Maravi

(SUNDAY MAIL ZW) Only a committed cadre should succeed President

COMMENT - It was then agriculture minister Kumbirai Kangai who received the letter from Claire Short, in which she reneged on the British government's obligation to pay white farmers the value of the land ("land purchase"), in the Willing Buyer, Willing Seller land reform program. This is the second part of the interview, the first part appeared under the title "The untold friction between Zanu, Kaunda".

It took more than four hours to complete the interview with Cde Kumbirai Kangai and due to space we had to publish his interview in two parts. This is the last part where Cde Kangai narrates how he came face to face with death on two incidents. In this interview with our Assistant Editor, Munyaradzi Huni (MH), Cde Kangai who was a member of Zanu’s Dare reChimurenga also talks in detail about his last moments with Cde Tongogara and who he thinks should take over from President Mugabe.

MH: Cde Kangai, you really have a long story to tell about your time during the liberation struggle, but tell me something, did you actually hold a gun and fight yourself during the liberation struggle or you were always at the rear planning the war?
KK: Of yes I did. There is one battle which I can describe. One day, a medium spirit came out and told some of my commanders that tell your Shef that the camp he is staying in and the other camp he is commanding, they are going to be attacked. This was in 1978 at Mudzingadzi Camp in Mozambique. At about 12 midnight, I heard a comrade knocking at my door, I said what do you want, go and talk to the commanders. Why coming straight to me? I was a commander of other commanders so I didn’t expect comrades to just come straight to me. But then the comrade insisted that he wanted to give me some information. He later came in and said Shef there is an 18-year-old girl who has been possessed and she said there is an imminent attack on this camp and the other one you are commanding. I ordered all the comrades to vacate the camp with all the weapons.

MH: You were doing this just because you had been told that some 18-year-old girl had warned of an imminent attack?
KK: You know if you ignore what you are told and people get attacked, people get killed you will be in trouble for not taking action. As the comrades were leaving the camp, I just had a second thought and I said could this be true? I went into my room and at about 3pm, you know when something bad is about to happen you feel it even in your hair, so I said to the security guys who had surrounded the camp, let’s move out. We walked for about three kilometres, got on an anthill and four, five, six pm. I listened to the radio and there was no sign of an attack. At about 7:15pm, I said let’s go back to the camp. Few minutes later, I heard the security man who was out saying there is a car coming here. I said keep a close eye. The car came and it was Cde Mnangagwa’s car. There was Cde Mupunzarima who had come with two chief representatives who wanted to study and familiarise themselves with the war situation. The two chief representatives were Simbarashe Mumbengegwi and Chademana.

MH: But Cde Mnangagwa was not there?
KK: Mnangagwa was not there. These three were just using his vehicle which they had got from Maputo. So I welcomed the comrades and told them that this was a war zone. I told them that if your hear someone shouting “ndege!” you should know we are under attack. A few minutes after this I heard someone shouting “ndege!” The comrades looked at me and I said hey we are under attack, let’s go. They just ran out the room and as for me, I was in my mapatapata and couldn’t find time to put on my boots. It was too late. I took my gun and ran out with my patapata. The Rhodesian forces first bombed the garage because they thought at this time our comrades would be repairing vehicles. Of course there was no one in the camp but there was heavy bombardment. One bomb fell a few metres away from us but we ran and got to an anthill and I went under a thick tree. We stayed there for sometime then my aide said there were people coming. The Rhodesian forces had dropped paratroopers and so they had spotted us and were coming to kill us.

