Online Reporter
Ezekiel Hleza
WHEN His Excellency President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa lights the independence flame in Maphisa on 18 April 2026, it will be the most profound and poignant moment for Matabeleland South, for Maphisa and for Zimbabwe, a solemn but crowning moment of leaving no one and no place behind and of Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo The Crowning Moment For An Epic Journey Of A Nation.
For a glimpse of the long epic journey, I have chosen just a few milestones on the road to Maphisa. Arguably the year 1962 forms the watershed of Zimbabwe’s armed liberation struggle. This was the year when cadres who included Misheck Velaphi Ncube from Seula in Kezi, Bobylock Manyonga, David Mpongo Khumalo and a few others were sent to Egypt for military training during the first quarter of the year.
This group returned before the end of the year. In the following year of 1963, two small groups were sent for military training in China while another went to Egypt. The second group that went to Egypt included, among others, His Excellency President ED Mnangagwa while the groups that went to China had among others, John Maluzo Ndlovu, Clark Mpofu, Charles Dauramanzi, Luke Mhlanga, Johnston Ndebele and Felix Rice.
It should be noted though that the idea of armed guerilla struggle to achieve liberation from colonial rule had been contemplated as early as during the days of the Southern Rhodesia African National Congress before it was banned in 1959 when Mark Nziramasanga, Zephaniah Sihwa, Sikhwili Moyo and Findo Mpofu went to Ghana.
Although the 1963 groups were caught up in the split in August of that year in the Nationalist movement, the idea of armed struggle was never lost and when ED Mnangagwa returned from Egypt after moving to the new party, ZANU, ZAPU on the other hand sent Dumiso Dabengwa, Ackim Ndlovu, Ambrose Mutinhiri, Joseph Nyandoro, Gordon Butshe, Robson Manyika, Lookout Masuku and Tshinga Dube to the Soviet Union. David Mongwa Moyo, Lazarus Dhlakama and Tinaye Chigudu were sent to North Korea.
The entry of the arms of war into Rhodesia in 1962 coincided with the return of the group from Egypt with Bobylock Manyonga being arrested near Zvishavane driving a car packed with guns and grenades in the boot destined for Salisbury. One of these early cadres lost his life in a bomb explosion in Highfields in September of 1963, with the following year of 1964 recording some incidents that left an indelible imprint in the history of the liberation struggle.
The crocodile gang made its mark in Nyanyadzi in Manicaland, which included the bombing of a goods train in Fort Victoria (Masvingo) through the use of dynamite by ED Mnangagwa on 11 July of 1964. Two months later, about to 60 kilometres south of Maphisa in Kezi, near the border with Botswana, six ZAPU guerillas armed with sub-machine guns attacked the Zidube Ranch owned by a white Magistrate, a Mr Roberts, who was notorious for sending political activists to Gonakudzingwa Detention Camp.
The Thompson sub-machine gun shattered the facade of peace and tranquillity of a Rhodesian September night at the cattle ranch and with it too the façade of the invincibility of the white settler rule. The six guerillas were led by Moffat Linda Hadebe and included Roger Mzila Ncube (Matshimini) who later became ZPRA Deputy Chief of Operations, Rhodes Malaba, Israel Maduma, Kay Nkala and Elliot Ngwabi. Rhodes Malaba and Roger Mzila were from Kezi District. All the six guerillas came from Matabeleland South. It was Tafi Zibuya Moyo from Kezi who facilitated transport logistics to Zidude ranch.
The guerillas arrived in Bulawayo from Zambia in a goods truck and were offloaded with their weapons at night.
In 1953 Tafi Moyo had come to the rescue of the Southern Rhodesia African National Congress by providing a loan of £350 to augment contributions from private individuals to enable its President Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo to travel to London to oppose the creation of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland at the review conference working together with Kenneth Kaunda and Dr Kamuzu Banda.
The Zidube Ranch attack, the bombing of the goods locomotive in fort Victoria, the Nyanyadzi attacks, the Battle of Chinhoyi, the Battle of Wankie, the Battle of Sipolilo form the collective relay race of the armed liberation struggle with Chimoio, Freedom Camp, Nyadzonia, Tembwe, Mkushi, Nampundwe, Boma, Kavalamanja, the Battle of Kariba, the Battle of Mavhonde, Mana Pools and the Battle of Ratanyana and many other theatres of the liberation struggle.
