Horror, Pain and Murder in Zimbabwe: The Story of Sellouts--Part I & II

 MARCH 26--April 2, 2017
Zimbabwe Sunday Mail

THIS is not a horror movie. It’s real so those of a nervous disposition better not read this. Cde Deria Minizhu, whose Chimurenga name was Cde Georgina Chakanaka has a heart-rending story to tell. She joined the liberation struggle when she was 13 years old and the circumstances that led her to join the struggle are just too horrific. Our team comprising Munyaradzi Huni and Tendai Manzvanzvike, say this was one of the most traumatizing interviews they have ever had.

At that young age, Cde Georgina, who was among the first group of female Zanla comrades to receive military training, saw her father being beaten to death by some comrades. She saw her father’s corpse being devoured by wild birds and as if that was not torturous enough, as they fetched water to cook sadza, she was forced to pass through the tree where her father’s decomposing corpse remained tied to a tree. This is not fiction.

SM: Can you give us your brief background, where were you born and when did you join the liberation struggle?

Cde Georgina: I was born on 22 February 1958 in Mt Darwin kuChimbuwe. My mother’s name was Maria Kamhandu and my father was Sunny Minizhu. I am the 6th born in a family of 11 children comprising 10 girls and one boy. Two of the girls passed away. I joined the liberation struggle in December 1972. To be honest, kuhondo handina kuenda nekuda kwangu because I was too young. I was only 13 years when I joined the liberation struggle. I didn’t know what the liberation struggle was all about and I had never met any comrades to know what the war was all about.

I was actually forced the join the liberation struggle. Takaenda takasungwa mbira dzakondo together with my father. Zvakonzerwa nemun’ingina wababa vangu. My father was from Mozambique. So my father’s young brother akatengesa baba vangu kumacomrades. He lied kuma comrades and that’s how we were taken takasungwa mbira dzakondo.

SM: What did this babamunini say to the comrades?

Cde Georgina: He told macomrades kuti mukoma wangu anotuma mwana wake kuenda kucamp kumasoja kunopihwa grocery. This was all a lie because my father never sent me to the camp to collect any grocery. You see, our nearest shops and the camp yemasoja zvanga zvakaganhurwa nefence. My father was a big farmer and so he would write a note and tell me to go to one of the shops to get some groceries. He would write in the note that shamwari ndipewo this and that mari yako ndozokupa mumwe musi but we never got anything from the camp yemasoja. I would go to the shops on my little bicycle. My father was in good books with businesspeople such as Nyamupfukudza, Magreen and Chimimba. So if we wanted anything in the house, my father would write a note and I would go and collect the grocery.

So babamunini vakazvitora nepasipo. I had not even gone to school and I could not even speak English. I could not even speak nevarungu. I was 13 years old but I had not gone to school because baba vangu vaiti mwana wekutanga akaenda kuchikoro the next haaendi saka ini I was 6th ndakanangana nekusaendeswa kuchikoro. The reason why babamunini lied to the comrades was that he wanted kuti mukoma vatorwe ivo vagosara vanezvinhu zvese zvamukoma. So we were taken and baba vangu vakazouraiwa but the same comrades who killed my father came back and killed babamunini ivava after discovering that he had lied to them.

So the comrades arrived at our homestead in the evening. We were actually eating sadza. You know kumusha taidya takaita a circle. Mai nevana vavo vasikana and baba nemwana mukomana. Our homestead had a fence and there were two gates. So the comrades surrounded our homestead. Takangonzwa mudhara avakuti ndimi vanani muri kundisungirei? Ndaita sei? Babamunini was actually there giving directions to the comrades. Baba vakasungwa mbira dzakondo. Then the comrades came where we were seated. I remember we were three. The comrades asked babamunini kuti mwana wacho ndeupi anotumwa and he pointed at me. Ndakabva ndasungwawo mbira dzakondo. Ndakanga ndakabata my little sister, the last born and she was thrown into my mother’s hands. At that time I didn’t understand what was going on. I only got to know that these were comrades after we got to Teresera Base. My mother and the other children were ordered into one room and locked inside. We were taken to Mukumbura River, which borders Mozambique and Zimbabwe. We had our gardens near that river and when we go to the river, we were left under the guard of one of the armed comrades while the other comrades went kunotora murume wasisi vangu. Babamunini had also said mutengesi. So it was now me, my father and babamukuru takasungwa. These comrades went away again and brought severe, sahwira wababa vangu. So all the people who were known to be close to my father were rounded up. They also brought mudhara Chindove and other people.

SM: How many comrades were rounding up all these people?