MH: All this time, where is Mumbengegwi and Chademana?
KK: They had ran away with the others. We saw a helicopter right on top of us. I said pano tazofa but tinofa nevamwe. I cocked my gun but quickly decided that we should sneak out through a thick forest on the other side. We realised that the power of the bombing was just too strong and we would not do much. So we ran away through the thick trees and the helicopter failed to locate us. We got to a river and that’s when I lost my aide. As I went to hide on the river banks, my aide ran past me. While hiding there I said unenge wasvika pano, tinopedzerana. I was there for sometime. I could hear our guns responding to the bombings. I later got out and went to some small village in Mozambique. While there the bombings resumed at the camps . . . We later regrouped at some point and Mupunzarima also arrived at that point. He told me that the car they had been using, Mnangagwa’s car had been burnt. I wanted to go back to the camp but the comrades said Shef let us go and you remain here. They went and about 15 minutes later, someone came and said Shef come over here there is somebody who has been injured. We quickly ran there and saw that it was Chademana who had been burnt. We tried some first aid and I gave him some water. After drinking the water he said, “Cde Kangai, you have saved me.” Around 11pm Gava (Zvinavashe) arrived with a little vehicle and we took Chademana to Chimoio hospital. Unfortunately he later died from those burns. The spirit medium came again the next day and advised us to change the camp to another area. The spirit mediums also advised us that everyday we were supposed to consult them every evening so that they could give us direction on how to go about the war. Whatever the spirit mediums told us was going to happen, it happened exactly like that. After sometime the spirit mediums told us that isu teneta, ropa rakawanda radeuka and tavakuda kuti muchitora nyika. Muchanzwa mushure memazuva kuti vapambepfumi vava kuti huyai titaurirane. This was towards the end of 1978. Indeed this happened as the British around September 1979 said come to Lancaster so that we can talk. When we went to Lancaster, Zanu and Zapu went as Patriotic Front and we said we want one-man-one vote, we want a new constitution and that land should be given back to it’s people. We agreed on all the other things but there was deadlock on land. The British didn’t want to give us back our land. So the talks were adjourned. At that time I went back to Mozambique to brief our commanders at Mavhonde about what was happening at Lancaster. Later our Mavhonde camp was attacked but Freliomo with assistance of our other comrades fought and defeated Rhodesians who had surrounded that camp. The Rhodesians were smashed. Frelimo came with their gun called zhato yapovo which crashed the Rhodesians. Peter Walls then wrote a cable to London urging the British to find a solution through the talks because we had defeated them at Mavhonde.

MH: How was the deadlock on land resolved?
KK: When we were talking about the land, the Americans came and said you have spent so much time arguing about this war. We will give you money to compensate the farmers whose land you want to take. We said if that’s the case, that’s fine. The EU also pledged to support and that’s when our leaders said let’s sign the Lancaster Agreement.

MH: After ceasefire, we hear that you were given new tasks, tell us more about this?
KK: Sheba Gava (Zvinavashe) was given a special task force which was on standby that if we who had come into the country were in trouble, they would come. On 27 January 1980, there was a big rally at Zimbabwe grounds so I came with the President and Vice President. After the rally the following morning, I went back to Mozambique. There I had the responsibility of releasing two white captives. I also had to release these people who had been sent to that island. It was now not only the people from the Vashandi group. There was another revolt which took place and the people were arrested and sent to the same island.

MH: This revolt you are now talking about, when did it happen?
KK: It happened in 1978.

MH: And who are the people who were leading this group that revolted in 1978?
KK: Some comrades that we really trusted.

MH: What had happened? I mean what led to this revolt?
KK: Well, I wouldn’t know what their grievances were but they decided to organise a revolt which fortunately didn’t succeed and so they were arrested by Zanu led by Rex Nhongo. I was at the Malta talks with Tongogara, Cde Mugabe and a few others. While we were there in Malta, the revolt took place. When we got back that’s when we were told that there was a revolt.

MH: So when you went back you also had the responsibility to release members of this group together with the group that had been sent to this island earlier and free the two white captives?
KK: So I went back to Mozambique, went back to Beira and they were brought by the Mozambicans. I said to these comrades, “Comrades, zvakaitika muhondo ndezve muhondo, now we are in ceasefire, we want to go for elections, let’s forget about what happened during the war. (pause) I really had a tough time.