These inherited the baton of armed resistance from Maphisa Fuyana, Mtshana, Lobengula, Nehanda, Kaguvi, Mashayamombe, Mapondera and other earlier fighters and leaders. They are the dynamite that gave birth to the Independence flame.
As the clock ticks towards 18 April 2026 the over a century old narrow road from Bulawayo to Kezi and Maphisa is being widened into a Highway that befits the Stature of Father Zimbabwe.
As it meanders through the scenic Matopo Hills where the rocks stand in the way Alfred Nobel’s dynamite scatters the mountain into pieces of quary stones with a blast of thunder and fire, evocative of the thunder of the armed liberation struggle. This road was used by Tichafa Samuel Parirenyatwa, JZ Moyo and Joshua Nkomo.
On 18 April 2026, Hlupheko will use this road for a reunion with his fellow warrior Mdilizelwa at Maphisa after their parting of sorrow on 4 December 1893 on the banks of the Shangani River at Pupu after writing their names on Major Allan Wilson and his men for future generations.
Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo — Father Zimbabwe
Dr Kembo Dugish Campbel Mohadi
Jason Ziyaphapha Moyo
Mrs Joana Nkomo — Mama MaFuyana
Tarcicius Malan George Silundika
Edward Silonda Ndlovu
Benjamin Madlela
Enos Mzombi Nkala
Canaan Sodindo Banana
Stephen Jeqe Nkomo
Tafi Zibuya Moyo
Boyson Mguni
Vote Ndaminya Moyo
Calistus Dingiswayo Ndlovu
Mrs Thenjwe Virginia Lesabe
Jane Lungile Ngwenya
Sikhwili Kohli Moyo
Simon Khaya Moyo
Roma Nyathi
Richard Ndlovu
Saul Gwakuba Ndlovu
Zenzo Nkobi
Rogers Alfred Nikita Mangena
Lookout Khalisabantu Vumindaba Masuku
Joseph Zwangami Dube
Albert Pohole Nxele
Roger Mzila Ncube
Rhodes Malaba
Moffat Linda Hadebe
Amos Jack Ngwenya
Joseph Mtshumayeli Ngwenya
Joseph Makhado
Albert Nguluvhe
Titus Mchliswa
Abu-Basuthu
Tedzani Moyo
Hlanganani Dube
Peter Njini Sibanda
Sydney Joseph
Misheck Velaphi Ncube
Grey Mabhalani Bango
Elijah Masiane
Smile Madubeko Moyo
Exebious Vusa Tshuma
Getrude Moyo
Nicholas Nkomo
Molaoa Noko
Gordon Butshe
Tjile Nleya
Stanley Nleya
Irvin Sibhona
Calvin Mashila
Adam Dube – Mphini
Mdubani Tlou Branis Moyo – Shumba
Charles Bango
Gordon Bango
Adolph Ncube Hobodo
Vezi Maduna
Ernest Mganda Dube
Evelyn Ndlovu
Thomas Ngwenya
Selebale Masera
Fakazi Muleya Mdubani Tlou
Vincent Mahuzu Ncube
Simon Njini Ncube
Tambudzani Mohadi
Thomas Ngwenya
Samuel Sigwaza Maphosa
Tayima Ndlovu
Bigboy Nyathi
Ananias Nyathi
Phineas Mogorosi Makhurane
Godfrey Mayisa
n Ezekiel Hleza is a Teacher, head of Hlanganani Secondary School in Mangwe District.
He has published the following books:
1. Izigigaba Zempi Yenkululeko (With other authors) 1982, 1984
2. Emfuleni Wezinyembezi — 1984, 1992
3. Uyangisinda Lomhlaba — 1989, 1991
4. Don’t Cry For Me — 2014
5. Luthuli Detachment: The Hwange Thunderbolt — 2024
He wrote the song “When the country calls for the 2026 Independence Celebrations” hosted by his home province of Matebeleland South at Maphisa.
Bongani Ndlovu