Vusumuzi Dube
IN the last article Sunday News; Lest we forget Lieutenant Colonel (Rtd) Jackson Thuli Matiwaza aka Cde Chokwadi attests that “We were ready to storm Rhodesia”. This write-up will thus discuss further by unpacking Cde Chokwadi’s revelations from an operational art lenses.
Zapu’s Turning Point Policy and Offensive Strategy “Storm the Heavens” What my former comrade-in-arms Cde Chokwadi has told us is just the readiness of a brigade commanded by Brigadier General (late) Charles Gray aka Mike Renolds that comprised five infantry battalions. The omission of other arms beyond infantry subjects his attestation to both operational art and tactical inquiries as is discussed, some were in other write-ups and chat platforms, Jeremy Brickhill “The Zero Hour” BK in ZPRA Legacy 27-11-2021, among others.
However, central to ZPRA’s combat readiness to storm Rhodesia is contained in what Brickhill describes as Operation Storming the Heaven with Zapu’s Turning Point as the critical strategy and policy respectively that mapped all the nitty-gritties for a regular combat dimension of ZPRA. Let me rekindle your memories on the above debate “The last major operation was the launch of the conventional unit-led offensive which Magwizi knew its codename as being ‘Storming the Heavens’ (interview 23/08/2021 referring to Jeremy Brickhill’s ‘Daring Storming the Heavens’) as the source”.
Through the Turning Point Policy, Zapu secured some training facilitations for the regular units both the land and air forces. Of course, it was not a new idea since Zapu had such arrangements with Algeria where the following became the first-ever to be trained in regular warfare leadership; Phenias Majuru (Team leader), Andrew Mafu (Deputy Team leader), Gordon Tapson Nkomani Sibanda aka Munyanyi, Rogers Mangena aka Alfred Nikita, Jordan Gampu aka Philip Maphosa, David Moyo, Denies Pondayi, Joel Daki, John Khanye, Elliot Masengo aka Chirenda, Mabhena, Alexander Fungayi, Cephas Khumalo, Rex Dlamini Nkomo, Grey Matemasango, Misheck Matumo aka Maphosa, Morris Mbiri and Cleopas Mhlabi aka James Parateya. Rogers Mangena came out as the best student on completion of the course and those who passed were commissioned Second Lieutenants.
The subsequent trainings of field commanders for various arms of command like infantry, artillery, armour (tanks and armoured cars), engineering, reconnaissance and intelligence among others were a brainchild of Zapu’s Turning Point Policy. As a result, ZPRA had on its roll a full complement of trained Brigade Commanders not more than 10 as well as their chiefs of staff as the administrative component.
With the continued trainings at Odesa and Sitripol for battalion commanders and company commanders as well as commissars respectively, by the end of 1978 to mid-1979, ZPRA had a staff turnout of approximately 2 000 regular trained field commanders including their political commissars.
While this staff turn-out was getting back into Zambia half if not less got quickly deployed either at the Northern Front or Southern one with a minute insignificant number filtering into towns Harare and Bulawayo. The deployment of regular fighters into the respective operational theatres turned to cause friction in the other guerrilla ranks whose modus operandi and disciplinary behaviours were not accepted by the new deployees.
Those in the know, the likes of Baberton (SF Commander), Nyamupingidza (NF 1 Commander) and others have, at some oral discussions, attested how torrid they managed to handle the guerrillas amid their weird operational behaviours. By the summer of 1979, ZPRA’s conventional forces positioned in Zambia had increased to approximately 20 000 men armed with the then modern artillery, armoured vehicles, and bridge laying vehicles (BLV). Of this whole sum, five battalions were formed against time.
Things turned upside-down as the Lancaster House Conference Talks threw spanners into the “Storm the Heavens” operational plan. As a standby measure, the High Command with consensus from the Commander-in-chief Joshua Mqabuko okaNyongolo Nkomo hurried deployed five battalions where some had not been joined by their other arms to be homogeneous with the dictates of a regular combat battle force. In other words, this suffices to say that the air-wing component had not yet arrived. The Air Wing Training, the genesis of the ZPRA Air Wing started around August 1977 in Consomol School, USSR, following President Joshua Nkomo’s visit to a ZPRA Commissariat Course (Air Marshal Elson Moyo-led group interview, 2021). On Nkomo’s instruction to undergo medical assessment tests, the group of 10 Commissariat students became the first privileged to know that Zapu was about to establish a ZPRA Air Wing.
