‘’Empowerment is an on-going thing. Our children need economic empowerment. To that end, I urge the acceleration of indigenisation processes so that poverty levels are reduced in the country. For that to happen, there is every reason to have unity of purpose in our dealings. Land is a finite resource. It can drive us to unimaginable heights if we make use of it wisely. Subdivision of land into manageable units will benefit more people. However, for those with the capacity to utilise large scale farms, let them do it.” Cde Best concluded.
At the height of the Fast Land Reform Programme, Cde Elias Tamuka Sithole led the Middle Sabi Farm invasions. He bravely confronted a white commercial farmer, commonly called Minny and took his priced Afrikander bull and slaughtered it. He told the magistrate that the farmer had not paid him for building some houses in the compound,
To off-set that debt, Cde Best successfully obtained thirty five beasts that he sent to his home in Marange, Bocha.
With eighteen children and still counting, Cde Elias Bhanyeni Sithole (61), still feels he has a lot to offer in telling the young ones about the need to get empowered for one to proudly say he/she is truly independent.
Online Reporter