Cde Georgina: I think there were six armed comrades. I remember there was Cde Ziso because he is the one we later crossed Zambezi River with on our way to Zambia. On our way to Teresera, ndakazosunungurwa but baba vakaramba vakasungwa and he was being tortured all the way.

SM: Comrade, we have spoken to some comrades who told us that during the early 1970s, many people had not yet understood what the liberation struggle was all about and as a result there were many sellouts. Now, we want to understand, what kind of a person was this babamunini who could do such a thing?

Cde Georgina: Babamunini vanga vasina kuvengana nababa but vaida pfuma yamukoma. Even mainini mukadzi wavo akaroorwa nepfuma yababa vangu. Even mombe dzedu vaiwuya vachisunga vachirimisa even without telling my father. My father didn’t have a problem with that. I even remember one day babaminini beat me up thoroughly for no apparent reason but still my father didn’t have a grudge with him. I can even tell you that babamunini ava vakatozoda kubata amai vangu. He actually wanted to rape my mother after my father had been taken away by the comrades. I am told he told my mother that your husband is not coming back so we may as well be intimate, because I am now the father of this house. I was told all this when I came back from the liberation struggle. I didn’t even know his level of education, but I knew that my father had some education because I saw it from the way he practiced his farming. He had not sent me to school but we were very comfortable as a family.

SM: On the way, did these comrades ask you or your father anything?

Cde Georgina: They didn’t ask us anything. All they did was to beat up my father. After seeing that I was crying all the way, the comrades ordered me to be among the people at the front so that I could not see them beating up my father. Ndiri mberi ikoko ndainzwa kumashure kuchitinhwa vanhu vachobova semombe. Those under captivity were I think six – baba, murume wasisi vangu, severe wababa vangu, nemamwe two madhara emuraini. We walked until we got to Mukumbura where we were ordered to take some rest. Some of the comrades went into nearby villages asking for food and they were given. They were also mobilising people to join the liberation struggle. So from here, baba vangu vakatakuriswa bhaghidhi resalt yemabonzo. He was ordered to carry this salt despite the fact that his hands were tied at the back. Babamukuru vangu vanga vakatakuriswa bhaghidhi remapfunde. The torture was just something else. There are no words to explain what they went through.

When we left Mukumbura, I refused walking in front of the group saying I wanted to help my father. You know at one point, baba vakamira kuti handichakwanisi kufamba. Hapana kusiri kufa just kill me now. I said let me help my father honai vari kuramba vachirohwa. All those who were carrying these sacks of food were ordered to put them down. The comrades then started beating my father. They then turned to me saying wati uri kuda kutakura mabhaghidhi aya chitakura tione? I said no that is not what I meant but the comrades would not listen to me. Baba vangu vakapindura vakati ‘regera hako mwanangu. Ini kana dai ndikafa, woziva kuti babamunini vako ndivo vandiuraisa. Ini handina chandakamukanganisira.’ By this time babamunini vakanga vachitoripo. He continued saying ‘mwanangu siya hako ndife ini. Iwe wozonotaurira vamwe kuti ndakauraiswa nababamunini. Saka siya hako mwanangu ndife inini.’ My father even tried to lie to the comrades saying I was not his daughter just to save me but no one was prepared to listen to him (weeping uncontrollably) Babamunini vakati mwana wake hamusikuona kufanana kwavo here? Musamusiya mwana wake.

After this ordeal, vanhu vakazonzi let’s continue and we continued walking with the same treatment. I was crying because I could see that my father was dying slowly. Vakanga vakubuda ropa mumhuno nemumukanwa (weeping uncontrollably. Long and tense pause).

I remember mumwe mudhara wataiva naye he was being accused kuti airara nemukadzi wemwana wake. I don’t even know kuti babaminini zvekune dzimwe imba vaizviona sei. At one point this old man was told to strip naked takatarisa akanzi nyenga pasi sezvawaiita muroora wako. Baba ivavo vakakuya pasi zvamusati mamboona. He was stark naked. The comrades then ordered us to sing baba ava vachikuya pasi. We were told to sing the song “Ndarangarira zuva riya randakasiya vana amai vachingochema.” Baba ivavo vachikuya pasi kusvika mabvi asvuuka. Vakanzi simuka, vakasimuka vakazunza ivhu takatarisa. This was all because of babamunini.

SM: This is so, so touching. Unbelievable. So what happened from there?

