Online Reporter
Chronicles from the second Chimurenga
LAST week, Cde BATSIRAI GONDO, whose Chimurenga name was Cde Resistance Mawuto, told our Political Editor KUDA BWITITI how he left school to join the liberation struggle. Rhodesian security forces, however, captured him on his way to Mozambique. This week he speaks about the tormenting experiences he encountered in captivity and how he engineered his escape to continue with his quest to cross into Mozambique.
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Q: What happened after you were captured?
A: I was taken to a camp used by the Rhodesian security forces. They interrogated me, asking why I wanted to join “terrorists”. I was fearless and initially refused to say anything. They then started to torture me.
Q: What torture tactics did they use on you?
A: I was subjected to the most severe forms of torture. I was beaten up. They chained my hands and legs. The most painful torture was waterboarding. This is a form of torture that simulates drowning.
They placed me on a bench with my head tilted back. A cloth was placed over my face while they poured water over it, causing the sensation of drowning. This was extremely painful and caused the feeling of suffocation.
This was a widely condemned violation of human rights and was illegal, but they did it to me. I thought they were going to kill me.
Q: What saved you from being killed?
A: Living with Sister Vie significantly improved my English. This surprised my captors, who then proposed that I become their spy due to my language skills. To ensure my survival, I reluctantly agreed, though I had no intention of betraying anyone. They then decided to return me to Mutoko, near the Mozambican border. To deceive them and escape their control, I feigned agreement to join the comrades and report back on their activities. Thankfully, I was able to join other comrades at a base in Mutoko. When I told them my story, they took me to another camp, where I reconnected with Cdes Shakespeare Magadu and Chiedza, whom I had left school with, on my first attempt to cross into Mozambique.
Q: Describe the feeling of reconnecting with your colleagues.
A: Reuniting with my colleagues was an overwhelming relief. Their joy at seeing me alive was palpable, as they had feared for my life. Cdes Shakespeare and Chiedza were visibly shaken when I recounted the torturous ordeal I had endured.
Q: Could you outline the activities you undertook at the camp?
A: Located near the Mozambican border, our camp was called Masarakufa. There, we underwent rigorous training in fundamental military skills, honing our marksmanship, camouflage techniques and the art of silent movement.
We meticulously studied enemy tactics and devised contingency plans for a potential attack on the camp, ensuring our preparedness for any unforeseen threat. These skills proved to be useful because the camp was attacked by Rhodesian security forces some days after I arrived.
Q: Tell us about this attack. When did it happen?
A: It was sometime in November 1974. One good morning, we saw a plane hovering above us. We later realised that this was a spotter plane. Suddenly, several other planes came to the camp and attacked us.
Most of us were unarmed, but we survived the bombing because of the training we had received. The bombing lasted for a few hours and fortunately, we escaped to a gathering point called Kunyamanyoro, which was also close to the border. This was a larger camp and we continued to receive military training.
Q: How did the attack happen?
A: The assault surpassed what we had faced at Masarakufa. The enemy unleashed a ferocious barrage, employing searchlights to illuminate our positions in the dead of night. The attack was swift and brutal, commencing around 9am with a devastating aerial bombardment.
The enemy unleashed terrifying arsenal, including chemical-laced bullets that inflicted horrific wounds upon our comrades.
I, by a stroke of sheer luck, emerged from the carnage unscathed.
Following this devastating blow, we were forced to abandon our base and disperse across various locations in Mozambique, including the Mabanana, Changara and Batalliao camps. Ultimately, we regrouped at Tembue, a camp that housed a substantial contingent of recruits, where we sought to rebuild our strength and continue the fight for liberation.
Next week, Cde Gondo tells us about his time at Tembue.
