AS January 2026 marks 49 years since the “mass recruitment” of pupils at Manama Mission in Gwanda District, Matabeleland South Province, we reproduce one of the interviews Sunday News carried out last year when Cde Sitshengisiwe Mutandabari pseudonym Cde Neutral Moyo gave an account of her participation in the armed struggle after being taken with other pupils by guerillas from the school. Cde Mutandabari, one of the pioneers to be trained at Mkushi Camp in Zambia in 1977 was part of a group of 400 pupils that were “taken” from Manama Mission in January 1977.
They were led by three guerillas to Botswana en route to Zambia.
After training Cde Mutandabari was then seconded to go for further training and when the Rhodesian forces made a ground and aerial attack on Mkushi on 19 October 1978 she had been moved to Victory Camp (VC).
Below is what she told our Assistant Editor Mkhululi Sibanda (MS) about how 19 October 1978 panned out as all the ZPRA camps in Zambia were put on high alert. The Rhodesian forces had kicked off the day by bombing the Freedom Camp (FC) before moving to Mkushi.
MS: Last week you spoke about the camp commander, Cde Cecil Banda ordering you to be very alert as the enemy could also raid you. That was tense I suppose.
Cde Mutandabari: We were immediately given weapons and we took positions. It was a nasty experience as the jets would be seen turning near us while bombing FC. It was the same day that the Mkushi Camp where I had trained also came under attack.
MS: But were you ready to fight back in the event VC was attacked?
Cde Mutandabari: My weapon was a non-starter to the jets flying past as we had been given rifles. One of the female combatants, Tryphine Khuzwayo tried to shoot at one of the jets and the sound of her weapon was heard by the command element. We were quickly called back. They announced that Mkushi had come under serious bombardment. The commander then advised us not to shoot randomly. He emphasised that we had to be very alert.
MS: What was going through your mind at that moment?
Cde Mutandabari: That’s the time I saw the seriousness of the war, it was no longer child’s play. I could smell death at that moment. Reality knocked sense into my head and I was no longer a crybaby. It was a matter of life and death.
I realised what the war meant and I was ready to fight the enemy. However, we also had our moments during the armed struggle when we recorded victories.
MS: Like which ones?
Cde Mutandabari: The gunning down of the Viscount brought a jubilant mood and hope of winning the war. The whole camp would go telling each other: “Uzwile ukuthi obhudi batshayile?” Meaning that our guerrillas had succeeded in operations. Sometimes when not on duty, relaxation came into being.
That was on our bamboo beds with mattresses made from grass stuffed in extra blankets. Radios provided news and entertainment. Sad news were when news reporter Caroline Thorncraft reported on many “terrorists” that had died with no Rhodesian soldier dying. One day Jennifer, aka Donas, Priscilla Shoko, aka Consider Toyitoyi, and Nompumelelo Abu Basuthu, aka Gift Tichatonga, and myself were busy telling each other stories, then there was a sound of a gun being fired. There was a spotter plane that passed over the camp and somebody decided to fire.
Parade was called for everyone and we quickly got our arms that were under the mattresses. A manhunt of the fired bullet was carried out. Donas and myself fell victim as our guns showed some gasses depicting we could have fired. I was put to task by the security man called Cde Killer until he disarmed me.
He wanted me to accept something I pretty knew I had not done. On the other hand I was not supposed to mention that I had my gun under the mattress as it was a great offence. The argument went on for a while until my home girls got concerned.
Musupuluho Dube, aka Makhokhoba Mpunzi, started crying and advised me to give in saying “Thandi vuma.” I knew my greatest offence of not cleaning the weapon each morning and on that morning that the gun was at the wrong place under the bamboo bed (laughing).
When Cde Killer wanted to give back the weapon, I refused to take it. I told him to take it to the one (Joshua Nkomo) who had armed me during the pass-out parade. Now that he had given himself more powers than Father Zimbabwe Dr Joshua Nkomo, he should have it. I don’t even know what happened to my gun until today.
I never bothered, mine was to wait for higher authorities for me to relate the incident. If they had decided to punish me, well it could have been something else.
MS: After the bombings at FC and Mkushi what happened to you?
Cde Mutandabari: We were joined by other groups who also were meant to go for further training. However, after delays trips seemingly having flopped, I was assigned to lead the group to Kafue 2 where the Mkushi girls survivors were.
They were housed at the farm of Zambian Cabinet Minister then, Aaron Milner.
I was very happy to meet KD, Consider Toi (Priscilla Shoko), Alpha Nare and many others. Potatoes were our food. The stay was not long and we were moved to Solwezi.
