We walked for days without food and water

CDE WATSON KUDARO, whose Chimurenga name was Cde Kuda Munyama, continues his narration by spotlighting their journey to Tanzania for military training. He also tells our Political Editor KUDA BWITITI about his time in the East African country during training and challenges they faced to get to the front to fight the war.

****************

Q: How did you proceed to Tanzania after the tough times you encountered in Mozambique?

A: This was now around November 1976. We were taken to Beira, where we stayed for about two weeks waiting for the ship that would take us to Tanzania. Morale was very high because, after the hardships in camps in Mozambique, we knew that going for military training was a watershed moment that would lead us to our ultimate goal of returning home to liberate the country.

 Q: How did you feel when the ship finally arrived?

A: Seeing the ship was a surreal moment. Remember, we had crossed into Mozambique in 1975 and had waited for well over a year to start comprehensive training. Also, most, if not all, the comrades had never seen a ship, so it was indeed a memorable moment. The ship was called Chama Cha Mapinduzi after Tanzania’s revolutionary party. It was enormous and had multiple floors. There were 701 of us on the ship. When it set sail, the journey took about three to four days until we arrived at Mtwara Port.

Q: What happened after arriving at Mtwara?

A: We were welcomed by comrades from the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) and deployed to the Nachingwea base. Some of the comrades I was with included the late national hero, Brigadier-General (Benjamin) Mabenge, whose Chimurenga name was Freddie Matanga. It was at Nachingwea that I received the nom de guerre Cde Kuda Munyama. We stayed at Nachingwea for six months receiving training.

Q: Tell us about the training. What did it entail?

A: It was comprehensive and included many aspects. The muchaka-muchaka, or guerilla warfare, which we had learned earlier in Mozambique was also part of the sessions. Infantry training included handling guns, including the AK-47. Other comrades specialised in ammunition like mortars, landmines and demolition. We were also taught about basic medical skills, among other military abilities.

Our group was named Songa Mbele, which means “advance forward” in Swahili.

Q: How many were you in the Songa Mbele group?

A: It was the 701 of us who had arrived by ship and others who had arrived by plane. The TPDF was mainly responsible for our training. Local trainers included Cdes Mabenge, Chale, Marimo, Gutura, Majanga and Hamunaye Mabhunu.

Our camp commander was Cde Mpofu and the political commissar was Cde Marimo. Some of the now prominent names whom I recall well from our group include ZANU PF Politburo member Cde Douglas Mahiya and Brigadier-General Blessing Maraire.

We were then placed into three military companies. I was in Company 1, named Chaminuka.

Q: When did you finish training at Nachingwea and what happened after?

A: This was now around mid-1977. After training, we left Tanzania and spent some weeks in Mozambique awaiting deployment to the front. We were then informed that our area of operation would be around the Beitbridge area. We used lorries and also walked to get to an area called Xai-Xai in Mozambique, along the Limpopo River. From Xai-Xai, we proceeded to Balaji, a point where Zimbabwe, South Africa and Mozambique converge long the Limpopo River. It was at Balaji where we were given guns and placed into military sections.

My first Section was commanded by Cde Roy Odzi and I was the political commissar, which was effectively deputy to the commander.

From Balaji, we travelled by lorries to get close to the Beitbridge border. We were dropped off at Compomuni and proceeded on foot because enemy soldiers were in that area. The war had been fought in that region, so we could not use lorries, which could be easily bombed. From Compomuni, we walked to Mapai, an area that had been heavily bombed by enemy forces in 1976 and was now a ghost town.

From there, we moved into a base at Nuanetsi, where we were welcomed by other experienced comrades.

They encouraged us to proceed. However, as we proceeded, tragedy struck.

Some of our comrades stepped on landmines. Three died. One was injured and we carried him to the Nuanetsi base, where we retreated to get advice on what to do next. The experienced cadres at the base told us to proceed to the front.

We did not quite know how to deal with the landmines. There was a suggestion that we could shoot at the traps, but I disagreed and gave advice on how to dodge them. We walked past the booby traps, skipping them. We were lucky to survive and continued walking using the Gonarezhou Park route.

By this time, we had run out of food supplies. We walked for three days, barely without food and water. One of the comrades said he could not take it anymore. We told him to drink his urine. He remained behind and we took his gun. The beauty of his story is that he survived, and I met him after independence.

After leaving him, we continued walking in the scorching heat of Gonarezhou. With time, we grew familiar with the area and knew where we would drink water from the Limpopo River. Our destination was Gezana. Finally, we got to a homestead where we were given food. Having endured three days of hunger, we voraciously feasted on the sadza and meat. From there, we proceeded to the Matibi area.

 Next week, Cde Kudaro speaks about his experiences in Matibi, where he engaged in combat with the Rhodesian security forces.