Zimbabwe President Mugabe Speaks on the History of the Liberation Struggle

Republic of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe delivers inauguration speech at National Sports Stadium on August 22, 2013., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Inside President Mugabe's memory bank

Sunday, 01 September 2013 11:52
Zimbabwe Sunday Mail

Yesterday, President Mugabe delivered a riveting account of the liberation struggle during the burial of Cde Kumbirai Kangai at the National Heroes' Acre. In the off-the-cuff speech, which captured the attention of many and left scores others awestruck by the President's sharp memory, Cde Mugabe delivered the account blow by blow. Today we publish the first of a two part series of the address.

Amai Kangai nemhuri yose yaVaKangai, Vice President Cde Joice Teurai Ropa Mujuru, National Chairman vedu, Cde Simon Khaya Moyo, Secretary vedu veAdministration, VaDydimus Mutasa, Nhengo dzePolitiburo ne Central Committee yeZanu-PF varipano, Maformer ministers varipano, Tichiyewukawo kuti tina former Deputy Prime Minster Professor Arthur Mutambara varipanowo, Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku, Our service chiefs, Baba Mukonori nevafundisi vose varipano, Masenior civil servants, Representatives of the war veterans, ex-detainees, restrictees and war collaborators, Nhengo dzose dzemumusangano, Mastudent activists vauya pano, Vakamirira business community varipano, Mafarmers representatives varipano, Members of the diplomatic corps, Vanababa nanamai vose varikusvimha vatinavo, Ladies and gentlemen, comrades and friends.

Tauyazve panharaunda ino raakunge Dare reChimurenga. Tirikudanwa zuva nezuva. Avamatatu zvino mazuva achitevedzana nendufu dzirikuuyawo dzichitevedzana dzemagamba, vatinoti magamba echimurenga, vakazvipira kwenguva refu; kutambudzikira nyika yedu kuti ruzhinji ruzova nemagariro akanaka.

Hatipuhwe nguva refu imiwe. Vakataura Pastor patakaviga vaEnos Nkala pano kuti tinokanganwa kuti tiripazororo panaapa. Rwendo rwatinonzi tifambe rwakareba. Zvakatsinhirwa pano zvinoramba zvichitsinhirwa nevafundisi kuti rwendo rwedu nderwenyama. Rwenyama rwupfupi asi rwemweya ndorurefu rusingapere.

Ndakati rwatinoziva nderwe nyama. Rwunematambudziko atinoyedza kugadziridza. Nderwune matambudziko atakayedza kwenguva ndefu kuti vataive navo panguva iyoyo tichivaronga vatibatsire kuti tive nemusangano unozoita tigadziridze magariro edu; nyama yedu ive nemagariro akanaka.

Takanga tisingatarise nezvemberi tichiti “Kufa kunouya hongu. Asi tinemagariro atinosungirwa kugadziridza”. Hatingati nekuti remangwana richauya nemufaro unove wenyama ungarwadze zvawo.

Ungatambudze zvawo nyama toiregerera ichirwadziwa, ichiita zvirwere zvisingasungirwe kuvapo zvinokonzerwa nevamwe. Kwete. Takati kana. Kana avo vanokonzera kuti nyama yedu kwazvo kwazvo zvatinonzwa kuti hupenyu hupfupi uyu.

Tofanirwa kufaranukaka uye nemufaro inga tinaanachiremba wani vanotarisa kuti kana zviri zvirwere chaizvo izvo mishonga inenge iripo. Vamwe vanoenda kun’anga; hedzo dzokandira hakata. Kurikuenda kuti nyama iyi ifaranuke irege kuwana vanoitambudza kana vaya vanonzi varoyi.

Zvino yedu yakanga isiri nzira yehakata nokuti varoyi vataiziva ndevava vakanga vabva kunze vatitorera nyika yedu, mufaro wedu, minda yedu magariro edu ekuzvitonga.

Vatofanana nemavirus aya anopa disease. Tikati izvi zvinemushonga wazvowo. Mushonga ndewekuti isu tirikunzwa kurwadziwa, varwere vacho, nyama yedu isati yarukutika chaizvo towunganaka. Ivava vanenge vaine nyamawo. Saka inyama dzavo nenyama dzedu dzaisungirwa kurwisana apa.

Hezvo vakambotigara matumba tikati “Haa kwete hatichada kuti murambe makatigara mumatumba”.