MH: A tough time from who?
KK: From the comrades. They asked; “You want us to go and campaign for you. You arrested us, now you want to use us for your campaigns. No, no. We won’t do that.” I only got four comrades who agreed to go with me and said we will go with the party. All the other comrades refused to go with me. They remained with the British. Then I went to Maputo, the two white captives were brought there, I called a press conference, the British Ambassador was there and I said here are your people. The two captives were so happy.

MH: They had been in captivity for how long?
KK: One year and the other one a year and half.

MH: Sorry Cde Kangai, let me get something straight here. These comrades who were on this island who refused to go with you, when you say you left them with the British, what exactly do you mean?
KK: They chose to remain in the hands of the British. The British were responsible for bringing them back home here. Ordinarily I should have been the one who brought them back home because they were comrades from Zanu but I only got four that I arranged transport for. After making arrangements for these four, the next day I came back home. Little did I know that the Special Branch, was after me. They followed me up to the house where I was staying. First day, second day and on the third day, I was bombed.

MH: Tell us what happened and how did you survive this bombing?
KK: At about 12 midnight, I woke up after hearing someone shaking the main gate to the house. I just peeped at the gate through the window and the minute I just closed the window, I heard a loud bang. I was hit in the head by a bullet and some bomb fragments hit my stomach. (Showing the marks on the head and on the stomach) I was hit and I quickly wanted to get out but I couldn’t get out. Lucky enough I rushed into a closet. The second bomb came. If I had been outside the closet, I would have died right there. The whole ceiling was blown and the house torn apart. I then opened the closet trying to get out. There was smoke all over the house and I was bleeding all over the body. I was alone in the house. I then shouted, “Hey comrades come help me.” Some people had ran away after hearing the bombs exploding in my house. After sometime, some people came, broke the door and they took me to hospital.

MH: But Cde, this is during ceasefire, why were you being attacked?
KK: (laughs and pause) It is said that that night they also had attempted to attack Cde Mugabe’s house. They had decided they wanted to kill Rex Nhongo, myself and Cde Mugabe during ceasefire.

MH: Do you think this had the blessings from the top or these were just angry whites trying to revenge?
KK: I wouldn’t know but I am sure the operators had the green light from the top. I was taken to Harare Hospital. I got there and I was bleeding all over. I sat there. Then this doctor came, a white doctor, he says, “What were these people doing who got injured at this time?” It was around 2am. I said I was in my house and not in a bar or some place. He looked around and said, “I won’t attend to people at this time.” He left. I was still bleeding. I was losing strength and I was shivering. Then came some students who were doing house-manship. They started attending to me and rushed me to the theatre.

MH: This white doctor and the student nurses, they didn’t know who you were?
KK: They didn’t know.

MH: At that time you no longer had aides or security people around you?
KK: I had some comrades who were with me. Then came doctor Chawatama who attended to me. I only remember doctor Chawatama saying, “Cde Kangai, you are lucky the bullet did not enter the brain.” After this I think I passed out. They removed shrapnels from my shoulders. The following morning, I woke up to see myself bandaged all over. Then there were nurses there who organised themselves and started looking after me. I was well treated.

MH: Did you see doctor Chawatama after this?
KK: No, but with doctor Chawatama we had a long story. You see Dr Chawatama, Dr Sekeramayi, Dr Muchemwa and many others were in London. I organised for them to come to Mozambique to join the struggle. I bought a ticket for Dr Chawatama, like we got tickets for Sekeramayi and so on to go to Mozambique. He didn’t go to Mozambique. He came to Rhodesia. That’s why he was now at Harare Hospital. So after this incident I never saw him again.

