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(SUNDAY MAIL) The untold friction between Zanu, Kaunda

The untold friction between Zanu, Kaunda
Sunday, 18 November 2012 00:00

Comrade Kumbirai Kangai (KK) can simply be described as the Zanu-PF dictionary. He was a member of Dare reChimurenga and clearly articulates the formation and history of Zanu in very revealing ways. In this interview with our Assistant Editor Munyaradzi Huni (MH), Cde Kangai confesses that during the early days of the struggle, Zanu did not handle things properly and goes on to say the first Dare reChimurenga "went on to become a shame". He narrates the friction between Zanu and Zambia's founding father President Kenneth Kaunda, he gives a blow-by-blow account of how President Mugabe became the leader of Zanu and gives his account of Chairman Chitepo's death. Read on . . .

MH: You have a long history during and after the liberation struggle. As we begin this interview, can you tell us how exactly do you describe yourself?

KK: (laughs) That's a very difficult person. I think I would do justice to myself if I say Kumbirai Kangai is a stubborn, committed individual who when he has made up his mind that he wants to do something, it has to be done. I set a goal and I say I must reach that goal and it has to be reached. No matter what comes, I struggle to reach the goal.

MH: Were you like this growing up or it's a character that developed over the years, especially during the liberation struggle?

KK: Well, I can't say I was like that when I was young. It came up later on.

MH: Stubborn as you were, when did you first have a clash with authorities?

KK: I went to Makumbe Mission for my primary education and later went to Zimuto Secondary School where all hell broke loose. I was a member of the school Sunday classes. One day I asked a question. I said, hey, we are told that Adam and Eve were the first people. Adam had his son Cain and Abel. Cain killed Abel and God said where is your brother and Cain said I don't know where my brother is. God said no, no, no you must know. He later admitted that he had killed Abel. Then he was told, you should now go to the East and stay there. Cain said "I need an insignia that I am an innocent person because I will be killed by people". Then I said who were these other people? We take it that at that time it was Adam and Eve and the two children. So who are these other people? Where did they come from? I tell you hell broke loose. The missionary there became very angry. He said you have got bad spirits. I was chased away from the Sunday School. I went to the dormitory and slept. The principal later came and he said "mwana", follow me. He was on his bicycle and I was running besides him. He told me that he was going to beat me up because I had bad spirits. After being beaten five whips he said we should pray together. After this I was ordered to go and pray with him everyday in the morning. He would pray saying, "God help this boy. He has evil spirits and he doesn't understand things that are said in the Bible." After four days, he said now you are fine. He ordered me to join people from the school who were going in groups into villages to preach. Of course I never joined these groups. From that point on, I resisted anything that is religious . . .

MH: So this gave birth to the politician in you?

KK: As I was resisting things that were happening in church, I joined the NDP political party in 1959. We got involved in politics quietly underground at night but during the day we would appear like very good boys. When I went to Murehwa, my involvement in politics got worse. I later joined Zanu in 1963 when it was born. NDP was banned. We became Zapu. Zapu was banned, and then we split from Zapu to Zanu in 1963. At that time I was just a teacher involved in politics underground. We were civil servants so we were not allowed to do politics but underground it was full-blown politics . . . After a long run with police, after being arrested and released I later got a scholarship to go to the United States in 1965. This was after I had applied for my passport using my middle name so I became Manyika Manyika. When I got to the United States I discovered there were many Zimbabweans there . . . I was studying Public Health. I got elected as secretary for publicity into the Zimbabwe Student Union while in the US. Later I was made chief representative of Zanu in North America.

MH: So you can say this was your first official position in Zanu?

KK: Yes. This was 1970 now. We had battles with some students who told us to leave politics. But I wanted to come back home and liberate Zimbabwe. I travelled all over America telling Zimbabweans that we should go back home to liberate our country. I was working with Dauramanzi, Chris Mapondera and many others. We would meet and always examine the situation back home and sourced materials to support the struggle. Later, I did Medical Technology. Soon after I went to Tanzania where I joined the liberation struggle full time in 1972. I was received by John Mataure, who was the chief representative in Tanzania. After working there for some time, I was then called by Chairman Chitepo. He said you should come to Zambia. So I went to Zambia. While in Zambia the debate then began about sending comrades to the front. We said we should not send people to the front; five, 10 people and they get killed. We said we should now embark on guerilla warfare. I had read Mao Tse-tung; I had read Fidel Castro and studied the Korean struggle so I was speaking in theoretical terms. We debated this for hours. While in Zambia, Rugare Gumbo joined me. So of the vast numbers of people in the US when I was recruiting people to come back home, five people initially agreed to come back, but at the last minute three of them refused and so only me and Gumbo came back. Later the party agreed that we should embark on guerilla warfare.

