JZ was a true revolutionary

Brig-Gen (Rtd), Abel Mazinyane

ON 22 January 1977 the heart of the most principled, dedicated, and bravest revolutionary, Jason Ziyapapa Moyo (JZ) stopped beating. The enemies of our struggle were responsible for his death and for delaying the revolution.

The 46th anniversary of his death went quietly and in tribute to him I thought of penning this short article. 

JZ was a humble man who had a keen interest in the life of every ZPRA soldier hence he was doing everything for the front and the soldier came first.

All tinned foods were for the front. He propounded the following: “Not a minute without the people, not a minute without the struggle, not a minute without the revolution.” These were his very important cadre principles that guided our revolution.

He also drummed on this: “Everything to the front” which meant that all the resources during our revolution should be mobilised to support the cadres.  

Up to 1974 JZ used to go and spend some days at the front bases along the Zambezi River. This was stopped when Rhodesians launched cross-border raids into Zambia. 

It took a lot of effort to convince him to stop  his routine visits to the front bases. He was convinced when it was explained to him that his visits would deprive the front of operational forces because his personal security would gobble up most of the front deployed forces.

I recall one day on his way to front bases his vehicle had a stopover at one of the Tonga villages. At Mr Mbhumu’s to be precise. They were offered food by the Zambian villagers which JZ declined. 

Mr Mbhumu asked him if he had been to the front before and JZ did not respond, the villager then lectured him about the conditions at the front. He told him to take the food as he was not guaranteed food at the base where they were going. JZ kept a straight face and thanked the villager on departure. 

At the beginning of 1973 he visited Moscow to attend a meeting of the USSR communist party. I was undergoing training in Moscow City with Jack Ngwenya,  Philemon Makonese, Saul Gwakuba Ndlovu, Easter Ndiweni, Ben Maphosa, Shadreck Ngwenya (Chief Tangwena), Thomas Ngwenya, Matswaha  Ndlovu and Phozo Moyo. 

JZ left his hotel accommodation to spend a night with us at a flat in Taganskaya. We hardly slept because we talked almost the whole night. We touched on all aspects of our armed struggle. 

After our discussion, he phoned some place or someone then told us that he had secured a slot to attend a course at the Communist Party School, Pushnskaya outside Moscow. 

He was well respected by the Soviet Communist Party. He was asked by the Soviet Communist Party to give a solidarity message on behalf of all African Liberation movements. We as ZPRA felt very proud of such an honour. JZ could interact with the lowest rank in ZPRA at all levels. At the first Conference of Militants (1973) he was in a section of command for the period of the conference and did not object.  During the conference he had an outburst describing the settler regime in Rhodesia in all racist terms.

Cde Mabhuku objected, saying he was turning to racism.  He apologised and withdrew some of his utterances.

What a revolutionary.

During operations there was a case where our comrades were waiting on the Zambian side with a canoe to help us cross the Zambezi. 

The bombing continued for days, our comrades went to Lusaka to tell JZ of the misfortune that had befallen us. He ordered them to return to the Zambezi and cross into Rhodesia and bring back our dead bodies for him to believe we were dead. 

Thanks to his uncompromising attitude we were rescued. That reminds me of Alfred Nkitha Mangena’s directive that anyone who loses a weapon will get another from the enemy. Those who lost their weapons were then  deployed armed with grenades.

JZ was a true nationalist, he was not into partisan politics. He made us attend the funerals of Zanu and Zapu members. When we asked why he said we were paying respect to Zimbabweans. I remember us attending the funeral of Richard Horfs somewhere in Zambia.

When JZ died he was given a national burial ceremony by the Zambian Government. Many dignitaries attended his funeral in Lusaka. 

A large Zimbabwean contingent of the community in Zambia came to the funeral. Late former President Mugabe came with Cde Muvuti and the current Vice-President General (Retired) Chiwenga from Mozambique for the funeral. 

The whole of ZPRA was in shock, we looked at one another with faces full of questions. And we could not cry because we had gone numb. I was asked to say something in tribute to his death. 

That was making me admit against my belief that JZ (Makokoba) was dead.

Brigadier-Gen (Rtd) Mazinyane is a former member of the ZPRA High Command and now a farmer in his home province of Midlands. He also sits on the War Veterans Board.