Sundaymail Editor
THIS week, CDE AMBROSE MUTINHIRI, whose Chimurenga name was General de Gaulle, continues his narration, detailing how escalating police brutality prompted him to move from Chirau village to Salisbury (now Harare) before crossing the border into Zambia and eventually receiving military training in the Soviet Union. He recounts to our Features and Arts Editor PRINCE MUSHAWEVATO how this decision profoundly altered his life, leading him to meet key liberation figures such as Cdes James Chikerema, Ackim Ndlovu and Robson Manyika, all united in the struggle to liberate the country.
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Q: Last week, we ended our discussion when the Rhodesian police had mistakenly released you from custody and you seized the opportunity to escape, beginning a cat-and-mouse relationship with the authorities. Can you continue from there?
A: The police would come and search for me at our rural home. On one occasion, they caught me on a Sunday.
I had gone to play football at a primary school close to our village. I was captured in the middle of the game.
A teammate passed the ball to me and as I dribbled past the opponents along the touchline, a detective literally dived and grabbed me.
He had been part of the crowd watching the match. After firmly clutching me, he attempted to handcuff me, but I refused. I told him I would comply with his directives.
He then told me to accompany him to Chinhoyi.
However, I started walking towards my village; I did not want to go to Chinhoyi, as I had been there before and knew what awaited me. As we were walking, we came to a place where the community was working together in a garden (nhimbe).
They were working in Chifura’s garden. I drifted from the path we were using and headed towards the garden.
Chifura then enquired what was going on. I told him that the detective had arrested me. Shortly after entering the garden, I picked up an axe and charged towards the officer. It scared him and he ran away.
He was unarmed. I then escaped in a different direction. I then became one of the most wanted young black men in the area, constantly playing hide-and-seek with the police. I decided to relocate and went to Salisbury.
But trouble followed me.
After a brief stay in the capital, I was again arrested in Highfield at Chinamhora’s house, where Joshua Nkomo stayed.
Q: What were you doing at Joshua Nkomo’s house, and why were you arrested?
A: Many youths frequented the place. We were essentially acting as security guards. I was simply standing there, unaware that detectives were in the area.
They approached and arrested me before taking me to Southerton Police Station. At the station, they asked for my name and I lied.
I told them my name was Andrew Mutinhiri. They then told me they were looking for Ambrose, who was the same height and complexion as me. They asked for my details and I gave them those from Nyandoro village (Marondera), not Chirau village (Chinhoyi).
The police then asked for my identity card and I told them it was in Highfield. They assigned an officer to escort me to verify the details.
He was on a motorcycle, while I walked from Southerton to Lusaka via Machipisa.
I cooperated with him to the extent that he relaxed. When we got close to Highfield Cocktail Bar, the officer decided to go to Machipisa to get a car to take us to Lusaka.
When he went a distance ahead of me, I crossed the road and went into Mai Chinamano’s shop. She knew me.
She asked if everything was alright and I told her I was running away from the police. She knew I had been arrested.
I further explained that I was escaping from a police officer who wanted to verify my ID card since I did not have one.
She then showed me a backdoor exit and I left. When the officer returned to confirm my whereabouts, Mai Chinamano was extremely hostile towards him. After I escaped, I went to William Mukarati’s place. He was one of our leaders. He told me bluntly that I had become high risk and he could not provide sanctuary for me. He asked me to find alternative accommodation, which I told him I did not have. I could not go home because the police had that address.
That is when Mukarati took me to James Chikerema, who in turn took me to a female activist known as Victoria, or simply Vicky, but I have forgotten her last name. Vicky had a relationship with the Mutanga brothers and stayed at their residence.
That became my hiding place. I stayed with her for some time.
Q: Was there any plan in place or were you simply hiding?
A: I started looking for my father, who was also looking for me. I eventually found and met with him. He suggested that I cross the border, as others were doing. He had realised that the Rhodesian security forces were eager to arrest me and could eventually kill me in the process since I was receiving lashes each time I was arrested.
He reckoned I had a better chance of survival outside the country. He asked if I had any idea how to cross the border and I assured him I could find out and leave.
I then went back to Mukarati and told him that I wanted to cross the border. He told me that it was possible and that he was the one facilitating the border crossings for some of the comrades.
Q: What happened next?
A: Mukarati connected me with Cde Alexander Mhangarai, whom I had previously met in remand.
Arrangements were made for us to leave the country with Clan Transport. Meanwhile, the police had literally camped at my home in Highfield.
On the day I left, on my way to Clan Transport, I passed by my home while I was in Mukarati’s car. We did not stop, as the police were there. We boarded a truck that was going to Lusaka.
This was in 1963.
When we encountered roadblocks, we would disembark and reboard the truck after passing the checkpoints.
Alexander was older than me and he came prepared for the trip, ready for any outcome. The only weapon we had was his knife. At Chirundu, we were not stopped; it was still the Federation.
However, when we reached Kafue, the driver instructed us to disembark. He knew we could be arrested; we were now in Northern Rhodesia. So, we walked until we passed Kafue, where our transport was waiting for us. If caught, we could have been arrested in Kafue because it was within the Federation.
Q: Did you have a particular destination or contact person?
A: He (Mukarati) had given us a letter, but he told us to destroy it if we were arrested.
It was not supposed to fall into the hands of the police. When we were just outside Lusaka, the driver stopped the truck and dropped us off.
We started looking for the ZAPU office.
However, we had been told to alternatively look for the United National Independence Party (UNIP) headquarters if we failed to locate the ZAPU offices.
We went there and met Mainza Chona, who later became a prime minister in Zambia.
He was the one who called the ZAPU office on our behalf. A delegation was sent to collect us, and we went to the ZAPU office, where we later produced the letter from Mukarati.
That is when we were taken to a house in Lusaka. We stayed there for about three months before being transferred to Dar es Salaam. That is when calls started coming for people to go for training in different parts of the world.
Chikerema used to insist that I was too young and, therefore, could not go for training, until they eventually suggested that I travel.
I joined a group that was going to the Soviet Union around 1964. We were the first six Zimbabweans to undergo military training in the Soviet Union.
Our group was led by national hero Ackim Ndlovu, deputised by Robson Manyika. There was also Author Nyoni, Elliot Mlala, John Moyo and myself.
Our training was for 10 months.
It was supposed to be a one-year course but was condensed to 10 months due to their weather changes.
We would have gone into winter training, which would have been detrimental to us.
Next week, Cde Mutinhiri will narrate his experiences in the Soviet Union and how the training transformed him into one of the most effective commanders of the armed struggle. He will also discuss the planning and execution of the famous Hwange battle.
Online Reporter