Madzitateguru edu akamboyedza kuzvisunungura kuti nyama dzavo dzifaranuke vakazvitadza. Tikaberekerwa isu takazvarirwa munyika yakange yavane ava zvino vasingade kuti nyama dzevamwe dzifaranuke. Tive nemufaro munyika yedu, tive nekuzvitonga, tiwone kuzviitira.

Uyu watirikuviga nhasi, hezvo waenda kuchikoro - Zimuto. Kuchikoro ikoko achiwona nhamo dzaive nemastudents. Vaneruzivo rekuti mastudents dzimwe nguva vanobva vaendererawo mberi. Asi aiva neruzivo rwekuti ave anewonororo inopfuura yevamwe, aneshoko ringaunganidze vamwe.

Aivawunganidza kuti varambe zvinenge zvisina kunaka sekudya kusina kunaka. Yaingove mviro mviro idzodzo dzebasa raakanga achazoita guru guru. Varipo zvakare vakanga vakadaro mune zvimwe zvikoro, mastudents vatakaronga mhiri uko vauya nepfungwa dzavaive nadzo dzekuti ayehwa takaramba fundo yatingapihwe nevadzvanyiriri.

Nyika yedu isati yauwa, mufaro wedu usati wauya, simba redu rekuzvitonga risati rauya zvinobatsirei kuti ndiwane kafundo ikako? Saka vaiwuya. Ndovazhinji vakatibatsira zvikuru kuti tironge chimurenga chedu. Tive nevarwi vaive nehungwaru ihwohwo; ruzivo irworwo asi vazvipira zvekare.

Zvino, yatirikutaura nhasi ndeyaKangai. Takataura neyaVaNkala. Chitarirai VaNkala havana kubuda kuenda kunze. Kwete. Vaiva muno mukati maive nevatungamiri vatakaronga kuti vave vanokwezva ruzhinji rwevanhu; vave vanopa gwara kuvanhu.

Asi tawona kuti isu chimurenga hachingabudirire nokuti simba raive nomuvengi wandati aititadzisa mufaro takanga tisinaro, ndoratainotsvaga kunze. Kunze takanga tisina misha. Yaiveko. Saka vatakaona kuti avava ngavarongwe ndavaya vana vaibuda kuenda ikoko kana taikwanisa kutora kune vakanga vatamira kunze sekuna anaZambia, vana vaikoko vaibva kunzvimbo idzodzo.

Ndovana vatakaumbirira kuita Dare reChimurenga. Vakanga vabuda kubvakuno vachienda kunze vari nhengo dzemusangano. Tikati: imi woye! Kuno hazvichakwanisika. Musangano nemusangano wataita wava kubhanwa. Chirongai dare ikoko, mounganidza vamwe vamungakwanise kuwana. Nhengo dzemusangano dzakabudawo kuenda kunze nevamwe vamungagone kuwana, moronga kuti chimurenga chedu chienderere mberi.

Vemuno mukati vachazenge vachiita basa rekutsvaga vangabude kuenda kunorongwa kuchimurenga ichocho. So, ndozvakaitika. Mativi maviri awa, kuno nekunze, kuno uku kwarinda pamusana pekushaiswa masimba nevasvetasimba, kunze uku, ngakusimbaradzwe kuti kana kwasimbaradzwa vanobva ikoko vozouya vosimbaradza mukati zvakare.

Chimurenga chedu hecho-oo chobva zvino chava nemasimba ekuti tikunde muvengi, chova chimurenga chevanhu. Saka zuva ranhasi tirikuviga waiva mukomana mudiki ari kuchikoro, akagozobuda achienda kuchikoro zvakare kuti anoita fundo yemberi. Asi akabva aneshoko rekuti nyika inofanirwa kurwirwa.

Haana kungoti zvandabuda kuno kunze, aaahh, zvanaka. Fundo yangu ndoiwana ndobva ndagara kuno kunzezve zvaiita vamwe. Mmmm, wakati ndaiwana fundo. Ndinoziva kuti shungu yangu ndeyekurwira nyika. Ndichange ndichinosangana nevamwe kuna anaTanzania, kuna anaZambia, tobatana, tokuchidza moto wechimurenga, hondo yedu yekuzvisunungura yobva yavamba zvino chaizvo izvo kuenderera mberi.