MH: Cde, it’s unfortunate I am remembering this now and there is no way we cannot talk about this personality with you because you worked with him for many years. Tell us briefly about Cde Tongogara and his tragic death.
Kk: I told you earlier on that I came back to Mozambique after the Lancaster talks. We were communicating with Cde Tongogara and he said he wanted all the detachment commanders to be in Chimoio. He wanted to address the detachment commanders and tell them exactly why as leaders we had signed this Lancaster Agreement and that we now move home to campaign for the elections. I spent two weeks working on that. I went to Tete, to Manica and I went to Gaza arranging for the meeting. One night I travelled from Chimoio to Maputo. When I got to Maputo, Tongogara had arrived. We greeted each other and he said you come to my house which was in Costa do Sol in Mozambique. I drove there. It was around 10 or 11 at night when I got there. We closed the door and the two of us talked until around 7am.

MH: Talking about what?
KK: I had to brief him about the struggle. I had to brief him about how Mupunzarima had died and we discussed the whole strategy that we were going to adopt when we got to Zimbabwe. We had a long chat. Around 7am he said he was going to Chimoio. We said goodbye to each other. I hadn’t slept so I tried to sleep during the day but I couldn’t. I went to the office. Then at about six or 7pm, I came back home and I decided to sleep. I then heard a knock on the door. I said, “Who is this?” It was Robson Manyika. He was knocking like a policeman and jokingly said, “Hey, come wake up!” I said hey what’s wrong? I then opened the door. Robson Manyika was with Tongogara. Then Tongogara said, “Shamwari you have new vehicles which you have procured. I want one of those vehicles to go to Chimoio.” I said, “Ah, ah, you are still here. I thought you had gone by plane.”

MH: He was supposed to go by plane?
KK: Yes. He said no, I didn’t go by plane. Then I called Chauke and I told him to go to our garage where we had parked these new vehicles. I told him to give Cde Tongogara one Land Rover and they left. That’s when I said goodbye. They went and he took that Land Rover. He had decided to travel that night. At about 9am the following day, somewhere there in Inhambani Province, he wanted to overtake a little truck, somehow the propeller shaft of his vehicle had broken. The shaft was actually scratching on the tarmac. I saw the marks myself. Scratching, after a few yards, veered off the road, went up and then down, hit an anthill and overturned. He was killed there. Him alone was killed. Oppah Muchinguri was in that car. The driver was in that car. You see, Josiah Tungamirai was in another car in front. After driving for sometime he discovered that Cde Tongogara’s car was not following them. He then turner around and drove back. When he got to that spot. Tongogara was gone. He was killed in that car accident. It was a tragedy.

MH: Tell us how this affected you?
KK: It really affected us. I can’t really explain it in words. You know he was Secretary of Defence. All the operations we had, he was in charge. To think that we no longer had him, it was a very big blow. And the meeting he wanted to go and convene couldn’t be held.

MH: What kind of a person was Cde Tongogara?
KK: Before I answer that. I was just seated around 8 or 9pm, someone came and said you are needed by the President. Cde Zvobgo was there so we said let’s go there. We went there and Cde Mugabe announced that Tongogara was dead. He immediately made a decision that no one should ever travel to Chimoio now by road. He said we should all go there by plane. I stayed there that night. Tongogara’s body didn’t come. The following night Mnangagwa and I, we had a meeting. We said let’s go by road and get to the place where Tongogara had died. We left in two cars and we got to the spot. We saw the marks by the propeller shaft. Then came my crime. I later went to the hospital, I saw Muchinguri lying there in the hospital. She asked me, “How is Cde Tongogara?” It was difficult for me to tell her that he was dead, I knew it wasn’t proper because she had been injured in that same accident. I told her that Cde Tongogara had been injured and had been taken to Maputo. She has never forgiven me for that. I couldnt tell her that he was killed.

MH: Did you try to explain to her later?
KK: Of course. Now she understands why I had to lie to her. I know the press and some other comrades wanted to blow and make an issue out of Tongogara’s death but no, Cde Tongogara died in a car accident.