Cde Georgina: We walked until we got to Teresera Base. Macomrades vakaridza pembe and many people gathered at the assembly. It was like a parade. The comrades then said pano pauya vatengesi and we want to deal with them. One of the senior commanders at Teresera asked kuti ko kamwana aka mutengesiwo futi here? The comrades lied saying they had brought me just to join the liberation struggle. I remember Cde Mavis was called. She is still alive to tell this story. There was also Cde Tendai. These were the female comrades I first saw at Teresera. Mavis was called and was ordered to take me away. She took me some distance away but I saw vana baba vachiendeswa kumavira zuva. They were beaten again. Ndaivanzwa vachibova. I started crying saying ‘ndava kuenda kumusha kunoedza mai kuti baba vafa. Mavis uya achindibata kuti usaende (weeping controllably and shivering with anger. Long pause). Varoohwaaa kudaaroooo baaabbbaaa vaaanguuu (unable to talk as emotions take over. Weeping uncontrollably) vaiti vakadoonha, vomuka, vakadoooonhhaaaa vomuuuukkkaaaa. Munhuuuuuu anoooonneetsssaaaa kuuuuuuufffffaaaaaaa. (weeping uncontrollably) Vachiiiiibvvvvaaa vasungurirwa pamutiiiiii. Kusungwa vakamira maoko akaiswa kuseri kwemuti. Vachiiiiibvvvvaaa vatanga kurooooohwwwwaaa fuuuttiiiiiii. Vachingorohwaaaa, vachingorohwaaaa! Vachingorohwaaaa! Kusvika vavavavafaaaaa vakasungirirwa kudaro pamuti. Vakafa baba vangu vaaaakaaaadyiiiiwa nemagora vari pamuti ipapo. Shiri dzakavadya. Ukaonawo shiri dzakuda nyama (weeping uncontrollably. Long pause. We had to take a long break as she could not speak due to emotions).

SM: So, eehh…

Cde Georgina: Varohwa vese vachibva vafa. Babamunini vaya when all this was happening vakabva vatotiza kudzokera kumusha.

SM: You mean all the five who were under captivity were killed?

Cde Georgina: I mean vose. All of them vakafa vakasungirirwa pamiti ipapo. They were beaten to death. Babamunini returned kumusha vakanotora mabhunu and started saying macomrades atora mukoma wangu. Handei ndinokuratidzai kwavaenda.

SM: You mean babamunini went to the Rhodesian soldiers to report that macomrades had taken his brother?

Cde Georgina: Yes, he did that. The Rhodesian soldiers came and raided Teresera Base. They even came with a helicopter which threw bombs on the base. So there was masvikoro, Sekuru Chipfeni vaifamba nemacomrades. Vakasvikirwa vakati vakomana mudhara uya akuuraisai vanhu ava aripi? Ndipo pavaka patika macomrades. They started looking for him but they could not find him. Unknown to them he had returned back home and was coming back nemabhunu to raid this base. But just before this raid, macomrades said vasikana zadzai mugomo mvura tibike sadza. This was very early in the morning. Patiri kuenda kumvura, mudhara wangu akafa ari pamuti nhunzi dziri kupinda muromo nemukanwa kuteera ropa. Magora ava kutotenderera kuda nyama. As we were going to fetch water, we were supposed to pass through where my father’s decomposing body was still tied to the tree. Ndakatadza kuti ndopfuura baba vangu sei. Mavis actually pushed me so that I could stop looking at the decomposing bodies. She pushed me three times. Ndipo pandakakwanisa kufuratira mudhara and from them on I went up and down to fetch water passing through the decomposing bodies. Kuona kuti baba vangu vakafa avo and vava kudyiwa nemhuka dzemusango.

SM: You mean you were actually passing through …

Cde Georgina: Yeeesss, that’s what I am talking about. Ndaienda maup and down ndakatakura mugomo pamusoro, seeing my dead father there. So zvinondibata macomrades. Ndakarwadziwa and up to this day the pain is still fresh in my mind. I had nowhere to go. Ndakati even if I go back kumusha ndinonowana ani? I didn’t know what to do. At one time, I thought of escaping and going back kumusha but there was no way I could do that. At one time I wanted to die. I had no reason to live. Ndakazongoti mwari ndiye anoziva.

SM: You said Mavis was pushing you as you passed through your dead father. Why was she doing this?

Cde Georgina: She was saying to me shinga. She was doing it out of love so that I would have the courage to carry on. If it wasn’t for her, I think I would have broken down. When she pushed me ndikafuratira baba, ndakabva ndatoziva kuti ndizvo zvazvatove. I would still cry, but I knew this was the situation and there was nothing I could do about it. All I wanted was my mother to know what had happened and that babamunini was to blame. I however failed to do this until after the attainment of independence. I only met my mother during campaigns before the 1980 elections. That is when I told my mother that baba vakafa.