Tinozvitenda zvaakaita. Once again, we are gathered here to lay to rest a cadre with a long standing record of the revolutionary struggle. The cadre, who passed on in unbelievable circumstances, and, this, only a few days ago, about a week ago, now.

The circumstances of his death are best known to the family and we were with Kangai at the last Politburo meeting and he even made suggestions in our meeting. We never noticed, but one or two amongst us noticed that he was unwell; but we, the majority of us, never noticed that he was unwell.

And the meeting went into (the) late hours of the night and the following morning, we were shocked to hear that Kangai was no more.

And the story was that he was taking a bath, a cold bath apparently, and suddenly, he fell, and that fall, was a fateful fall, for he was never to rise from it alive, so we are told.

That’s how he died.

The previous night at a Politburo meeting; the following morning, he is dead.

He had attended the meeting as a Politburo member in style, as if to say: “Goodbye, you won’t see me again and this is the last meeting I’m attending”.

Then, he passed on. His brother, Cde Reward Kangai, has told us about Kumbirai’s animated joy on the day before he passed on and the family’s shock, the turn of events after that.

We accept this sad occurrence. He is no more. But we cannot understand why.
And may I extend, in particular to Mai Kangai, who now has the burden of looking after the family without the support and love she had got to know, the deep condolences and sympathies of the party, of those in Government who had worked with him, of his dear friends, of my family and of my own.
Enos Nkala I knew in 1960, I said, but about that time, I did not know Kangai. Parties were banned here, but the enemy never rested. He knew we had prominent people outside.

After all, from detention we had asked Cde Chitepo, who had been asked for by Mwalimu Julius Nyerere to help with legal work in Tanzania because they did not have well-trained legal people, Tanzanians, at that time. . .they wanted a public prosecutor, and Nyerere asked for Chitepo and he insisted.

So, we said fine. You can go. Least did we know that one day we would be calling upon him to organise the party outside and so, as the parties were banned here, ZANU had been formed. We had made Chitepo the chairman of the party of ZANU PF as both ZANU, ZAPU were banned.

But from Sikombela in Gokwe, where we were, fortunately all of us, who were in the leadership of ZANU were detained together at Sikombela, so this gave us time to strategise as Sithole was there, VaMuzenda, VaTakawira, Edison Sithole, Mike Mawema and Morton Malianga.

The only missing guy was Enos Nkala who had become accustomed to being a jail bird.

So, we met and decided that since we had low capacity to meet as a party due to our detention and restriction status, let us commission those who are outside to form a revolutionary council and start training people for a revolutionary struggle.

Saka tiri kuSikombela, Chitepo used to come and we gave him instructions as the chairman of the party to get other members of the central committee who were outside and vaanaChikowore, vaanaShamuyarira, nevamwe. They were outside. . .naana Mukono.

Get them together, form the revolutionary council and enhance it with other key people you are likely to get from our members of the party. We had this in writing. I put this in writing because I was the secretary general. But it was a decision we took at Sikombela.

And that is how Dare reChimurenga was formed. We asked Chitepo to free himself now from the obligation imposed upon him as an employee of Tanzania. He should now be free to organise the party from outside and this is how he and those he could get sat together.

Apparently, things didn’t go that well for a start. But later, they managed to get quite some people vaiveko kare vanaanaTongogara nevamwe vakazouya. AnaanaHamadziripi vakanga vabuda vanaana Rugare Gumbo vakange vapedza madegree avo kunaanaCanada vakazodzoka. He had been a youth of the party kuMasvingo. Ndokufomwa kwakaitwa Dare reChimurenga and Kangai himself apedzawo degree rake kuAmerica.

Achiri kuAmerica ikoko, he was doing a lot of work moving from one state to another, talking to individuals, other students from here and organising the party as our representative from ikoko. But this time he came back and joined the others.

Saka ndati the enemy never rested. In 1974, we were put together patakaita that inclusive political organisation yeUANC under Bishop Muzorewa. An armed struggle had already begun, but because vanaanaNyerere navanaKaunda wanted us to unite.

Well, takangoita zimano mano and we call this tamba wakachenjera. Taiti kana tadzoka kumusha nesu takanga tirimuprison, we were taken to Lusaka to form this organisation tichizodzorerwa kumaprison futi. Ndozvataiitwa. So, we went there, all parties and reluctantly, we agreed to form that foursome organisation –Zanu, Zapu, ANC yaMuzorwa and Frolizi yaanaChikerema naanaNyandoro - to be led by Bishop Muzorewa; that organisation was formed at the end of 1974.