MH: Cde Kangai, you were among the top leadership during the struggle under Zanu. Can you tell us why was it difficult for Zanu and Zapu to fight the struggle as one considering that you had the same ideology?
KK: To begin with, the leaders in Zanu believed in confrontation with the enemy. That is taking up the gun and fighting against the enemy. Later on, we had the Patriotic Front and we were together. During the war, it was difficult for the commanders to agree on the correct approach. That’s were the differences were. We kept on saying come on we have this guerilla warfare and we were going to overthrow the Smith regime but Zapu was focussing more on conventional war which would not be successful given the strength of the colonial regime. There were differences in tactics.

MH: There were no differences of personalities?
KK: Of course personalities always have differences but ideologically, we were the same.

MH: Also Cde Kangai as one of the leaders who assisted in the crafting of the Zanu ideology and values and you were a member of Dare, as you formed the party, did you in a way envisage that one day there would be need for the next generation to take over?
KK: We just planned to say this revolution has fundamental principles which are going to be the guiding principles for our government and that is what we insisted.

MH: So with those guiding principles, are you happy with the state of the party now?
KK: The party has gone through difficulties. We had to merge the people who were in the liberation struggle and others who were not. This was not an easy exercise. Let me make it clear here, there is no way the struggle would have been successful if we had not adopted the military approach which we used to overcome the colonial regime. You see after independence there are some comrades who at some point said, “Down with the Maputo people,” meaning us who had come from Mozambique. I am happy with the state of the party now and I feel that we are much stronger now.

MH: Why do you say that?
KK: In 2008, we lost the election for various reasons. One was apathy in the party and also the leadership made some mistakes. We have now been able to correct those mistakes.

MH: What mistakes were these?
KK: For an example, you would have two people standing in one constituency for Zanu-PF. This time there is going to be only one person. You see that killed us. So I am quite optimistic right now and I am very happy. I think we will succeed.

MH: Cde Kangai, the imperialists are reviving their fight so that they continue to plunder our resources. They are targeting former liberation movements that are still in power. Do you think we will be able to fight back and win against these imperialists?
KK: For Zimbabwe, I think we have enough power to resist. In other areas, in South Africa, yes they will resist but hey, it’s really going to be tough. They really have to be careful because the forces against the ANC are just too strong.

MH: What do you think needs to be done to overcome these imperialists?
KK: The only thing to do is to remain firm and committed to the principles which led to the success of the revolution. If we do that, we will succeed.

MH: Cde Kangai, when your time comes and you pass on, how would you want to be remembered?
KK: I would want to be remembered as an idealist who when he had a commitment, would be consistent. I am consistent. The revolutionary path which we chartered, we agreed and we decided to follow, I followed that to the latter.

MH: Are you happy with the way the party and Government have looked after you since you left Government?
KK: Well there are mistakes here and there but overally, things are going on well.

MH: Where do you see Zimbabwe in the next five to 10 years?
KK: Five to 10 years, this will really depend on the successor of President Mugabe. If the successor of Cde Mugabe would adhere to the principles of Zanu-PF, we are okay.

MH: What kind of a successor should that be?
KK: That successor should be a person who has commitment, not only to the Government but commitment to the party, the principles of the party. The founding principles of the party. That is the successor who will be successful.

MH: Now, there is Cde Mugabe, the one you wrote a letter so that he could take over the party during the liberation struggle. Then the President Mugabe you worked with all these years in Government. When you look at President Mugabe today, do you think as members of Dare you made the right choice to choose him to take over the party?
KK: Yes, yes we made the right choice. I think if we didn’t have Cde Mugabe, we wouldn’t be where we are today. There have been very difficult stages of the revolution where we needed strong leadership, which is committed and I am telling you we made the right decision. We made the right choice to say Cde Mugabe take over the party.

MH: He has not disappointed you?
KK: No, not at all.

Labels: INTERVIEW, KENNETH KAUNDA, KUMBIRAI KANGAI, LAND REFORM, LIBERATION, NEOCOLONIALISM, ZANU-PF

posted by MrK @ 6:53 PM