MH: Did you have enough resources for guerilla warfare?

KK: When I came in, we had very limited support. Then our support grew. We got the support of Sweden. They gave us money and we bought a farm in Zambia where we were training our comrades. We got weapons from China, Yugoslavia and other countries. When we started the North-East Rhodesia (now Mashonaland Central) campaign, that's when we really started getting lots of support.

MH: Some of the comrades you deployed during the early days say the leadership sent them to war when they were ill-equipped. What is your comment?

KK: It was disastrous. Let me take the 1966 Chinhoyi battle. These comrades were trained in Tanzania. After training they came to Zambia and they were given ammunition. Very ill-equipped and were sent to war. When they got in the Chinhoyi area, they decided to attack and, hey, they were bombed. They were all wiped out. Now these were the incidences which we were citing to say no, no, no, this is not the way to do it. We want now to go into Zimbabwe and conscientise villagers about the war, so that they know we were coming to fight. So when we attacked Altena Farm, this really made people aware that we meant business.

MH: But, Cde Kangai, is it true that some comrades were sent to the front without ammunition just to make a statement to the then OAU?

KK: I have to admit, there was no one at that time who had knowledge about guerilla warfare. So people were just sent to the front. Sent people, this one with one pistol, this one with this. That was not proper, but it also made an impact at OAU to say we were serious about the struggle.

MH: So is it true to say during the early days of the liberation struggle, things were not handled properly from the Zanu side?

KK: Yes, that's true. There was lack of experience, lack of knowledge of guerilla warfare, but when we decided that guerilla warfare was the only way to fight the struggle, we were now well equipped and well trained for it.

MH: Now, you are in Lusaka at the Liberation Centre. What was your role there?

KK: At the Liberation Centre I was just helping. I really didn't have a defined role. But then when we went for the bi-annual conference in 1973, I was elected into Dare reChimurenga. We were only eight in this Dare. There was Chairman Chitepo, Hamadziripi, Mukudzei Mudzi, Noel Mukono, Mataure, Tongogara, Rugare Gumbo and myself.

MH: What exactly was the purpose of this Dare?

KK: We were charged with the responsibility of prosecuting the liberation struggle to its conclusion.

MH: Whose idea was this Dare reChimurenga?

KK: Mostly I would say it was Herbert Chitepo.

MH: Before Dare reChimurenga was there any other body which was charged with the same responsibility?

KK: Yes, there was another one which was called the Revolutionary Council. It was joined by many people and then we said we are not serious. We must have few people who will discuss and manage the liberation struggle. That's when we decided on Dare reChimurenga.

MH: So your group of eight, was this the first group of Dare or there were others before you?

KK: Ours was the second Dare. The first Dare was there but, haa, it became a shame.

MH: Who were the people who constituted this first Dare?

KK: There was Chitepo, Simon Mutambanengwe, Hamadziripi, Mukudzei Mudzi, Washington Malianga, Noel Mukono, Robson Manyika and there was this man who became really a traitor. You know what this man did; he went to the United States and disappeared. Completely disappeared. We later heard that he was married to some white woman in the United States. It was atrocious.

MH: When he left, did he sell out some information to the enemy?

KK: Of course he did. That first Dare was divided on tribal lines. Very serious divisions. When we came I said vakomana, I am not Zezuru, I am not Manyika or anything, I am a combatant who is ready to fight Ian Smith. That's all. I don't want to hear anything called tribe. Robson Manyika, Rugare Gumbo, myself and Mukudzei Mudzi we were a core team that really championed the revolution. We said we don't want to hear anything called tribe. We don't want to hear anybody who says he wants power from our leaders who were in detention. Those who were in detention were our heroes. We will liberate them.

MH: Make me understand something here. There is the first Dare and the Second Dare but your leaders were in prison?

KK: Yes.

MH: Even if they are in prison and you are executing the war, they remained your leaders?

KK: Yes. They remained absolutely our leaders.

MH: So when you were elected into the second Dare, who were the leaders of Zanu at that time?

KK: The leader at that time was Herbert Chitepo as chairman. He was such a dynamic leader. I tell you it was a great loss to lose that man. To tell you the truth, he was a very intelligent person. He was hard working. He had the mind of liberating Zimbabwe. And this business of land, he said they came and they started parcelling out our land. Each one pays two shillings for several hectares of land. He was really bitter about it. He provided what I call real leadership. That Second Dare, it really did a lot.

MH: What were some of the highlights in terms of achievement that were made by this Second Dare?