Tadzoka kumusha, takaenda kumaprison edu. We were now in Kwekwe and not at Sikombela anymore. We were freed and we knew that we were not going to last for long. Taive netamba wakachenjera yedu.

So January 1975, we organised people muHighfield tichi recruiter. AnaEnos Nkala were now out navaana Morton Malianga. He said we must recruit as many people as possible. Sithole was arrested in February that year. Back to prison. Hanzi nekuti iwe haude; you are not listening to what the OAU wants.

Flimsy reasons and “you want to kill some other people”. March ’75: Chitepo is killed by a bomb in his car, small VW. It was then we had already Dare reChimurenga. We had already started organising some fighters and because there had been some revolt also the Nhari revolt - so called.

Vamwe vakomana vanga vafurirwawo nemamwe maleaders vanenge vachida kutora power saka vakange vaita revolt vaakubata some of the leaders, but they were rounded up by the Nhari group. And pakaitwa ANC yaBishop Muzorewa, vakange vasungwa kare; the Nhari rebels.

So, when Chitepo died, the party sat here. We had leaders of the party here. We had met kwaMushandirapamwe, Highfield, Mushandirapamwe Hotel, and it was then decided I should go and organise a take-over from what Chitepo had done. That’s then the journey we made with Tekere through Nyanga with Chief Tangwena so on and so forth.

But then, when Chitepo died, vakapomerwa mhosva. Those who were blamed for his death were his colleagues, kunzi ndimi mamuuraya and not the enemy. And our people at that stage were not capable of having a sophisticated mechanism of a bomb of that nature planted in the engine of a car in order to kill people. No. And there was no reason anyway for killing their leader.

So, later on, we discovered that it was the Rhodesians who had done it. So, as we went out after Chitepo’s death, those who had worked with Chitepo were locked up in Zambia. All of them, the leaders! And only two, I think, managed to escape; I think Mujuru and Zvinavashe, going into Tanzania.

Although they were wanted by the security in Zambia, they remained in Tanzania. But that situation then saw us having another group called Zipa vachiita nyay dzavo dzemahumbwe. They never wanted to lead the struggle. Vaingogara ikoko zvichinzi tirivashandi. Marxist ideas, which were distorted and never well-mastered, although they had aive mukwasha wangu ainzi ndiye expert wacho.

So, we had a situation which was ugly. Tekere and I did not have much time at all. But then came the need for us to deliver. And it was because of that we insisted kune vangavasisade kunzwa Zapu or Zanu at all. Hanzi hatichada. They just wanted UANC under Bishop Muzorewa. But Bishop Muzorewa is man of the Bible. He could not be expected to lead a struggle.

To lead an armed struggle. . . you can lead a spiritual struggle, yes. But the times did not demand spiritual struggle. Yes, priests and churches were praying all the time for peace in the country. But we had to do something physically to liberate ourselves. I renounced Kaunda for arresting our people.

I made a statement on Focus on Africa on the BBC to say he has arrested innocent people. I was actually interviewed, and they said but this is the man who has helped you all along and I said that is the more reason why we should criticise him kuti: he has helped us so much, why should he now negate his previous work?

That’s how I put it roughly. And for that I must say I was persona non grata even in Tanzania. They didn’t want to see me. I went to Ghana from London assisted by Samora Machel. We were together and I was staying in Keremani, Mozambique. So, we went to Ghana. Then we came back, landed in London. London–Tanzania, they said “No”. The chief was sent to the airport and said I could not come into Dar es Salam.

Why? And my passport was stamped “entry refused”. So, we spent three days by the airport and this was because I had denounced our friend Kaunda. When I got to Maputo, Machel told me the reason and I got to know it was because of that statement I had made.

But then ok, the Geneva Conference had to be attended and Tekere and I said, no, we cannot go. We must insist on the release of our people in prison in Zambia. We told Samora Machel that if we are to go we must have those people in prison because they are leaders of our party. “Which party?” Machel said and we said Zanu PF. And he smiled because the OAU did not want to hear about Zanu PF anymore.

So, I was in touch with JZ and I was saying to JZ, “Now look, this thing under Muzorewa is just a small creature”. And then now Cde Nkomo was also getting disillusioned. Plus ndaimufurira futi JZ ndichiti “You must, you must stop talking about Zapu being aligned”.