SM: Comrade, you are talking about seeing your father dying and you are talking about seeing your father’s corpse being eaten by animals. How does a human being go through such an ordeal?

Cde Georgina: That’s why you see me crying. And ndatoona kuti nhasi ndawana vekuchemera kundibvunza kwamaita. Zvinondibata and ndinorwadziwa. The pain is just unbearable. And handina chandakawana. Can you imagine I came back from the liberation struggle and ndikawana mai vachigara muKeep. I later managed to build a descent hut for her. I really don’t want anyone talking about kuenda kwangu kuhondo. Handidi hangu. Maybe that’s why ndakazokosheswawo because when I came back from the liberation struggle I was staying at the President’s residency. Ndakagara kumba kwaPresident Mugabe that’s why I say zvese ndakaitiswa naMai Sally Mugabe. The President and Amai Sally Mugabe knew about my tortured background. Handigone kutaura nyaya iyi kuvanhu. I have not even told my relatives about what I went through. I just told them kuti baba vakafa. You know when I came back from the liberation struggle, we were told to go and campaign in our rural areas so that people could easily understand what the war was all about. I went to Mt Darwin together with people like George Rutanhire and others. When I arrived in Mt Darwin, I saw my young sister’s husband. He was driving a lorry that had brought food at the rally. There was also a teacher from our home area who saw me akandifananidza. He asked me where I was from and I told him that ndini mwna wekwaMinizhu. He is the one who told me that my young sister’s husband was seated, resting in the lorry. I approached babamunini and at first he was not sure what to say. I then identified myself and that’s when he opened up saying he was indeed my young sister’s husband. This young sister was called Particia. I then told him kuti munowudza Patricia kuti sisi vako vakaenda kuhondo vauya. So after the rally, we were at a service station waiting to drive to Bindura where we were booked. While at the service station, my young sister who was heavily pregnant then, came running towards me. Behind her was my little brother. We hugged each other and rolled several times. It was like a film. Teurai (Joice Mujuru) together with vana George Rutanhire vakamira nekushamisika. They then told me kuti hauchadzokera kuBindura kuhotel chisara nemun’inina mumbonotaura. I went to my young sister’s house. My young sister started calling my other sisters. As these other sisters came, on arrival at the gate, vairidza mhere zviya zvinoitwa pafuneral. Vari mumbawo vaibva vadaira kuchema. After this I would just tell them kuti haaa, vese vakafa kukasara ini chete.

SM: Let’s go back a bit comrade. These comrades who did this to your father and the other four villagers, you forgave them?

Cde Georgina: Yes, I forgave them. Wandakasara ndakatsamwira was babamunini. He is the one who caused all this. Ndivo vaiva Capricorn, ndivo vaiva mutengesi. The comrades who did this, when mabhunu came to raid Teresera Base like I told you, most of them died. Only two of them survived. Kwakasara Cde Ziso naCde Hondo. Earlier on I told you that the comrades had said we should fill some drums with water because they wanted us to cook sadza. So takanga tavesa moto. I think this is how the Rhodesian soldiers noticed exactly where we were because right pamoto ipapo ndipo pakakandwa the first bomb. One of the comrades shouted “macomrades hondo yauya, marecruits tizai! Hondo, macomrades, hondo pano!” So we just started running together with Mavis and Tendai. Mavis had a little brother. I think this boy was five years or so. I think now he is at the President’s Office. So takatiza tiri four, myself, Mavis, Tendai and this little boy. You would run for some distance then suddenly see mabhunu mberi you turn in another direction. There was serious chaos and confusion. Miti yakachekwa kurembera kuona kuti bhunu rakatitsitsa padoor rehelicopter shooting down. They attacked until they got satisfied that macomrades had either died or ran away. Some of the helicopters actually landed at the base.

You asked me about forgiveness. I told you ndakatsamwira babamunini but I blame these comrades because during these early days, they would not verify any information that they were given. If they had taken time to ask other villagers, they would have been told the true story. They would have seen that baba vangu vakanga vasina mhosva. Maybe ndaizoendawo kuhondo just on my own sacrifice. Ndakatozopinda muhondo ndatovako after realizing that this was my only option. Vamwe vese had died and I was the only survivor from our village.

SM: These comrades had spared you and after the attack by the Rhodesian forces, you also survived. What do you attribute this to?