KK: We were the ones who were able to popularise the liberation struggle. We sent comrades to North-East Rhodesia, of course we had signed a protocol with Frelimo. Our comrades went in as Frelimo in Tete province and then they moved into Rhodesia. The first group there were four . . . there was Chinamaropa, Chauke, Enerst Kadungure and John Gwitira. Gwitira later became a sellout. When these four got into Rhodesia they met some elders who took them to the spirit medium of Mbuya Nehanda, who went on to say "ndiwo mapfupa angu andaitaura aya. Mapfupa angu amuka. Vapei zvese zvavanoda". From there we started getting lots and lots of people wanting to join the struggle. Smith didn't know what was happening. When we suspected that Smith knew what was going on, we attacked Altena Farm. After this Smith announced that this was going to be a nine-day wonder. I am going to wipe them out.

MH: Why Altena Farm?

KK: Well, it was chosen to just give an example to the farmers that we have come, the owners of this country, you better beware. Altena Farm was attacked in December 1972. From there on, the war went full scale and Smith became very ruthless to the blacks. The war had started in earnest and it was irreversible.

MH: Cde Kangai, I was at Altena Farm a few months ago. The house that was attacked is still there riddled with bullets. The white man who used to live there we hear he visits the house and just walks around the yard and leaves. Why can't this house be protected to preserve the country's history?

KK: You know we really have problems. You know in Highfield here, we have Chitepo's house there, we have President Mugabe's house there, we have Nkomo's house there. We should take all these, including Altena Farm, and make them sacred places where people visit to actually see how these people lived and how the war was fought.

Anyway, let's get back to the struggle. The revolutionary path we had taken was irreversible and we said we will all die to liberate our country. I told you earlier on that if I set to achieve a certain goal, I will make sure I achieve it, no matter what happens. They killed Chitepo and the Zambian government said Dare reChimurenga, high command, you are all arrested. Why? Because you have killed your chairman.

MH: Now we get to Chitepo's death. Can you chronicle to us what exactly happened because we hear so many versions about his death?

KK: This Dare reChimurenga had become a thorn in the flesh for the colonial regime. They put up leaflets saying if anyone assists and we arrest any member of Dare, we will give you US$10 000. They finally came to the conclusion that it is Chitepo who is the brains behind the whole thing. They did everything possible. Have you seen the book, See You in November. What's in that book is exactly what they did. They planned here at Park Lane, here in Harare. They said we must kill Chitepo, if we kill him, we would have killed the revolution, unfortunately for them this was not the case. They almost killed the revolution because when Chitepo was killed, members of Dare were arrested.

MH: When Chitepo was killed, I mean when that bomb went off in his car, where were you?

KK: I was in Lusaka. I had just come back from a trip in the US, UK and West Africa. First day, Chitepo asked me to go with him to the Yugoslavia ambassador in Zambia. So we went there and this ambassador said "you know the Second World War, Yugoslavia was isolated. You people are just getting to the same level." He looked up to the roof and said "come to my house I will tell you more". We left. Second day, I woke up and I was waiting for Chitepo to give me a lift to the Liberation Centre. I saw that time was gone and he had not come. I got a lift to the Liberation Centre. I opened my office. I started opening mail which had been pilling up during my absence. Then all of a sudden I heard a girl, who was a security officer.

She said, "Shef, there was an explosion at Chairman Chitepo's house." I then asked so where is the chairman? She didn't answer. I left everything and rushed to Chitepo's house. I got there, found many people there. You know this man, Tim Chigudu, got me and said that blanket you see there is Chitepo and that one there is one of his bodyguards. The other bodyguard has been taken to hospital. I asked him what happened and he said there was an explosion in the car and the car was ripped apart. I tell you I was shocked. A few minutes later Gumbo arrived, Hamadziripi arrived, Mukudzei Mudzi arrived and we were now four members of the Dare. We asked each other what we were supposed to do. We decided to go to President Kaunda's office to tell him what had happened. We drove there and sat for hours. He didn't attend to us.

MH: Sorry, Cde, did you open the blanket to see the body of Chairman Chitepo?

KK: No, I didn't. The third day, I was then asked to go and positively identify Chitepo at Lusaka Hospital. I went there and identified Chitepo and preparations were made for his burial. In the meantime, we issued a statement as Dare reChimurenga saying what has happened is the work of imperialists who are trying to destroy our liberation struggle. Gumbo was the publicity secretary. We just told him and he drafted the statement which we issued out.

MH: You said you went and tried to see Kaunda, but you didn't see him. Why?

KK: I really don't know why. He never talked to us. So we went back to the house. A day later we were all arrested by the Zambian government. We spent 22 months in prison.

