adminWe had a vibrant underground Zapu youth movement, which stretched up to other schools such as Goromonzi. At school I had already started writing political stories and what also assisted our cause was that the school authorities were sympathetic to the nationalist cause, Cde Mathema recounts joining the struggle.
WITH the spirit of nationalism sweeping across the country, many Zimbabweans, even school going children left their studies to take up arms and fight the rebel Ian Douglas Smith regime.
One of the youngsters then to sacrifice his education while doing his Ordinary Levels is the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Matabeleland North, Cde Ndabazekhaya Cain Ginyilitshe Mathema. Cde Mathema and his close friend Bhekuzulu Khumalo abandoned their studies at the Anglican run Cyrene Mission in Matobo District in 1968, the year they were supposed to sit for their Ordinary Level examinations, to venture into the unknown world of the armed struggle. Below Cde Mathema reconstructs the events of that year in an interview with our Assistant Editor Mkhululi Sibanda (MS).
MS: Cde Mathema can you please tell us what led you to join the armed struggle at such an early age? Our readers might also want to know who Cain Mathema is.
Cde Mathema: I was born on 28 January in 1949 in the Sipepa area of Tsholotsho District and grew up there. I went to the local schools, Sipepa School where I did my Sub-A to Standard Three. I then moved to Gwayi School and for my secondary education I moved to Cyrene Mission where I was one of the founder members of an underground movement for a Zapu youth or student cell at Cyrene Secondary School and that was between 1965 and 1968, the year I left school to join the armed struggle. However, I must point out that even when I went to Cyrene I was also politically awake as during the combined Zipra/ Umkhonto Wesizwe Military Operation commonly known as the Hwange Battle I was among the Sipepa boys who were being sent by our elders to feed the guerillas who comprised heroes such as Cde John Dube (JD) and Cde Chris Hani of South Africa. That was in 1967. When I got to Cyrene it was just a continuation of what I had been doing back home. The other thing is that my family was a family of heroes as my fore-fathers were military heroes in the Ndebele State, I am talking about people like Sigombe Mathema and Dliso Mathema. They were commanders of the fearless Ndebele regiment of Inqama eloPhondo. The other issue was that my parents were also active in the nationalist politics.
MS: So Cde Mathema then take us through your political activities at school.
Cde Mathema: We had a vibrant underground Zapu youth movement, which stretched up to other schools such as Goromonzi. At school I had already started writing political stories and what also assisted our cause was that the school authorities were sympathetic to the nationalist cause. It then happened that we were selected by our underground movement and asked ukuthi ngobani abafuna ukuhamba, meaning who were volunteering to go and join the armed struggle. My friend Bhekuzulu and I volunteered and we had to sell our textbooks to raise the money for our journey to join the armed struggle. So we left the school on a Saturday morning before the assembly time. We walked to West Acre where we boarded the train and dropped off in Plumtree Town. We then bought fresh milk and some buns. While we were still in Plumtree I saw one of my former primary school teachers in Tsholotsho and brother to now Retired Brigadier-General Ben Matizwa, Albert and I not wanting to be seen, fled from the town.
MS: Where did you flee to?
Cde Mathema: We took off towards the Mphoengs where we wanted to cross from. We then walked along the Mphoengs Road and along the way we came across one of our teachers again this one from Cyrene, Mr. Simela who was driving his car. When he was close we just dashed into the bush. At that moment we then decided to cross the border into Botswana and we headed towards the border and crossed. In Botswana we later joined the Francistown Road and set on foot. We walked for a long distance until we arrived at a railway siding where we found a couple preparing a meal. We asked for food but the man refused. As a boy who had grown up in the rural areas I had to turn to wild fruits such as amaganu (marula fruits) but unfortunately my friend Bhekuzulu, a town fella could not partake of that. We continued on our journey until we were given a lift by a motorist who was driving a truck. In that truck we found the man who had refused to give us food. We then arrived in Francistown where we bought fresh milk and some buns. We later on went to the police station to report our presence. At the police station we had an altercation with one of the officers who insisted in speaking to us in Setswana despite our explanation that we did not understand the language. We dressed him down telling him that Africa had many languages and he had to be reprimanded by his superiors and forced to apologise.
