admin
Patrick Chitumba-Midlands Bureau
ZIMBABWE’S liberation struggle remains a defining chapter in the nation’s history, marked by the sacrifices and resilience of freedom fighters who endured immense challenges under colonial rule.
Among these veterans is 88-year-old Cde Thomas Ziki from Masvingo, a surviving member of the Crocodile Gang, whose contributions to the Second Chimurenga shaped the country’s path to independence.
Cde Ziki’s journey, which he recently recounted to President Mnangagwa, offers a vivid portrayal of the hardships faced during the struggle.
He and President Mnangagwa share a unique bond that traces back to their military training in Egypt during the early 1960s.
Their paths converged again in Fort Victoria, where they joined forces to recruit resistance fighters and execute sabotage missions against Rhodesian infrastructure.
These daring operations led to widespread arrests, including Cde Ziki’s incarceration at Whawha Prison and later Sikombela Prison, where he met prominent leaders like the late former President Robert Mugabe and Cde Simon Muzenda.
As Zimbabwe prepares to celebrate 45 years of independence on April 18 in Gokwe North District under the theme; “Zim @ 45: Devolve and Develop Together Towards Vision 2030,” the Government has undertaken significant infrastructure projects.
These include rehabilitating roads and 110 drilling boreholes to provide clean water, underscoring its commitment to development. The event is expected to attract over 100 000 attendees from across the country.
The Midlands province, hosting this year’s celebrations, has also declared key detention centres such as Mtapa Hall, Whawha, Connemara, and Sikombela as national historical monuments.
These sites symbolise the sacrifices made by freedom fighters like Cde Ziki and others who endured torture and imprisonment while fighting for independence.
Cde Ziki’s reflections highlight not only his personal sacrifices, but also the collective resilience of liberation fighters. He recounted moments of triumph and betrayal, such as President Mnangagwa’s daring train bombing operation that led to his arrest after being sold out by an overzealous comrade.
Despite enduring severe torture and injuries during his imprisonment, Cde Ziki, whose war name was Cde Mupetabere, continued his work post-release, creating safe passages for freedom fighters until independence was attained.
“When we finished training in Egypt, President Mnangagwa was to be sent to China for further training. We had to reunite in Masvingo, where we were carrying out several activities including recruiting people for resistance as well as bombing strategic infrastructure, while using Cde Nolan Makombe’s residence as a sanctuary,” Cde Ziki said.
He said when President Mnangagwa bombed the train, he had to leave Masvingo to Harare with a referral letter from Cde Makombe to get assistance in Highfields.
“However, one of the comrades got excited and sold him out unknowingly after bragging that the boys were now in town, and that is when he was incarcerated. Our gang of 11 was eventually arrested one by one,” said Cde Ziki.
He was eventually arrested and tortured before being thrown into Whawha Prison.
Cde Ziki said at Whawha, he found all the Crocodile Gang leaders except Cde Mnangagwa, who had been sent to Harare.
“From Whawha, we were then sent to Sikombela Prison in Gokwe where I later met the likes of the late Cde Robert Mugabe and the late Vice President Cde Simon Muzenda,” he said.
Cde Ziki said they were eventually released around 1966.
In the 1970s, they resumed their operations, creating problems for the Ian Smith regime.
“We were again arrested, and I managed to meet Cde Mnangagwa at Harare Central Prison where we were detained in a detention centre while he (President Mnangagwa) was in prison cells,” he said.
Cde Ziki said when they saw Cde Mnangagwa doing some electrical work, the detention centre erupted into joy.
“President Mnangagwa was eventually released and went to Mozambique via Zambia. I was also released and continued with works of creating a passage for freedom fighters around the Chipinge area where I operated until independence,” he said
Cde Ziki said they communicated through smuggling letters from detained leaders to freedom fighters outside prison walls, which were covert networks that sustained resistance efforts.
Former Rhodesia Prison Services officer, Mr Solomon Zimuto, was one of the people who assisted the detained freedom fighters in smuggling letters.
“I joined the then Rhodesia Prison Services as a prison officer after training in 1975 before I was posted to Connemara Prison outside Gweru. I had the privilege of working with some of the veterans of the struggle, like Cde Leopold Takawira,” he said.
Mr Zimuto narrated his role in relaying messages to the freedom fighters in a sophisticated way that prevented them from being caught.
“At one time, I remember, the liberation fighters came and ambushed some prison officers and took them to the war, and they were never found. These were the hazards of the war,” he said.
Online Reporter