Cde Georgina: Up to this day, I really don’t know how we survived the attack. In the confusion, we found ourselves running and coming back to this base about twice. We didn’t know where to go. I was putting on a yellow dress and so Mavis and Tendai when we took cover they would cover me with green leaves so that the gunman in the helicopter could not see me. But then you know sometimes the helicopter would fly a bit low and those leaves obva. I was then told kuti kurura dress iro. I removed the dress and was left naked, but still ndaiva mutsuku so Mavis and Tendai vakandizora madhaka kuti ndisaonekwe.

I don’t know how, but after running for quite a while we found ourselves in the middle of, I think it was a game park. There was a thick forest and we sat down to rest. After a while, takanzwa slogan yakaitwa nemamwe macomrades. It was either a slogan or a password wobva waziva kuti uyu ndewedu. When the comrades made the slogan, we responded and they came where we were. One of the comrades akanga arohwa ruoko and ruoko rwangosara rwakarembera neganda chete. By this time ndakanga ndamonera chizambia. The other comrade was Cde Ziso. He then said lets walk to Zambezi River. We walked to the river for several hours. When we got there, these comrades put up a fire. It was almost dark. Muhuni dziya dzaveswa makabuda chinyavada chakaruma kahanzvadzi kaMavis kakachema zvisingaite. One of the comrades said “better tiuraye this little boy anotibatisa.” Mavis akabata muromo wehanzvadzi yake ikaita seichaputika nekuchemera mudundundhu. The little boy sweated and I thought he was going to die.

The next day, the villagers who had zvimwadiya came and we crossed Zambezi into Mozambique. We walked until there were blisters all over my feet. While walking, vana Mavis and Tendai ndivo vanga vava vasikana vakuru so they are the ones who were doing most of the talking. They were comforting me all the way because they knew kuti ndaurayirwa baba ndakatarisa. I was crying all the way. At one point when I was crying, one of the comrades actually came to me and said “iwe mwana wemutengesi nyarara manhi unotitengesa.” Up to this day, with what I saw, I don’t think nyika ichandigutsa kuti ndigozorora. I don’t think so.

SM: These comrades who killed your father, later did you have the opportunity to talk to them about what they had done?

Cde Georgina: I spoke to Cde Ziso about it. We spent quite some time talking about it. He said to me “pakaita hutengesi.” I told him that I would never forgive him. He said ‘ndiyo inonzi hondo.” Kana vanhu vatengesana tinongofunga kuti ndizvozvo. I still failed to understand him. At one point vakatondipukuta musodzi. I can’t even remember how many days we walked but we ended up at Chifombo Base. I spent almost two months unable to walk in bandages. The pain was just unbearable. It was at Chifombo that I was given the name Georgina by Cde Mayor Urimbo, I think he was the chief political commissar at that time. He said because of what I had gone through he wanted me to be like his daughter. I had narrated when we arrived what had happened and Cde Mayor Urimbo was touched. He had asked because at this time ndakanga ndisina kana breast. Ndisina kana zamu zvaro so he wanted to know how such a young girl had joined the war. I had not even gone for my menstrual periods.

SM: Who are some of the comrades you found at Chifombo?

Cde Georgina: There were 13 female comrades. So we were now 16 female comrades. I later accepted what I had gone through because I became part of the first female Zanu comrades to receive military training. Some of the comrades, like Cde Norman Bethune sat down with me and gave me serious orientation. They explained to me that hondo kushupika and kurwadziwa. Ndakazvigamuchira ndikazvinzwisisa. So in no time ndakabva ndaita gandanga chairo. My background and my experiences gave me the courage and power to train even harder. I said to myself, my father died for this country and I must make sure that we free this country.

SM: Didn’t you think of going back to Rhodesia after receiving military training to deal with your babamunini? Sort of revenge?

Cde Georgina: The first thing I wanted was to go and tell my relatives that babamunini had caused my father’s death. Sometimes I would think of going back to revenge, but muhondo hamunzarwo. You know ndichiri kuhondo, some of babamunini’s children came to join the liberation struggle. About two of them. They looked for me vakandiwana. This was way after my training. When they came, I understood that these were just children like me. They didn’t know anything and they were not to blame. Their father was the problem not these two. Up to now, I am still in good books nevana vababamunini ava. I don’t have a problem with them. One of them is in the President’s Office.

SM: From your perspective, what does forgiveness mean? Is there such a thing?

Cde Georgina: Yes, there is forgiveness. Like I told you, I spoke to Cde Ziso about what they had done to my father and he explained things to me and I understood. The only problem, my only issue with comrades during these early days of the liberation struggle was that vanhu vaiti vakatengesana, they would not verify to get the truth.