MS: How long did you stay at the police station?
Cde Mathema: During our argument with that policeman we soon discovered that one of the detectives there was a Zimbabwean, a Mathibela guy. We spent three days at the police station. One of the Zapu officials, a Cde Maphosa came and collected us. He took us to a refugee camp and that was between March and April 1968.
MS: Who were some of the comrades that you met in Botswana and had come to join the armed struggle?
Cde Mathema: To just name a few from the Zapu side there were comrades like the late army commander General Solomon Mujuru, the late Provincial Administrator for Matabeleland North Cde Livingstone Mashengele and Daniel Ndlela now an academic based in Harare. There were also other comrades from the Zanu side. From Francistown the Zapu comrades were sent to Lusaka via Livingstone. We stayed at the Zimbabwe House in Lusaka until August 1968 when we were sent to Moscow for training in military communications and intelligence.
Our group to Moscow was made up of the following: Joshua Mpofu (commander), Solomon Mujuru, Khumalo, Mugabe, Bhekuzulu Khumalo, John Ndlovu, Walter Mthikhulu and Cde Mathuthu. We were seen off by Cde Jason Moyo, Ackim Ndlovu (the Zipra commander then), Dumiso Dabengwa (the Zipra chief of intelligence), Robson Manyika (the Zipra chief of staff and second in command to Ackim Ndlovu). Also there was Embassy (Retired Colonel Tshinga Dube) who was Zipra’s chief of communications. Our training lasted for about nine months.
MS: What happened after your training?
Cde Mathema: After our training in 1969, I was posted to the headquarters of communications where I was one those who communicated with comrades at various camps in Zambia and operational areas at the front in Zimbabwe.
We had a strong communication system and during our operations it was difficult for the enemy forces to break our code. However, because of other developments in 1974 I was one of the cadres who were sent to the United Kingdom for academic studies.
MS: Did you continue with the struggle while in the United Kingdom?
Cde Mathema: Yes, while in the United Kingdom, I never stopped being a Zapu member, and I am one of those who published a political magazine called The Zimbabwe Worker which was even sent to Lusaka and Mozambique. The magazine concentrated on promoting the Patriotic Front of Zimbabwe. I also drew political cartoons on the PF, they were published in Zimbabwe in 1989 as a book titled I drew for the liberation struggle. In the UK I acquired a number of academic qualifications among them a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree in Public Administration and Economics from Trent Polytechnic, Nottingham which I did between 1974 and 1976. I also now hold a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a number of professional diplomas and certificates. I have also written a number of books and published poems. My works in the literary world have not gone unnoticed as I am a Nama winner.
MS: Some people might want to know how you rose the political ladder after Independence.
Cde Mathema: After the attainment of Independence I first worked for the Manpower Survey from 1981 to 1982, became a research officer in the then Ministry of Manpower Planning responsible for the manufacturing sector, also editor of the Ministry of Manpower Magazine and also liased with the Department of Immigration and the Public Service Commission on foreign recruitment, 1982 to 1983.
In 1983 I joined the Department of Co-operative Development as Assistant Secretary for all co-operative training in the country as a whole — my section produced a number of training and education materials and aids for both co-operators as well as civil servants, some of the materials and aids were recommended by the International Co-operative Alliance for use in their countries.
In 1986 I was promoted to the Under Secretary to the Public Service Commission responsible for manpower planning and training for the whole civil service. In October 1988 I was promoted to be Deputy Secretary responsible for Administration, Finance and Human Resources in the then Parastatals Commission.
In February 1991 I became Deputy Secretary to the late Vice-President Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo.
I held that position until I was elected Member of Tsholotsho Constituency on 9 April 1995. I was elected the MP unopposed, the opposition did not even dare field a candidate. Following my election in Parliament I was appointed by President Mugabe Deputy Minister for the then Ministry of Lands and Water Resources. After the 2000 elections I was appointed the country’s ambassador to Zambia.
The President then later redeployed me and I became the Governor and Resident Minister for Bulawayo.
I had to be moved again and became the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Matabeleland North, the position I am currently holding.
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