Adapting military strategies and combat tactics to changing annual seasons ZPRA guerrillas training. Picture courtesy of Zenzo Nkobi galleries

Pathisa Nyathi

“Woza camouflage!”

This was a chant by ZPRA guerrillas operating at Siabuwa in Binga and also in Gokwe towards the close of the war of liberation. It was an annual seasons-induced chant and was a celebratory and welcoming chant.

Changing seasons of the year impacted in different ways on human activities. When rains arrived, children chanted in anticipation of what the summer season held in promise. “Zulu, zulu woza, sidl’akhomane!” It was a well known chant by Ndebele children who looked forward to the time when they would consume mallows, the first crop to ripen after cultivation of crops.

When a new crescent moon emerged in the western sky, that too was marked by a hilarious chant when villagers celebrated the advent of bright nights when movement of wizards and witches became curtailed. These people of malevolent intentions and designs caused terror and were accordingly feared. They were viewed as sources of diseases and misfortunes. They were known to conduct their errands during dark nights. The moon was thus a spoiler but the opposite to villagers.

Hardly do we ever associate the changing seasons of the year with the operation of guerrillas during the war of liberation. The chant given above bears testimony to the fact that they too welcomed certain seasons that assisted their operations. There were, on the other hand, seasons that worked against operations of guerrillas. These were never honoured with celebratory and welcoming chants.

The very adaptable nature of a guerrilla war made it adjust to changing seasons. In the last article we looked at how guerrillas at Siabuwa in Binga and also in Gokwe adapted their military operations and combat tactics to the seasonal context in areas where they operated. Our focus then was on African Spirituality and how it was embraced and applied, particularly with regard to detecting the presence of enemy forces, receipt of blessings and aspects related to that-namely medical care.

In this article we look at those aspects of adaptation that we did not allude to last time. If we revisit the chant given above, we shall realise that it was welcoming the summer season. They however, did not make it clear that they were welcoming that particular season. We however, do know, through discussions with the guerrillas operating in the two areas that the season that they were up-beat and excited about was summer. But why summer?

The word “woza” refers to coming, or beseeching one, or a desired condition to come. The second word camouflage links the first with operations of guerrillas and bares the clue regarding what it is that was being welcomed. Guerrillas were sometimes referred to as amalw’ecatsha in IsiNdebele. The word means those who fight and hide. By now, it should be abundantly clear why the ZPRA guerrillas in the two areas that we have identified welcomed the advent of summer.

Summer saw the onset of rains. Following the rains, there were several changes that either worked for or against operations of guerrillas. Summer was characterised by the emergence of the green foliage-of trees, shrubs and grasses. The foliage was thick and green in colour. Guerrillas needed to blend with their environment in order to avoid detection by enemy forces. A green colour provided the camouflage they sorely needed since their military fatigue was also green in colour. Their concealment was facilitated. The thick vegetation facilitated impairment of visual detection by the enemy, whether through the use of spotter planes or pairs of binoculars. Thickets provided much needed cover and accounts of ZPRA guerrillas fighting in Siabuwa and Gokwe are replete with cases where thickets saved them from aerial bombardments.

In operational terms, guerrillas became more mobile knowing there was adequate cover and camouflage during summer. As a result, their operations were scaled up. The necessary cover to shield them from enemy forces was there. It was time when they engaged in “wound, kill and withdraw” within three minutes. Rarely did they engage in assaults where they stormed enemy bases. That happened when they had something they wanted to get. For example, assault on the Gokwe Police Station was launched as an assault because guerrillas needed to replenish their military boots, guns and handcuffs.

After summer, there came autumn which was quickly followed by winter. This was a season which was diametrically the opposite of summer. Rains ceased.

The vegetation began to go pale and brown in colour. Ultimately, many deciduous trees began shedding their leaves. Grass withered and became brown in colour. It became necessary for guerrillas to change their military strategies and combat tactics to suit the new sell-out and exposing season. In order to blend with the new environment, guerrillas changed into the brown military fatigue.

That was possible during the time when they had just arrived from Zambia and their logistics were then well taken care of.

With time, their military gear got torn and shredded after long periods of travelling through thorny bushes. That was the time when guerrillas were characterised by different forms of dress. Workers in urban centres and peasants in rural areas were then responsible for kitting guerrillas. Denim and Sting trousers were then being used. Winter months did not provide adequate cover to guerrillas. If they operated in the same manner as they did in summer, they were going to face difficulties emanating from the absence of adequate vegetation cover. They risked being identified and attacked, both from the ground and air.

The guerrillas’ response was to immediately reduce operations that required extensive movements during which they were going to be exposed to enemy forces and agents operating within communities. It was time to lie low by reducing movements particularly during day time. However, operations shifted from “wound, kill and withdraw” to landmine warfare. For ZPRA guerrillas in Siabuwa and Gokwe, the latter experienced more use of the landmine warfare. The reason was that Gokwe had more vehicular traffic that Siabuwa.

Landmine warfare had been taught to guerrillas during military training in camps, both in Zambia and Tanzania. However, guerrillas in the two areas innovated the use of landmines in order to inflict more damage. Their innovation was the use of petrol and powdered periperi.

Two litres of petrol were carefully placed above the landmine. Powdered periperi was also placed above the landmine which was meticulously placed in a hole dug in the ground through the use of AK47 rifle bayonets.

When a military vehicle drove over the concealed landmine, it detonated it. The explosion threw up a dust of periperi powder which caused havoc to human bodies, in particular the eyes of survivors. Meanwhile, the inflammable petrol caught fire and the flames engulfed the bodies of both the deceased and survivors.

What we have given above are narrations of guerrillas whose operational context demanded that they innovate beyond what they were taught in military training camps where they were taught by military instructors. These are narrations that bear testimony to innovations informed by concrete situations in the field of operation.

Even military operations were not exempt from taking into cognisance varying seasonal characteristics in terms of both military strategy and combat tactics.

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