Remembering San community heroes

AS punishment for supporting liberation war fighters, the Rhodesian forces shot 54 goats that belonged to his father and the bitterness still lingers today.

Though he was a teenager at that time, Mr Mthandazo Vundla, a village head from Sifulasengwe Village in Tsholotsho’s San community, says he still has memories of the struggle days.

Due to their home location near the Botswana border, the San community assisted a lot of liberation fighters, who crossed to join the struggle in Zambia via Botswana from areas such as Lupane, Nkayi and Tsholotsho.

The colonialists were unhappy with this and sought to punish the San community for facilitating successful crossings.

Mr Vundla said like many communities, the San community provided food and other necessities to men and women, who answered the call to join the liberation struggle for independence.

His father, Nxaphela Vundla’s deep knowledge of traditional medicine that attracted painful reprisals from the settler regime, as they were blamed for giving the fighters medicine to be evasive from the white soldiers.

“We saw several battles here because this area was used by those, who were crossing to join the liberation struggle and those returning from training,” said Mr Vundla.

“There were thousands of people who crossed using Zihubu or 2.2 into Botswana. The Rhodesians saw that, hence they deployed their soldiers to intercept those who were crossing the border.”

He said the San community used its vast knowledge of the dense forest to successfully direct those going to Botswana without being spotted by the Rhodesians, which would have spelled disaster.

By so doing, the whole community became immersed in the politics of the day, and their support for the freedom fighters was a national duty they could not abdicate.

“We provided them with food and directions on how to get to Botswana. Some of those intending to cross were shot dead after being intercepted,” he recalled.

“The Rhodesians used to beat us and my father suffered a lot because he was being accused of providing them with traditional medicine so that they could not be located,” said Mr Vundla.

“They shot dead 54 goats at our kraal and took them to their camp in Silalankomo. They also burnt our homestead because they blamed my father for supporting those who were going to join the war and those returning from Zambia to fight.”

Mr Vundla said he was part of the youths, who helped provide information and organise food and blankets for the revolutionaries.

The village head, who never went to school because of the circumstances of those days and is unsure of his age, said they spent most of their time in the bush running away from the Rhodesians.

“The enemy wanted to eliminate us by pushing us into these dry and wildlife-infested areas so that we could be devoured. They did not know ukuthi bafakinyamazana phakathi kwezinyinyamazana. The Rhodesians did not treat us well,” he said.

“One could be arrested for your cow missing even after being eaten by wild animals. If you failed to bring proof, you would be in trouble.

“When you wanted to slaughter a cow, you had to walk to Tsholotsho Centre and ask for permission.

They would tell you, which one to slaughter.

“Our heroes played a big role in ending some of these injustices we suffered under the Rhodesian soldiers,” said Mr Vundla.

Mr David Ndlovu, who has, over the years, worked to document and preserve the San community’s history, confirmed having documented the role played by Nxaphela Vundla, father to the village head. He said there was a big contingent of the San community who also joined the liberation struggle, with one old lady, one of the few still alive.

“Nxaphela was a feared spirit medium, it’s believed that he could make his homestead disappear from plain sight through his powers,” said Mr Ndlovu.

“He assisted a lot of freedom fighters and suffered for it. There are some battles that were fought in the area, including the battle of Nsekesa and Zihubu between the freedom fighters and the Rhodesian forces.

“But their biggest role was receiving those going to war and directing them and those coming from training to wage the war.”

Despite their contributions, for years after independence, the San community had lagged in terms of development until the coming of the Second Republic, which has been pushing a lot of projects to uplift the community.

The San community now has its own traditional leader, Chief Goledema and several youths have been recruited into the uniformed forces.

The Government has also rolled out a birth and national identity registration blitz, which resulted in them getting recognition as citizens of Zimbabwe. — @themkhust