SM: So what happened to this babamunini?

Cde Georgina: When I met my mother during campaigns before the 1980 elections and told her what had happened, she then told me kuti baba munini vakazofa chimbwa chaicho. She told me that babamunini vakazenge vogara mumuti as some comrades were hunting for him.

Next week, Cde Georgina will continue narrating this draining horror story which sounds like an episode from a Stranger than Fiction novel. She will explain what she means exactly when she says “babamunini vakazofa chimbwa chaicho.” She will explain how she later went for military training, her roles during the liberation struggle and the ever-flowing love she received from President Mugabe and Amai Sally Mugabe. Make sure you get your copy of The Sunday Mail next week as history is being written directly from the source.


The Gruesome Killing of a Sellout, Part II

LAST week, Cde Deria Minizhu, whose Chimurenga name was Cde Georgina Chakanaka narrated how her father and five other villagers were killed at Teresera Base after her father’s young brother lied to the comrades. She narrated how her father was beaten to death and how this babamunini later came with some Rhodesian forces who bombed Teresera Base leaving many comrades dead.

In this interview with our team comprising Munyaradzi Huni and Tendai Manzvanzvike, Cde Georgina narrates how some comrades later hunted down this babamunini and killed him in gruesome ways that will leave many speechless. Despite, all the horror, torture and pain that she went through, Cde Georgina later became “simbi yebasa” during the liberation struggle. Read on …

SM: Comrade Georgina, let’s continue your gruesome story. You said after causing the death of your father through lies and bringing Rhodesian forces to bomb Teresera Base, your babamunini was killed like a dog. Explain how he died.

Cde Georgina: When he was being hunted nemacomrades, babamunini vakanga vakugara vakahwanda mumuti kusvika vanhu vemuraini vati munhu wamuri kutsvaga mumba anotiza okwira mumuti. The comrades would come to the homestead ransack the house looking for babamunini and for quite a while they were failing to locate him. One day, some villagers tipped the comrades that munhu wamuri kutsvaga anorara mumuti. One day the comrades came during the middle of the night and they found him right up the tree. They ordered him to come down.

SM: Who was telling you all this?

Cde Georgina: I was told all this by mother and other villagers after returning from the liberation struggle. I was told kuti baba vako vakafa zvakanaka panefiro yakazoita babamunini. Babamunini vangu vakazofa vachipamhurwa sembudzi. Zviya zvekudimburwa musoro, kubviswa ruoko, gumbo and so on. Mainini vakatama vakanogara mumaraini because her husband’s body parts were strewn all over the yard. Musoro wababamunini wakagadzikwa padoor remba maziso akabuda kunze. One of his legs was in one corner of the yard, maoko in another corner. The body parts were left in the open like this for two days. After two days, macomrades then came nemujobo vachijobora maparts ababamunini vaya vachiisa musaga. These body parts were then thrown into Mukumbura River. That’s how this babamunini died. When I was told this, I didn’t feel much for him because he had lied to the comrades who killed my father and in addition he also brought Rhodesian soldiers who massacred many people at Teresera Base.

SM: Comrade Georgina, listening to you one gets the impression that these comrades were now tormenting the people they were supposed to free.

Cde Georgina: Like I told you, these comrades later discovered that babamunini had lied to them about my father and as a result the comrades had killed my father and five other villagers. In addition, babamunini had brought Rhodesian forces who bombed Teresera Base leading to the deaths of many comrades. What did you expect them to do to such a person?

These comrades wanted to free the country and free the people but babamunini had to be dealt with that way because he had caused the deaths of many innocent people.

SM: Now, let’s go back to your journey. After the bombing at Teresera Base, you said you went to Chifombo. How long were you at Chifombo and what exactly where you doing there?

Cde Georgina: Like I told you, when we got to Chifombo I was very sick after days of walking. My legs were swollen but after some weeks I was fine. I received treatment. Later, I joined other comrades carrying materiel (ammunition) from Chifombo to Zambezi River. We were the first female comrades to carry materiel from Chifombo to Zambezi River where vana mukoma would then take the ammunition and distribute it to other comrades at the front. You know sometimes we would get shoes, but walking from Chifombo to Zambezi and back waidzoka usisina bhutsu yapera yese. Taikwira makomo ainzi Makwira Wadya. Waiti mukadzi ukakwira uri mberi, murume ari mumashure aiwona zvese zviri mukati mehembe yako. Taiva simbi dzebasa. I remember some comrades who were coming from Tanzania after military training, they would faint along the way isu tichienda. Sometimes, we would be instructed to go ahead of the group so that we would find time to cook for the comrades.

