Remember ZIPRA!

Today's post is by guest blogger, Danai Roy Bvekerwa, enjoy ...

I am man from the Zezuru tribe my rural home is Murehwa in Mash East. I say this so that the value of my piece is not misunderstood as some separatist rant .As we celebrate unity day I would like to say it is an embarrassment the way in which Zimbabwe has failed to honour the role pf ZAPU’s military wing (ZIPRA) played during the Rhodesian bush war. To a large extent the narratives of the war have largely been on the Mozambican front and incursions into the Mashonaland east and Central area .A lot of Zimbabweans may not recognise the names Lookout Masuku or Nikita Mangena but these all stalwarts of the armed struggle for Zimbabwe and all were commanders of ZIPRA . A lot of people have misconceptions about ZIPRA and the liberation struggle and I shall endeavor to list a few.

ZIPRA commander Lookout Masuku and the then ZANLA commander Solomon Mujuru

1 The war began in 1966 in the Chinhoyi battle .

The armed liberation struggle actually began in 1965 when ZIPRA infiltrated small units into the Mat north region.The units fought running battles with the Rhodesian forces ,most of them lost their lives and a few made it back to Zambia.

2 ZANLA got the brunt of the Rhodesian Army’s war atrocities.

While ZANLA troops and refugees were massacred at Chimoio and Nyadzonya camp in Mozambique, ZIPRA forces were subjected to the full might of the Rhodesian air force at freedom camp In Zambia killing almost thousand men and women. Annually Zimbabweans travel to Chimoio to honour ZANLA cadres who lost their lives during the Chimoio raid but unfortunately there is no such reverence for freedom camp.

3 ZIPRA was a Ndebele tribal army

This opinion is common among a lot of Zimbabweans And could not be further from the truth . ZIPRA is the older of the two liberation armies ,the man credited as being the architect of ZIPRA was James Chikerema a man of Shona descent .In the later phases of the war(1976-1978) the two armies began to recruit massively and logically they recruited from the areas in which they fought. ZANLA mainly recruited from Mash east,central and Manicaland while ZIPRA recruited from Midlands and Matabeleland .

4 ZANLA campaigns were the main factor that brought the Smith regime to the negotiation table .

ZANLA was a Maoist army whose main thrust was to educate the masses through pungwes and to show the enemy the determination of Africans to attain liberation . ZANLA’s role was essential in mobilising the masses, in essence ZANLA cadres were armed political commissars. ZIPRA was a Stalinist army modelled on Lenins Red army its main strategy was demoralising the enemy then capturing the state .I shall list a few of the many ZIPRA campaigns that brought Rhodesia to its knees

l  13 May 1976 ZIPRA commandos blow-up Plumtree railway Line effectively stopping all rail traffic from South Africa cutting of the Smith regime from essential supplies.

l  19 MAY 1976 ZIPRA cadres capture Rhodesian army boats and ferries on the Kariba and begin to use them to infiltrate troops into the Hurungwe and Mat north area .

l  18 MAY 1978 Woolworths store in bulawayo is bombed ,ZIPRA claims responsibility the news sends shockwaves among white Rhodesians.

l  03 Sept1978 ZIPRA shoots down an Air Rhodesia plane with surface to air missiles killing 38 people .This attack was designed to demoralise the Smith regime into capitulation .After this attack many Rhodesian whites emigrated.

l  DEC 11 1978 ZIPRA blasts fuel depots in salisury destroying 40% of Rhodesias fuel supplies. This attack is however is in dispute as both Liberation armies claim the attack.

l  17 FEB 1979  ZIPRA downs another Air Rhodesia viscount killing 59 people.Rhodesian army boss general Peter Walls was meant to be on the flight but his wife changed their itinerary at the last minute.

5 ZIPRA as the smaller of the 3 armies (Rhodisian army ,ZANLA and ZIPRA) had the most to gain from the cease fire after Lancaster house.

By 1978 Rhodesia was using 45% of its budget to sustain the war .Rhodesians couldnt sustain the war effort for long ,they were losing the war were it mattered most .ZANLA troops were tearing the countryside and by 1978 had liberated a huge chunk of Mashonaland Central. ZANLA however lacked the air support and mechanised units needed to storm into the cities.

In 1978 ZIPRA had begun plans for its most audacious war plan “turning point”, the plan was slated to begin in 1979 and was meant to capture bridge heads in Mat north and Hurungwe and fling its war machine toward the cities. ZIPRAs war machine constituted Russian t34 tanks,Heat seeking SAM missiles and most importantly miG fighter jets based in Angola .ZIPRA had 20000 well trained forces and had the most to lose from the ceasefire . ZIPRA’s commander in chief Joshua Nkomo compromised for the good of the nation.

As we commemorate unity day it is essential that we remember all our nations heroes. I write this not to glorify ZIPRA or downplay ZANLA's role in the war but to spark dialogue on our nations past . As we move forward we need to honour our heroes and heroines in a balanced and inclusive manner.