MH: Arrested for what?

KK: They said for murdering Chitepo.

MH: What evidence did they have?

KK: Ahh, nothing. First the five of us, members of Dare, we were put in Mukoweko Prison. It was myself, Rugare Gumbo, Mukudzei Mudzi, Hamadziripi and Tongogara. Each one in his cell. Noel Mukono was out on a trip and Mataure had gotten involved in the revolt which had taken place. The Vashandi revolt. We were locked up for 22 months. We then said try us, if we are guilty, yes, we hang. If we are not guilty, you let us free. A detention order would be renewed all the time. We would be told, pack your things. We would pack our things, walk for a few metres, another detention order is brought and we are sent back into prison.

MH: That's quite strange. Tell us something, before this incident happened, were you members of Dare in good books with the Zambian authorities?

KK: Zanu party we were not in good books with the Zambian authorities.

MH: Why?

KK: They were in favour of Nkomo. That was the problem.

MH: Did they favour Nkomo because Zapu was older than Zanu or what?

KK: Aaahhh, there is a lot that I can say, suffice to say we were not in good books with the Zambian government.

MH: So you are arrested for 22 months and then what happened?

KK: While we were in detention there, we were five. We made resolutions as Dare. The first resolution was to expel Ndabaningi Sithole as president of Zanu.

MH: Clarify something here. Chitepo was the chairman, Ndabaningi Sithole was the president of Zanu?

KK: Yes. The second resolution was, no matter what happens to us, our fate is in the hands of the Zambian government, but all this is immaterial. The struggle will have to go on. So we smuggled out lots of documents which went to the cadres giving them direction. We were telling them that the only thing we have to do is to form a united front with Zapu.

MH: Why were you saying you no longer wanted Sithole?

KK: I will come to that. We also sent information to the cadres that you must form a united front with Zapu. The history of the liberation struggle is littered with united fronts. We have to form a united front and fight on. So they went and formed Zipa. Whilst that was going on, the British got to know that these people who are detained are the force to reckon with. So they put pressure on Kaunda to release us. The British then called for the Geneva talks. The cadres were saying no one should go to Geneva, except our leaders who are in prison. Zambia then took a decision to release some of us, but Cde Tongogara, Cde Chimurenga and Saddat were charged for assassinating Chitepo. This was very strange. They held the trial and there was no evidence. So a month after our release, the three also got released. Then we went to Geneva in 1976.

MH: What was your game plan as Zanu as you went to the Geneva Conference?

KK: We had our principles that we were using for negotiations. We wanted one man, one vote in Zimbabwe. We also said there has to be a joint committee to draft the constitution and many other things. When we went to Geneva, Ivory Richard was the British ambassador at the UN. He came there and addressed us, saying we want to resolve this. He came again for the second day, but on the third day he just disappeared. We were told by some newsman that he had left. So we said fine, we also would like the Geneva Conference to collapse.

MH: Why did you want the Geneva Conference to collapse?

KK: We wanted to strengthen our forces. Our forces were dismantled by the death of Chitepo and the arbitrary arrest of other comrades. You see Mozambique was now independent so we wanted to organise a formidable army to execute the war. Before we left Geneva, there was a declaration by Abel Muzorewa that those fighting in Zipa are my people. We said, how can these comrades be his people, so we went myself, Hamadziripi and Tongogara to Mozambique to go and collect commanders like Rex Nhongo so that they could say where they belonged. The commanders made it clear that they were Zanu and didn''t belong to Muzorewa.

MH: Let's go back to the Sithole issue. Explain why you didn't want him to continue as your leader?

KK: You are very persistent and you don't forget issues. Anyway, when we were arrested, Sithole made a statement that these people must be killed. He had been released from prison. The district officials in Zambia said this is what your president is saying. He is saying you are the ones who killed Chitepo and you must be killed. Then there is another more serious thing that he did. The cadres who were at Mboroma were detained. You were asked which party are you? If you said Zanu, you were detained. Over 2 000 people were detained over Chitepo's death. Then there was a quarrel between some of our cadres and the police in Zambia. The Zambian police shot our cadres. Some of the cadres there went to a house where Sithole was staying and told him the exact story of what had happened and that he should issue a statement. They said it was unfair to kill these innocent cadres. The following day he left for the US. We said no, no, no. He completely abandoned the fundamental principles of the party. He was even against the idea of socialism. Then we said no, no, no.

MH: This was your leader. In the past had he shown signs that he could do this?

