CALLED TO HIGHER SERVICE: Liberation war veteran Mafutha dies The late Cde Sandlana Mafutha

Bongani Ndlovu/ Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporters
FORMER Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZPRA) Field Commander, Cde Sydney Saul Dube, whose war name was Cde Sandlana Mafutha, has died.

He was 73.

Cde Sandlana Mafutha died at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo on Monday after a long illness.

Family spokesperson Cde Nicholas Dube who is Cde Sandlana Mafutha’s uncle said the family had lost a pillar.

“We have lost a pillar of strength in the family. We don’t know where to turn to, we are devastated.

“He had been ill for some time, he had water in his lungs and then was on treatment to drain it. However, during that time he was failing to keep food in his stomach as every time he ate, he would vomit,” said Cde Dube.

He said burial arrangements are on course and Friday has been set as the tentative date for burial.

Former Zipra zonal commander NF2 region operational area that covered Lupane, Nkayi and Binga districts in Matabeleland North Cde Andrew Ndlovu described Cde Dube as a true revolutionary who proved his leadership skills during the war.

“He became one of the senior front commanders, the same as I was, we worked together. He was a fighter, politically oriented person who knew what was wanted for Zimbabwe to become free. Together we had battles against the Rhodesian Forces. He was a brave person who commanded his unit in a professional guerilla warfare. He was a true revolutionary and accordingly he is someone who deserves to be declared a national hero,” said Cde Ndlovu.

“During the period 1978 and 1979, we had this tangent operation where we fought against almost a battalion of the Rhodesian Forces which were mechanised and had helicopters supported by aviation. But we managed to break even and force the Rhodesian Forces to retreat.”

“So, his command was very good in terms of directing the guerillas how to professionally behave, especially when interacting with the masses. This enabled the relationship between the guerillas and the people to remain good. He even led some of the captured trained soldiers to join the liberation struggle. That’s how good his leadership qualities were.”

Cde Sandlana Mafutha, was born on 20 March 1948 near Maphisa Growth Point in Matabeleland South Province.

Cde Dube did his primary education at Seula Primary, which is close to his homestead, Mbembeswana and Tshelanyemba Primary Schools, all in Matobo District.

After completing Standard Six he moved to Bulawayo where he enrolled at Mpopoma High School where he completed his Junior Certificate in 1967. The following year he left school and crossed the border into South Africa to look for employment, something which was fashionable with boys of his era. In South Africa he worked in the hospitality industry in Johannesburg.

It was while he was in South Africa that he came face to face with racism from the white community that treated blacks as sub-humans. Peeved with such treatment, the young and headstrong Cde Dube started attending political meetings and was soon to be active in opposing colonialism.

In 1974 in the company of three others, Cdes Amos Dube, Smart Dube and Milos Dube they left apartheid South Africa to join the armed struggle in Zambia via Botswana. Their first port of call was Gaborone, but they were later taken to Francistown where they were kept at a Zapu house. Cde Dube met other recruits there among them Cdes Andrew Ndlovu, Pharaoh Moyo, Clever John Dube and Makhula Thebe (Tapson Ncube).

In 1975, Cde Dube and fellow recruits were flown to Zambia and on arrival were taken to Nampundwe Transit Camp. From Nampundwe he moved to Mwembeshi Camp, he and his fellow comrades becoming the pioneers of the training camp. Cde Dube and his fellow comrades were to become known as the famous Group of 800. Their strength was 810 and they included women such as Cdes Toriso Phiri, Angela, Belinda and Grace Noko.

Cde Dube and his group cut short their training at Mwembeshi and moved to Mgagao in Tanzania to join their Zanla colleagues and that time it was during the Zimbabwe People’s Army (ZIPA) period where leaders of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) had called on the nationalists to combine their forces. However, problems soon emerged and the programme was abandoned. Zipra then moved its forces to Morogoro Training Camp where Cde Dube completed his training.

Among his colleagues at Morogoro were Cdes Pharaoh Moyo, Andrew Ndlovu, Clever John Dube, now Lt-Col (Retired) Stanford Moyo (Mabhikwa), Silver Ndlovu, late National Hero, Cde Zenzo “Maphekapheka” Ntuliki, late former Gwanda South Member of Parliament, Cde Orders Mlilo and Lt-Col Ernest Sibanda (Rtd) (Phebion Mutero), who was to become the regional commander of the Northern Front One (NF1).

Cde Dube’s instructors included now National Heroes, Stanley Gagisa and Rodwell Nyika, current commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, General Philip Valerio Sibanda and the late Eddie Sigoge. Soon after completing his training in 1977, Cde Dube was deployed to the front by then Chief of Operations, Major-General Jevan Maseko. First his operations involved making incursions into Rhodesia and back to Zambia.

In 1977, Cde Dube led a guerrilla unit of 11 well-armed men with a mission to mobilise the peasants in NF2 about the importance of the armed struggle and among the 11.

Their mission was to lay groundwork for guerilla operations in Binga, Lupane and Nkayi districts which was meant to create a corridor for the pouring in of troops. It was at the battle front that Cde Dube distinguished himself as a field commander par excellence winning many battles.

During the war he became the face of the Pamhozi Detachment that had veteran fighters that gave the Rhodesian forces a torrid time. He earned praises among guerillas who passed through Lupane to other operational areas for his understanding of military and political issues. He also became a darling of the masses. His exploits did not escape even the enemy forces as Selous Scouts commander, Lt-Col Ron Reid Daley mentioned him in his auto-biography.

In one of the battles Cde Dube broke through when the Rhodesian forces cornered him at a homestead in Lupane. At the ceasefire period he moved into St Paul’s Assembly Point in Lupane and soon after was demobilised.

He moved back to South Africa where he started a painting company and returned home in 1995 to embark on his farming projects in his rural home of Kezi, a practice he continued to do until the time of his death.

Cde Dube is survived by three children and mourners are gathered at House Number 72966 Lobengula West in Bulawayo. — Follow on Twitter @bonganinkunzi

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