Remembering ‘silent heroes’ of the struggle (Part 2)

Abel Mazinyane

PLATOON B of ZPRA recruits at Morogoro in Tanzania between 1969 and 1970 was commanded by the now late national hero, Enoch Tshangane (Retired Major-General Jevan Maseko). Maseko is buried at the National Heroes Acre in Harare.

Below Maseko commanding Section A was Lenon Khumalo (Bhubhudla). Bhubhudla and eight others including myself were smuggled out of Tanzania into Zambia in 1971 to kick-start operations in Rhodesia after a lull caused by the Chikerema saga. He had been appointed deputy chief of transport deputising Nkomeni Nleya. He and Jeffery Ndlovu remained in Lusaka while the rest of us proceeded to the border along the Zambezi River. In January 1976 we were flown to Maputo to join ZIPA. We were in Maputo for a few weeks before our deployment to the front.

In mid-1976 Bhubhudla wrote a letter to the ZPRA Headquarters in Lusaka, saying he was in Bulawayo and had teamed up with Cde Solomon Chirau, the comrade we had been together at Tembwe Camp east of Tete Town. It was not long before he was involved in a shoot-out against the Rhodesian security agents in Bulawayo. He later deployed in the Matopos area where he died. His grave has not been located.
Fleming Mnkandla/Skwantshani- I understand he was sent to the Soviet Union to train as a pilot in 1967. After completing training at Morogoro he was sent to the Soviet Union in 1972 to train in radio communication. He returned in 1973 and was deployed in the communication department. He rose to be head of the section of that department. After independence in 1980 he trained as a teacher but never practiced. He died in 2000.

Dlodlo/Rutendo Chigayo- He was recruited from Zambia. He died in combat at Feira in Mashonaland West.

Davies Dube- He was nicknamed Nzula because of his artificial Zulu accent. He was sent to the Soviet Union to train as a regional commander. On his return while in deployment at one of the front bases he survived an assassination by a Rhodesian agent. One of the comrades was not so lucky.

Carlos Dube-He lost his arm when a bazooka misfired. He lived to see an independent Zimbabwe.

Christopher Sibanda- He was commissar of Section B of Platoon B. He was sent to the Soviet Union to train as a regional commander together with Jevan Maseko, Davies Dube, Phinda, Makepesi Tshuma among others. He was killed by an enemy agent in 1978. He came from Matobo.

Lemson Ncube (Bass)- He came from the Plumtree area. He died in combat in the Gwanda area of Matabeleland South. He had been deployed there as one of the pioneers to open that operational area.

Themba Mbambo (Maguswini)- I think he came from Nkayi. What a fighter. I operated with him briefly. His combination with Rogers Ncube or Matshimini made me feel uncomfortable. They were too relaxed in the face of danger.

Nkosembi Maphosa (Elliot Mahlole)- He was from Matobo. We went to the USSR together where he trained as a reconnaissance specialist.

We were also together in Operation “Old Woman” in 1974. He was my deputy. We were also imprisoned together at Ukonga Maximum Prison in Tanzania. This one is a story for another day. He was appointed the first commander of the southern front in 1978. Earlier he had been injured when an enemy agent tried to shoot him. He was with Christopher Sibanda and Davies Dube (Nzula).