KK: That was a puzzle to us — dereliction of duty. Instead of rushing to the camp to see what had happened, see those who were injured and those who were killed, he left for the US to see his daughter who had flu. From that moment, we said no, he is no more our president. And from that point on we wrote a letter to President Mugabe. We said Vice-President Takawira is dead. Now you are our next president. You should assume the revolutionary responsibility to execute the war.

MH: Where was President Mugabe and what was his role at that time?

KK: He was in Mozambique. He was sort of confined just there. Just parked there.

MH: Why did you choose him?

KK: We knew him. He is a strong character. He has the revolutionary mind. And we said he should take over the rest of the struggle.

MH: This letter you are referring to, is this the Mgagao document or what?

KK: There was the Mgagao document and the letter which we wrote. We wrote a letter as Dare to the now President, vaMugabe, saying take over. He then became the secretary-general of the party and the acting leader. That was in 1975.

MH: Did Sithole try to fight back?

KK: Oh, yes, he did! He continued to say he was the leader until he decided to say his party now was Zanu Ndonga. We said it's okay we remain Zanu.

MH: When President Mugabe got the letter you wrote, what did he do?

KK: He was still parked in Quelimane in Mozambique together with Tekere. They were just put in a house there. I think the Mozambican government did a good thing, they were trying to study the sentiments to see what was really happening. Then after some time, Cde Mugabe managed to go to Britain. While there he got on Focus on Africa and while in detention we had smuggled a radio and we listened to Cde Mugabe speaking. After listening to him, we all applauded. He gave a very good speech. He said well, if the comrades say I must take over, it is their opinion and I will respect that. He was very emphatic.

MH: So after Geneva you came back to Mozambique, but we are told you were met with problems there. Explain to us what happened.

KK: When we got to Mozambique, we didn't know that the Zipa side of Zanu was thinking that they were in charge of the party. They didn't care about the members of the central committee who had been elected in Gweru, they didn't care about members of Dare.

MH: Who were these people?

KK: There was Dzinashe Machingura and others. So there was a problem and they called themselves Vashandi. They said we are the workers. We don't want these shefs. This took some time, but we organised quietly and we were able to identify the ringleaders. We then called for debate, we said we would want to have an ideological debate in Beira. The leaders of these Vashandi came from all the camps and we got in a big hall. Names were then read out and these people were ordered to go outside where they were arrested by the Mozambicans who were waiting outside. We later cleaned up the camps and we started organising the struggle.

MH: So there was this revolt by this Vashandi group and there was also the Nhari Rebellion?

KK: The Nhari group was a different one. We have information that the Nhari group was contacted by the Special Branch in the Smith government. They were discussing with the Special Branch and they were told to take over Zanu. The Special Branch told them that we want to settle with you. They then started arresting commanders who didn't agree with them, starting from Tete up to Chifombo.

MH: Who are some of these commanders who were arrested?

KK: Josiah Tungamirai, Dauramanzi, Ndangana and many others. They were arrested. I was in China at that time. When I came back, at the airport I was told there is a revolt. This was in 1974. Again in 1974, Kaunda called for an all-party conference in Lusaka and we all gathered there. At that time, Sithole had been released and we said he is our president. Sithole and others had had differences in prison. And those in prison didn't want him as the party leader. Those who were in prison included Morris Nyagumbo, Nkala, Cde Mugabe, Tekere they had said no, we no longer recognise Sithole as our leader. When we went to Lusaka, we said no, Sithole is our president. We said we were advancing the revolution using his name. These four comrades who had been in prison later decided to agree that Sithole was our leader. Then of course that's when he committed these other errors. So this was the basis of the Nhari rebellion. It was caused by the Special Branch. This rebellion was led by Nhari and Badza. This rebellion took some time. We had to call for reinforcements from Tanzania. They came and we went into the camps and we arrested them.

MH: What happened to these leaders after they were arrested?

KK: They were executed. Nhari, Badza they were executed. That's when Mataure was also executed. He was a member of Dare but was part of this rebellion. So the whole group was eliminated.

MH: These people were eliminated by a firing squad or what?

KK: Well, no. There were other means that were used.

MH: Ok, let's go back to the Vashandi group after they were arrested by the Mozambican authorities. What happened?

KK: They were taken over by Frelimo and were put at some island and were kept there until independence. We then now started the war with Tongogara playing a very pivotal role. We were now executing the war using guerilla warfare with vaMugabe as our leader.

This interview will be continued next week where Cde Kangai will be talking about two incidents where he came face to face with death. He will talk in detail about his last few moments with Cde Tongogara and who he thinks should take over from President Mugabe.

Labels: HERBERT CHITEPO, KENNETH KAUNDA, LIBERATION, ROBERT MUGABE, ZAMBIA, ZANU-PF

posted by MrK @ 7:25 PM