Umgandani: Untrained but effective army

AS the nation mourns the death of liberation stalwart and renowned educationist, Dr Sikhanyiso Duke Ndlovu, one of his colleagues during the liberation struggle has come forward, recollecting the days of the celebrated Umgandani underground sabotage squad. Dr Ndlovu died at Mater Dei Hospital in Bulawayo on Tuesday where he had been admitted to in the Intensive Care Unit for about a week after suffering an asthma attack and subsequent stroke. The liberation war stalwart, a Zanu-PF Politburo member who also served as Higher Education Deputy Minister and later Information Minister on 9 August 2015 penned a personal account in the Sunday News where he recounted his experience of the detention camp in Gonakudzingwa, his relationship with the late Vice-President Dr Joshua Nkomo and his days as a commander of an underground demolition squad, when he was going by the pseudonym “General Hokoyo”. In his article, Dr Ndlovu made mention of one Mlotshwa as being part of his army, which would go around sabotaging key government infrastructure. Sunday News managed to track down Mlotshwa mentioned in Dr Ndlovu’s article, Cde Modecai Notlensgna Mlotshwa, who revealed that to most cadres Dr Ndlovu was a true commander and they would take guidance from him whenever they had a mission. The 73-year-old said while he was just an 18-year-old back then, they were so dedicated to the liberation struggle that they would bravely sabotage any infrastructure they felt would grossly affect the white colonialists. Leading the largely youthful sabotage squad, which was named Umgandani after an army of Ndebele monarch King Lobengula, General Hokoyo recruited the likes of Cde Mlotshwa and despite them not receiving active training in warfare, he managed to train them in urban guerrilla tactics which included petrol bomb making and dynamite detonation. Some of the acts of sabotage attributed to Umgandani include the bombing of the then Prime Minister Winston Field’s podium at White City Stadium and the Mpopoma Train Station. “General Hokoyo was the leader of Umgandani, a force that comprised us civilians and some freedom fighters who had trained in Zambia. Gen Hokoyo and the few freedom fighters would train us in basic combat, like how to handle petrol bombs and set off dynamite, so that we could be able to carry out our acts of sabotage. I was personally trained by the late Cde Ackim Ndlovu, the late Zipra commander buried at the National Heroes Acre. “Some of the acts of sabotage that were attributed to our squad included the attack on the mail train at Mpopoma railway station in 1964 and the burning down of the Lancashire Steel factory in Bulawayo. I remember the reason we decided to hit the mail train was because we knew this was a whites’ only train and we had decided that instead of sabotaging white infrastructure we had to hit the white men themselves,” said Cde Mlotshwa. He revealed that before they graduated to the larger targets they mainly concentrated on petrol bombing smaller buildings, streetlights and any other government infrastructure that could cost the Rhodesian government. Cde Mlotshwa recalled that the early 1970s was a time when the majority of people were so keen in fighting the colonial regime and would further do anything just to fend off their frustrations. “I remember Dr Ndlovu was a social worker and the late National hero Cde Sydney Malunga was a teacher. They were the first civil servants whom we knew to have been fired for their political activism, hence we looked up to them. n From Page 4
“Naturally when Dr Ndlovu came to recruit us to join his sabotage squad, which he named Umgandani after King Lobengula’s army, we did not hesitate because this was all for the liberation of our country. Even if we did not cross for training we felt we were needed here in the country,” said Cde Mlotshwa.
As for some of the members of the team, Cde Mlotshwa said they were quite a significant number but in most cases they would go in groups of three to four to carry out set missions.
“Some of the names that quickly come to mind are Cde Gibson Mayisa, Cde Benjamin Tshuma nicknamed Lenchina, for his braveness. I remember he used to cover his face with a black cloth whenever we were going for a target. He never at one time missed a target. Cde Short Mkandla was also a brave man.
“Lenchina and Cde Mkandla were both arrested, after some information leaked on their acts of sabotage. Lenchina was sentenced to five years while Cde Mkandla was given a life sentence in prison charged for bombing the mail train at Mpopoma station,” he said.
He revealed that their squad was made up of a number of individuals with different strengths which made it easy for them to carry out their sabotage missions.
“Within the Umgandini squad there were also older individuals such as Cde Mazonko Ncube and Cde Elliot Ndlovu the teacher nicknamed Jereza for his speed after attack on a target,” said Cde Mlotshwa.
He, however, bemoaned the fact most of these brave warriors were now being forgotten emphasising the need for the Government to intervene and assist some of these unsung heroes who are living in poverty.
“I think there is a need for us to visit the families of some of these individuals so we can draw the Government’s attention towards the welfare of their families. There are people like Cde Sandisi Mlilo who was shot and lost his right arm and Cde John Mdluli Nyathi who was shot on the stomach by prison officers for going on a hunger strike while they were serving their five years hard labour sentences. One thing that should be remembered is that the majority of Umgandani were not trained in active combat but they were brave enough to stand up against the white regime and I should say successfully because we gave them quite a headache,” said Cde Mlotshwa.
For his role in Umgandani, Cde Mlotshwa spent four years in prisoned, three years at Gonakudzingwa and a single year at Whawha in Gweru.