SM: You went to the struggle when you were 13 years, you didn’t volunteer to go to the struggle, your father had been killed while you watched and as you were walking to Chifombo you got very sick. Now you are saying makanga mava simbi yebasa. Where had you gathered the courage to do this? It’s as if the past didn’t matter anymore?

Cde Georgina: I told you that kuhondo taigarwa nesu pasi tichidzidziswa. I had been told that this was part of the war and there was no reason to keep mourning. I told you that Cde Bethune was one of the comrades who sat down with me and explained things to me. Taigariswa pasi everyday and they would give us political orientation. With time I understood that ndatova comrade and my duty was to fight for my country. So as we carried materiel, I told myself kuti macomrades who were kufront havafanirwi kushaya mabullets to fight the enemy. This is what gave me the strength. During this time, everything to do with how my father had been killed went to the back of my mind. We now had a task ahead and there was no time to continue crying.

I can’t remember exactly how long I was at Chifombo. From there, together with other female comrades we were taken to the Zanu farm in Lusaka. Kwakanzi we needed rest. From the Zanu farm that’s when I later went for military training.

SM: Who are some of the female comrades you were with at Chifombo?

Cde Georgina: I remember there was Cdes Dadirai, Chisungo, Mationesa (she later died), Mavis, Tendai, Muchaneta, Steria and many others. Like I told you when we got to Chifombo, there were 13 female comrades and we joined them. Now we were 16 but other female comrades kept coming. At the farm, there were so many farming activities. While at the farm, it was announced that kuri kudiwa the first female comrades to go for military training. I was among this first group that was taken to Nachingweya Camp in Tanzania. I think we were around 74 female comrades in this group. I can’t remember the exact figure. I remember one of the female comrades got pregnant and she was taken back to Lusaka. I actually think this comrade joined us when she was already pregnant.

SM: What was the name of this female comrade?

Cde Georgina: I can’t remember exactly her name. I think our instructors, Cde Khumalo and Cde Elias Hondo can remember her name. I also remember another female comrade got sick and passed away. We received military training at Nachingweya. Like I said, we had two Zanla instructors, Cde Khumalo and Cde Hondo. There were also two instructors, a male and a female, from Frelimo.

While at Nachingweya, we later discovered that this is the camp where former Mozambican President Samora Machel was staying. During our pass-out parade, there was vaMuzenda together with Samora Machel among the top dignitaries. I remember during our parade, Samora Machel took it upon himself kutimachisa because he was very proud of us. He told our Zanla leaders that takanga tamudadisa so he wanted to show them how good we were with all our drills. If you talk to any of the female comrades who were there on this day, they are still very proud because takadadisa. Hapana chaunondiudza about pfuti up to this day. I can assemble any gun with my eyes closed.

You see, Samora Machel was saying we were going to train other female comrades so we were supposed to be very good and we excelled. Samora would tell us you are going to be the instructors so ndinoda kuti mubve makanyatsobikika.

At Nachingweya were taught political orientation, mass mobilisation, how to assemble different types of guns and how to use the guns. This was a rigorous exercise. We received training just like our male counterparts. The training was for about six months.

SM: After receiving military training, where did you go?

Cde Georgina: From Nachingweya, takaiswa at different bases as instructors. I became a member of seguranza, meaning security intelligence. My job was to make sure that I detect sellouts with the recruits. Ndakatobata quite a number of people vakanga vatotumwa naSmith. These people would come pretending as if they wanted to join the struggle yet there were spies. I remember a group of comrades who came with bags filled with clothes. When I saw them, I quickly sensed that there was something wrong. These comrades were so smart as if they were going for some holiday. Kuhondo kwaisaendwa like that. So our commanders vakanditi chimbotamba navo tione.

I was still a cute little girl. So ndakenda and started mixing with these comrades. One of the comrades akabva andinyenga. He started saying musikana akanaka sewe so anogara musango sei? Ngatidzokere kumusha unogara muSalisbury uchidya zvinonaka.

SM: When this comrades proposed did you say yes?

Cde Georgina: Yes, ndakatoti ndinokuda and the comrade became very comfortable with me. He told me everything and I was busy reporting back to my commanders. I remember one of the commanders actually went to Lusaka to buy me a mini-dress, kuti zvidya zviende panze so that vakomana vadyire. At one time, this comrade told me kuti ngatisangane kumatoilets avarume in the middle of the night so that we could sneak out and go back to Rhodesia. I remember my boss kusecurity at that base was Cde Takawira. I told him kuti ndava kuda kuendwa neni back to Rhodesia. He told me to go to the toilet and wait for this comrade. This comrade came with his friends and just as he was about to grab my waist kuti handei, the other comrades who were laying in ambush vakabva vati “hold!” Takabva tasungwa tese. Ndaiva nenhamo yekusungwa because this had to look real.

