Online Reporter
LAST WEEK, Cde BATSIRAI GONDO, whose Chimurenga name was Cde Resistance Mawuto, spoke about the several months he spent at Tembue Camp in Mozambique, where comrades faced diseases and hunger. He told our Political Editor KUDA BWITITI how many comrades died at the camp. He, however, survived and proceeded to Mgagao in Tanzania for specialised military training. This week, he narrates about his time at Mgagao and his involvement in the epic Battle of Mavonde, which was also known as the Battle of Monte Cassino.
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Q: From Tembue, you went to Mgagao. Tell us how Mgagao was like when you arrived there.
A: There were about 700 of us who boarded the Deta planes to go to Mgagao. We arrived there in October 1976. Mgagao was a very hot place. We received training from the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) and Chinese specialists. In total, the number of recruits at Mgagao soared to over 3 000, as other cadres came by ship.
Q: What training did you specialise in?
A: I specialised in infantry, anti-aircraft and missiles.
There were three training programmes. Training conducted by the Chinese focused on missiles, anti-aircraft, four-barrels, three-barrels, two barrels and weapons of that nature. The TPDF focused on infantry, which were the landmines, bazookas, mortars and light-machine guns (LMGs).
Some of the groups were at Mapinduzi, others were at Nyadzonya and Farm 2. At Mapinduzi and Nyadzonya, we specialised in the heavy-duty ammunition. Farm 2 was for tactics.
I was at Nyadzonya, where I specialised particularly in anti-aircraft and missiles, from semi-level missiles to the large ones. My commanders included the late national hero and Zimbabwe National Army Lieutenant-General Douglas Nyikayaramba, Cde Mzilikazi and others.
After training, we were deployed to different areas.
For example, some comrades were deployed to Tete and Gaza. I was deployed to operate in Mavonde on account of my skills in artillery. Mavonde was my first deployment after the training at Mgagao.
At Mavonde, I was lucky to rub shoulders with some of the greatest fighters who fought the war for independence. These included Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, the late military generals and national heroes Cdes Vitalis Zvinavashe and Paradzai Zimondi.
Others included Cdes Boy Masaka and SaChiweshe.
I arrived in Mavonde in 1979 and immediately, I got into the thick of things, as I joined the famous battle which was crucial to getting us our independence. I used a 14,5-inch barrel gun.
Q: Tell us about the day you arrived at Mavonde.
A: Upon arriving at Mavonde, you could feel that this was now the real deal, the real face of war, different from the training exercises. You could smell death. As soon as we arrived, there was no time to waste.
We hit the ground running. We were given our guns and told to immediately get into our positions because the war was raging on.
My task was to deal with the marauding Rhodesia aircraft which filled the skies. As the specialised forces in artillery, we had come in as reinforcements.
This battle had started some days before we arrived. It was one of the most protracted battles that was fought during the liberation war.
We took a position on a mountain, together with Cdes Boy Masaka, Taffy, Bonny and others.
We made an immediate impact because as soon as we started firing, the enemy aircraft retreated to higher altitude.
They recoiled when we opened fire, as they could feel the impact of our military capability.
Many people might not believe that an AK-47 gun can down military aircraft, but this is what happened. My training had taught me to read the altitude at which a plane would be hovering at. By reading the altitude, I was able to aim well at the enemy aircraft.
I could read to say this aircraft is at 15 000 metres above the ground and was travelling at a speed of, say, 600 metres per second.
I was also able to detect the military aircraft from the passenger aircraft that were used as cover.
This was my specialty. I can confidently say I downed many enemy planes at Mavonde. There were different kinds of military aircraft. Some of the planes were from Israel; others were from France.
So, we were not only fighting the Rhodesia security forces but many countries that had been roped in by the enemy forces to fight for their
cause.
Q: How were you able to tell the origins of the military aircraft?
A: I was trained to do that. As the planes executed dramatic mid-air U-turns, their backsides were exposed, revealing telltale flags that betrayed their origins.
Q: It seemed you were really inspired for battle at Mavonde. What can you say was your biggest motivation?
A: We also knew that the stakes were high because the battle was fought as the Lancaster House talks were taking place.
We knew we had to win that battle to tilt the bargaining power during the negotiations in our favour.
Next week, Cde Gondo speaks about how the Battle at Mavonde ended.
