‘We lived like animals in the bush’

THIS is the final instalment of our discussion with Cde Evelyn Gotekote, who together with two of her sisters left their home in Nyanga to go for military training in Mozambique. We ended last week’s discussion with Cde Gotekote (EG) narrating to our Senior Reporter TENDAI CHARA (TC) how she survived the Mavonde battle and her subsequent deployment to the war zone where she was tasked with transporting war materials. As we conclude our three-week discussion, Cde Gotekote will take us through the final moments of the bitterly-fought war.

TC: Cde, we ended last week’s discussion with you narrating how you survived the Mavonde battle and your subsequent deployment to the war zone in Gandanzara, Rusape. If you can wrap up our discussion by narrating your contribution to the war effort as Independence beckoned?

EG: As I said previously, I was deployed in Gandanzara, Rusape, and our group had two female combatants.

We were operating in the Mudzimu area when we had a nasty encounter with the Rhodesian soldiers.

We were at our base when we saw two mujibhas running towards us. They were gasping for breath and told us that the enemy was coming towards our base. Our commander told us to disperse. We scattered in all directions. This was a situation where one had to fight for his/ her own life.

With my gun in hand, I ran to a nearby homestead and entered into one of the huts.

Several other people were in the house.

Since I was a young girl, I easily blended in with the other girls and women in the hut.

I grabbed a coat that was hung somewhere in the hut and put it on.

I was using it to hide my gun.

In no time, Rhodesian soldiers came in and ransacked the house.

They were looking for guerrillas.

My heart skipped several beats.

I was scared because I thought the Rhodesians would identify me and kill me.

I was lucky because there were no sell-outs at the house; otherwise, I would have been fished out of the crowd and would have been executed.

While the Rhodesian soldiers were searching the other huts, I confidently left the hut, picked up a basket that was outside and calmly walked towards a nearby river.

I knew that there was a garden close to the river.

I went into the garden and started harvesting sweet potatoes.

I was doing this to avoid detection.

From the garden, I could see the Rhodesian soldiers beating up and harassing the povo.

I harvested heaps upon heaps of the sweet potatoes in order to buy time and get an opportunity to sneak out of the area.

I nearly lost consciousness when the group of Rhodesian soldiers, numbering up to 200, passed by the garden as they were leaving the area.

Luckily for us, no one from our group was either killed or injured.

The warning that we got from the mujibha saved us.

We had another encounter with the Rhodesian army during one misty morning.

What happened was that we were camped on a mountain and unbeknown to us, the Rhodesians had also camped on the other side of the same mountain.

Although we could not see them, the smell of cigarettes engulfed the area.

Because of this, we knew the Rhodesian soldiers were close by.

We knew the type of cigarettes that the Rhodesians preferred.

The Rhodesians, later on, discovered that we were around so they encircled the entire area.

Some of our fellow comrades were captured before any shot was fired after they fell directly into the enemy’s hands.

They could not see where they were going because of the mist.

The captured comrades were tortured and some of them ended up revealing the places where some of our weapons were hidden.

The captured cadres suffered greatly at the hands of the enemy.

I was among the few fighters that were not captured that day. I always tell people that the war was not a stroll in the park.

During the war, we travelled very long distances on foot; distances that one cannot travel under normal circumstances.

Because of the harsh conditions that we were subjected to, some of the comrades, later on, failed to conceive.

Some of our parents went as far as seeking juju which they believed would protect their sons and daughters who were fighting in the war.

Up to this day, some of the families are having problems that are a direct result of their parents’ dabbling with juju.

Our parents sacrificed a lot for us.

How are we going to repay them for what they did for us? In my case, my ancestral spirits protected me during the war.

My other sister was badly injured during the war and up to this day, she doesn’t have calves.

They were shaved clean during an attack.

She was featured on a television programme and many people wept when they heard her story.

TC: Were you ever captured during the war?

EG: I was never captured during the war.

I was, however, nearly captured when Rhodesian soldiers on horseback came after us. When the soldiers were closing in on us, I dived into a stream.

Since I was carrying heavy materials, I was submerged under the water for some time.

When I finally emerged, the soldiers had gone past. That was a very close shave.

TC: You were narrating how some of your comrades were caught because of the mist, what did you then do after your escape?

EG: After escaping, I wandered around for a few days before I was reunited with some of the other fighters that had escaped.

We then set another base elsewhere. After a few months, we were told that the war had come to an end and we had to go to assembly points.

My group was one of the many that did not immediately go to the assembly points.

We were part of the reserve force that remained behind in the war zones as the leadership was suspicious of the Rhodesian government. After some months, lorries were sent to fetch us and we were taken to Dzapasi Assembly Point.

Cde Rex Nhongo later came to Dzapasi and addressed us. We were put into two groups of female and male combatants.

I was part of the group that was transferred to Manyene, in Chivhu.

This assembly point was strictly for girls.

From Manyene, some of the girls joined the army, the police and other Government departments.

I wanted to join the Zimbabwe Republic Police, but on the day that I was to sign the papers, I got sick and missed the opportunity.

I, later on, married Grey Makorera, who was also a veteran of the armed struggle.

Sadly, my husband died as a result of the long-term effects of poisoning.

During the war, my husband was part of a group of 25 fighters who were operating in Mpapa, in Chivi that ate food that had been poisoned by the enemy.

Of the 25 fighters, only two people including my husband survived.

My husband’s health later deteriorated and he died as a result of the effects of the poisoning. When we married, we were not sure if we were going to have any children.

We were, however, blessed with seven children.

Of the seven, four are soldiers.

Like I said before, participating in the war was a huge sacrifice. Imagine leaving my parents when I was only a girl.

In the bush, we lived like wild animals.

We were in fact, wild animals.

Snakes rarely attacked us.

To the snakes, we were just the same.

TC: Lastly, were girls sexually abused by their fellow comrades during the liberation struggle?

EG: During the war, we viewed our fellow male comrades as brothers. We did not have time to think about relationships and intercourse. We were brothers and sisters. We often shared clothes with our male counterparts.

TC: Thank you for your time.

EG: You are most welcome.