Rains did not spare me. The journey was difficult with the vehicles getting stuck in the mud. We were escorted by Cde Magadlela (Thambolenyoka). I got soaked because of the continuous rain. The vegetation was characterised by tall trees. The war was now at its peak. This is the time when the Viscount was gunned down. Vacation of the main camp was the order of the day.
A day was spent elsewhere and coming to the base in the evening. The camp commander was Cde Ossy Mhandu and deputised by Cde Martha. The other members of the command element were Priscilla Shoko, Mavis Gonde Netsai, Charity Ndiweni, Outrace Ncube aka Sunungurai Nyika and Jester Chivi.
It was at that time when departments were created. They resembled ministries. I deputised in the catering department that was led by Charity. In May 1979, I was then moved to VC again awaiting further training. I was vaccinated several times but the programmes did not come to fruition. By then a school had been established. This is the time I enrolled for my secondary education with Regina Moyo, aka Tryphine Khuzwayo, and Mihla Nhliziyo, aka Kwanele Mdluli.
I enjoyed the lessons under Mr Thabulo, who took us in Mathematics and Science, Naka Gwen as she was called took me in English and Idah Moyo, who until recently was the head of Usher High School taught us Geography.
Other comrades came to join my group and now it was a group of 50 that was earmarked for further training in Romania. The group was under my leadership. In the group was Mantombi Mamba (Siphiwe Msendami Siduli), Martha Nyathi (Manina), Sipho Ngxongo (Sihle Mzizi) and many others.
MS: When was that?
Cde Mutandabari: That was November 1979. The vaccinations that took place in that November gave me hope of flying to overseas. During that time news of the Lancaster House talks had begun.
Then repatriations of my colleagues in Solwezi then started being rolled out. They were leaving Zambia for home to prepare for the campaigns as part of preparations for our first elections but we were left behind. The camp commander was now Teddy.
Elections were conducted while we were still in Zambia and that was in 1980. We received news that Zapu had lost. We did not believe that Zapu had lost the election. We were addressed to accept the results with emphasis being that Zimbabwe was now a free country.
It took some days to accept. Life went on as usual. On 22 April 1980 Comrades Swazini Ndlovu and Dumiso Dabengwa, who were from the intelligence arm, the National Security and Order (NSO) came for my group.
I couldn’t wait to see my parents as Cde Swazini Ndlovu addressed and told us that we were going to Zimbabwe. His words were, “Lilungele yini ukuyekhaya?” It was a yes with a big bang.
Quickly we got into the vehicles heading for Zimbabwe. It was unfortunate that we did not cross the same day. We managed to cross on the 24th of April 1980.
MS: Where were you taken to?
Cde Mutandabari: The destination was Sierra Assembly Point (AP) at Insukamini near Gweru. That was the AP for female ZPRA combatants. There was joy and jubilation as I joined my fellow comrades namely Rosemary Sigoge Mathe (mother of beauty queen Lorraine Maphala), Priscilla Shoko who took me to a nearby shop so that I could call my parents.
When my father received news of me being alive, he fired a question to me three times as he wanted to find out whether I had been injured. He asked me what I wanted so that they could bring me, I just said to him, “Ngifuni ndawo yesikolo kuphela”, “Izigqoko-ke?” I insisted that school came first.
I was then demobilised and went home. Joining the family once more was amazing. My mother was in tears of joy and hugged me for a while. My grandparents and everyone was happy. Just after two days, I proceeded to Hippo Valley where my father worked.
He then narrated to me that he also went to the airport to meet comrades coming home with the hope of seeing me but alas. He said he returned home a miserable man as he had lost hope. He thought I was dead.
A sigh of relief was when he received a letter I wrote to him telling him that I was alive. I had explained in the letter that I had remained behind because I was supposed to go abroad.
MS: After opting out of the military where did you go?
Cde Mutandabari: We got busy looking for places in different secondary schools. I then settled for Mtshabezi Mission in Gwanda District and that was mid-May 1980.
It was a great fulfilment to see myself sitting on a bench once again. After Mtshabezi I then trained as a teacher at the United College of Education (UCE) in Bulawayo and completed the training in 1988.
I was then deployed to Bulawayo schools where I taught at Inkanyezi, Malindela, Nkulumane and Lotshe primary schools.
I was then promoted to be a head in Plumtree schools such as Maninji, Tjehanga and at presently, I am heading Marula Government Primary School, which is a boarding institution.
I am a mother of three boys and one girl. I have improved myself academically and now I hold a Masters Degree in Educational Administration that is MED (EAPPS).
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