He said he couldn’t do it without those inside. But we were liaising. So, Samora told Kaunda that well, the people in prison have got to be released to go to Geneva and the same language. It so happened that all Samora wanted or the Frontline States wanted was for us to meet as Zimbabweans.

So, the Muzorewa group came to Mozambique. Sithole was there also no longer interested in Zanu. He was part of Bishop Muzorewa. And Samora told us that we now had to proceed to Tanzania because Nyerere wanted to brief us on the meeting we were going to have in Geneva. So, we were flown to Dar es Salaam. We had a meeting with Nyerere. There were various groups and we had to stay to register ourselves in the presence Nyerere.

He wanted to know what groups were there. VaMuzenda, Tekere and I said we were Zanu. Then vanaSilundika and JZ said they were ANC Zimbabwe, something like that, but hiding Zapu because they couldn’t say Zapu because it was banned. And Sithole said I am under Bishop Muzorewa. But Nyerere said you have got to be united. It was then we formed the Patriotic Front of Zanu and Zapu.

From Tanzania we then were sent to Lusaka, but I talked to Nyerere, “Please request President Kaunda to release our people”, and they said they were going to try. In the meantime, Sithole had now left, deciding to quit, leaving ANC yaBishop Muzorewa.

He made a statement to the BBC, saying he now is back to Zanu, but not the one, the Zanu we had, but his own. So, when we got to Lusaka, we had Sithole with Zanu; VaMuzenda, Tekere and myself with Zanu also then Zapu, of course. In the meantime, VaNkomo vakanga vabva now; he had flown from home.

We appealed to President Kaunda to release our people. We said we couldn’t go to Geneva unless those people in prison were released. We needed them and Kaunda said well it was easy for him to release those who had no cases, but Tongogara and another had actual cases to answer. We said fine and he proceeded to release them and amongst the people released were anaKadungure anaMayor Urimbo and Kumbira Kangai.

Sorry, I have gone round to give you the full background. And I now came face-to-face with Kangai and that was the time I got to know him. He was introduced to me. Rugare Gumbo I knew from before. He had been a youth before in Masvingo and working with VaMuzenda. We had also met before in prison in Harare. But this time, it was Kangai and I got the background, the degree he had done and so on and so forth. Well and good.

And it was the group now to go to Geneva, but as it happened, the court, also the next day after the release of these ones, almost a day or two, found that Tongogara had no case to answer. There was no evidence. And he and another, the other, I forget who the other one was, but those were released and now we were a complete team.

So, we now go to Geneva, have discussions with the British and remould ourselves later. That’s how we had this whole group and vaanaKumbirai Kangai vanga vari in it. So, we went to Geneva in October 1976, and discussed with the British team and they were not serious at all and it was the Labour party. Smith came one day and said, “I have better business to do back home”, aah and did not want to tag.

So, the meetings were being led by that Dutch fellow who was very prominent in the Rhodesia Front – PA Van der Wild and he was leading the meetings. I remember one crushing meeting at one time. Our group was late for a meeting that morning. We had been held up and he shouted: “How come you people are ggrrr?” and I interjected and said: “Come on, how long shall we wait for our independence?”

And we had the British Press, nonsensical Press. So, they say you always criticise Ian Smith, but you say you are a Christian and a catholic. Why don’t you give another cheek and I said to them, I’ve given this cheek and the other, but I do not have a third cheek to give. Give me a third one and I will give it.

So, we were together at that meeting navaana Kangai, who were the people who had formulated the programme of the revolutionary struggle - chimurenga. Then, kochiita ava vakomana vanga vachitamba zvavo ava, vanaana Dzino. They wanted to destroy this group. Kwanzi vese vaanaKangai, vaanaTongogara cannot come to the camp unless we admit them kucamp ikoko. Vanotitya and we had their IDs and guns. They were actually itching for a fight.

So, they prescribed an admission programme, how these people could be admitted into the struggle if they were conducting. Even anaTongogara; that they have got to apply one by one; aahhh! So, takati kuna Samora, we go to Geneva. Geneva ended in January. February we did our Patriotic meeting.

After this meeting upon our return to Lusaka and that was the command camp, command base so Rugare Gumbo naTekere on the third of the meetings; you take these comrades to go and do some unfinished work and unfinished work was to be done in some hotel. That is how we got rid of them. He was a hard worker Kangai. Very straight forward, very correct, very respectful also.