However, from the 10 cadres Shovia Maphosa was the only successful one to pass the tests. The Air Wing training calendar decision was not abrupt. It was part and parcel to the training of the conventional fighting battalions enshrined in the Zapu’s Turning Point strategy further amplified by JZ Moyo’s Zapu policy document ‘Our Path to Liberation’. Comrade Shovia’s formally appointment as Commander and group leader of the 71 Air Wing candidates had been preceded by Commander Alfred Nikita taking Moyo to the President’s office. Finally, the group comprised of 21 jet fighters and helicopter pilot trainees and 50 technicians had to leave for the USSR. Their destination was the Central Asia Military Academy which had five training bases; Lugovia, Jambol, Kant Tokmak and Funze. All these bases had to be passed through in round-robin skills impartation rotation.
On 6 March 1978, the Comrade Shovia Maphosa-led group of 72 trainees flew from Lusaka, Zambia, to the USSR whose starting point was Lugovia Base which was hosting the language course. Some of the pioneer trainees; Pilots (1st group USSR) Elison Moyo (Shovia Maphosa) overall group leader, Anele Moyo (Shingirai Sigodo), Sehliselo Mguni (Peter Donsa), Olden Nxumalo Mabhena (Mabhena Mpofu), Ornard Dube (Jimmy Guduza), Timothy Dube (Hugo Thebe), Abedinigo Nyoni (Hendricks), Baker Ndlovu (Kamati Mpofu), Ishmael Mlibatsi (Josphat Nyathi), Mjoza Ndevu (Louis Mlotshwa), Joseph Nkomo (Walker Takavarasha), Dannies Nyoni (Jonas Ntabende), Charlie Sebele), Costa Dewa (Wednesday Masina), Karl Khuphe (Morris D. Moyo), Tarzin Bhebhe (Law Ntuli), Mollet Khanye (Wilson Tshangane), Methuseli Khumalo (Balthazar Nenyanga), Banokuthula Hlabangana (Felix Mathanzima), and Nathaniel Ncube (Mekli Dingumuzi). Technicians (1st group USSR) Douglas Mlalazi (Patrick Maphosa), Mabusiso Msindo (Daniel Nkandla), Stanley Mguni (Fork Mangombe), Garnet Madonko (Morris Siziba), Nelson Nyathi (Christopher Skhumbuzo), Lot Siziba (Sparks Ncube), Joram Siziba (Bhekimpilo Makanyani), Livat Siziba (Washington Mathema), Remington Sibanda (Makhala Mahewu), and others. Pilots (2nd group USSR) Nephat, Mazambane (Cephas Dlamini), Mangena (Pasipamire), Patrick Motorola, Pro (Fortune Tshuma), and Tindal. Kamzo Sibanda, Gareth Sibanda, Jethro Ndlovu, Suzino Ngobeni and Julius Magarangoma. The departure of the USSR group was subsequently followed the Romania-bound group which had the likes of Patrick Moyo, Msongelwa, Vundla among others were to join hands with those from ZANLA that included; Mhlanga, Ranga along the other four members. Another group comprised of Parks Nkomo, Tshuma, Magarengoma, and others would later fly to Egypt. Joshua Nkomo, the ZPRA Commander-in-chief, revisited the group in 1978 accompanied by Cephas Cele the ZPRA Chief Personnel.
Another second group of cadres led by Nephat including the likes of Dlamini and Fortune Tshuma were to replace the first group that finished their programs in October and December 1980 respectively.
Statistically, the USSR training gesture had seen the ZPRA cadres being the fourth largest group after those from Libya, Ethiopia and Iraq. Nevertheless, those who returned home, officially were holders of flying and technician diplomas, and yet not many of them got employed in the Air Force of Zimbabwe.
On the support service components, at least a women’s brigade of three battalions stationed at Solwezi was ready for deployment. The Brigade Command staff complement was; Brigade Commander; Comrade Sibonukuhle Getrude Ngwenya (Getrude Mpala) later Mrs Getrude Moyo, Commissar; Martha (Dr Mathonsi-Sibhona Jila), Deputy Commander; Olly Dlamini, later (Colonel “Mrs” Ossie Mhandu), Chief of Staff; Keabetso Dube later Iris Daughters Shumba (Chiratidzo Mabuwa), Brigade 4 Chief of Operations; Duduzile (Thenjiwe Mkandla), Brigade Chief of Personnel; Gift Tichatonga (Nompumelelo Abu Basuthu) and others. Capability assessment and other rhetoric in the eyes of the world’s intelligence; the Rhodesian Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), the South Africa (BOSS, the British M16, Israel’s MOSSAD, the Zapu fighting power build-up and the perceived communist governments relationship with the USSR, Cuba, East Germany, Egypt, Algeria among others, had to be won over through peace talks “Lancaster House Conference”. Well, well, the final straw was the pro-British media rhetoric that alleged that Zapu kept a large ZPRA force way-laying the spoils of their colleague liberation movement.
The writer Col (Rtd) Ernest Mganda Dube is a political and military strategy social commentator and resource lecturer at Chitepo School of Ideology (0772300567).
Bongani Ndlovu