CLARK MPOFU: A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY Clark Mpofu

Pathisa Nyathi

Clark Mpofu is one of the pioneering cadres of the liberation struggle who assisted transform the struggle from the pacifist and accommodationist nationalist struggle to the humble beginnings of the armed liberation struggle for which he earned himself incarceration in Ian Smith’s prisons from 1965 till ceasefire in 1979 when, upon release he headed for the Assembly Point at Zezane. 

Clark was born on April 8, 1938. 

He attended Zinyangeni Primary School in Nkayi and later came to Bulawayo where he joined the National Democratic Party and became active in its Youth League within the Makokoba Branch where the likes of JZ Moyo, Benjamin Madlela and Ethan Dube and others were active. He excelled in the Sabotage Campaign where they operated under the command of General Chedu, Enos Chikowore. This was the Zhanda underground Movement following the violent Zhi-i protests in Salisbury (now Harare) and Bulawayo in July 1960.

When the pace of the Sabotage Campaign picked up, he, in the company of John Mundia Ndlovu, Amen Chikwakwata and Shadrek Nkomo left for Zambia in 1962 where Sikhwili Moyo (UMadlezibabayo) received them. SK handed them over to John Makiwane or MK where they did rudimentary military training in the manufacture and use of petrol bombs, gelignite bombs and timing bombs and grenades.

They bombed the Bulawayo Post Office, Tredgold Building and Circus Grounds near the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair grounds, now present-day Luna Park- damaging many cars.

By end of December they were back in Southern Rhodesia. They had a huge black trunk laden with bombs. They dropped off at Mpopoma Railway Station where Ethan Dube and Gordon Butshe awaited them. The contraband was taken to NO 7 R Square in Mzilikazi Township before being taken out for caching in the Matobo Hills. Ethan drove the car along the old Gwanda road and on the return trip they drove along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road.

The sabotage campaign started in earnest. Shadreck Nkomo was then captured. Gordon Butshe, Clark, James Chatagwe and Mbhejelwa Moyo escaped to Zambia where they began the trip to China for military training in March 1963. They travelled through Tunduma and Mbeya before getting to Dar-es-Salaam. There they were joined by Felix Rice, Charles Dauramanzi and Lloyd Gundu. They flew from Dar to Moscow enroute to Beijing (then known as Peking). They began with a visit to several Chinese towns before being joined by Luke Mhlanga, John Maluzo Ndlovu, Benson Maphosa, and Stone Phillip Nkomazana.

Their military training in China lasted 6 months upon which they returned home only to find the liberation movement had split following the formation of ZANU in August 1963. Back in Zambia in 1964 Clark crossed at the Chirundu Bridge and made contact with operatives in the Northern Region where Maluzo was field commander. He proceeded to the Southern Region where he made contact with the likes of Vote Moyo, Amen Chikwakwata, Mbhejelwa Moyo, Elias Dube and others who had already initiated the Sabotage Campaign in that region.

Keen to get more weapons Clark moved to Victoria Falls in 1964 where a Special Branch man, who had been to Zambia masquerading as one of the cadres betrayed him, leading to his arrest. He was taken to Grey Prison where he found himself in the company of Moffat Hadebe, Elliot Ngwabi, Keyi Nkala, three of the six men who fired the first shots of the liberation struggle at Zidube Ranch in September 1964. Through the assistance of Thenjiwe Lesabe and Joshua Mahlathini Mpofu and a jail guard Hleza, they escaped and found their way to Botswana. There they were captured, only Hadebe managing to escape back to Zambia with the assistance of Peter Mackay.

Mpofu was sent to Khami Prison where one of his inmates was incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa. He was moved to other prisons such as Whawha and Gwelo. He was released following the successful conclusion of the Lancaster House Talks in 1979.

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