After this we were taken to a parade where the commanders said tabata vatengesi ava. Some comrades who knew me were surprised. Later this comrades were taken to our cells ataiti mapidigu. Raiva jeri repasi that we dug. Muma pidigu ndimo mataiisa vatengesi.

I later became company commander, then battalion commander in charge of security. Later I became a member of the General Staff. When I became a member of the General Staff I had a secretary who would write down things for me. Most comrades knew that I had not gone to school so they made sure they assigned a secretary to do the writing for me. Sometimes when they wanted my signature, I would just put an X. Of course later I went to night school and now I can write very well.

Because of the nature of my job, I was assigned to many bases in Mozambique. I could not stay at one base for a long time. I ended up at Chaminuka Base, which was responsible for security. Chimoio Camp was bombed while I was at Chaminuka Base. Handiti you know kuti Chimoio camp had many bases. So Chaminuka was one of the bases in charge of security.

SM: You are saying when the bombing at Chimoio happened while you were there. How did you survive?

Cde Georgina: I don’t really know how I survived because I have never seen such kind of bombardment. I got shot during this bombardment (showing the scars on her body). I remember taking cover under a thick forest while bleeding profusely. While in that position, I saw a very big snake coming in my direction but I didn’t move. Nyoka iyi yakafamba nemukusana kwangu ichiita seiri kuda kupfuura. It then turned and looked at me. After a short while, yakaisa musoro wayo pasi and I knew it was giving me a message no to move from this position. I knew kuti mudzimu waindiudza what to do because the commotion at the camp was just something else. I remained in this hiding place until very late in the evening. That snake was in that position the whole day. In the evening, yakatanga kumononoka and it went away. I knew it was time for me to move. As I started walking, I met some comrades and one of the comrades used his shirt to bandage my wound.

SM: So after the massacre at Chomoio, where did you go?

Cde Georgina: I was taken to hospital in Chimoio town and was admitted for several weeks. After this I was taken to Tembwe. Tembwe was also attacked ndiripo. I survived again. Later, I was taken to Maputo and attended rufu rwaCde Tongogara. We used to call him Cde Tongo Mukono waidzvova. I tell you when that comrade died, it really affected many comrades.

After attending rufu rwaCde Tongo, a few months later, we were flown into Zimbabwe during the time of ceasefire. I came together with Cde Muzenda, naiye Teurai uyu (Mai Mujuru) and many others. We were taken to Mushandirapamwe Hotel in Highfield. Later we were taken to Highlands until Cde Mnangagwa came. He took me kuimba yaPresident Mugabe yekuWaterfalls along Derbyshire Road. Sometimes the President would come to this house, especially during weekends. He would say “ndati ndimbozorora Georgina ndiri kuno kwako.” Later, I was moved to State House. I got very close to Amai Sally Mugabe during these days. Both President Mugabe and Mai Sally understood my history and they welcomed me into their life as if I was their own child. While others went to Assemble Points, I didn’t and handidi kunyepa, ndakambochengetwa navaMugabe and Mai Sally. I am forever grateful.

We later were sent to go for campaigns in Mt Darwin and I went together with Teurai (mai Mujuru), Cde George Rutanhire and other comrades. The party said as comrades we were supposed to go and campaign in our home areas so that povho could easily understand why they had to vote for Zanu.

SM: Comrade Georgina, there is an issue that many female comrades talk about that people don’t understand. The issue about menstrual periods. How far true is it that some women, especially the first groups stopped having their menstrual periods during the liberation struggle?

Cde Georgina: I can tell you that I went for something like two to three years, without having menstrual periods. I had my first periods when I was 14 years that is one year after I joined the liberation struggle. But I just had the periods once and it stopped for years.

SM: How did this happen?

Cde Georgina: I was taken kunaMbuya Nehanda. By this I mean homwe yaMbuya Nehanda. Together with other female comrades, takapihwa mushonga wechibhoyi and we drank. Takapihwa tumidzi twataka tsenga tikamedza nemvura. After this ritual we all stopped going for our periods. This is when I started believing kuti hondo yaitungamirirwa nemasvikiro.

Of course, after some years some of us started having menstrual periods and I tell you it was a nightmare. There was no cotton and waisvika pakutora dhende woisa pakati kuti ubatsirike.