Zimpapers Logo

Nqobile Tshili, [email protected]

ZANU-PF Women’s League chairperson in Bulawayo, Cde Rejoice Sibanda, survived the Mkushi Camp bomb attack in 1978 carried out by settler Rhodesian forces who massacred a Zpra Women’s Wing.

She had joined the liberation struggle in 1977 as a 15-year-old driven by the popular wave of youths joining the protracted struggle to liberate their country.

Cde Sibanda experienced hardship being away from the comfort of home, but she said the loss of some cadres did not deter the women from their determination to liberate the country as they had experienced the brutality of the colonial regime at home.

She said her resolve was emboldened by 400 Manama High School pupils in Gwanda District who had joined the liberation struggle in January 1977. As someone from Gwanda, she said it became natural for her to also join the struggle.

“I joined the liberation under Zpra, the military wing of Zapu, in 1977. At that time, I didn’t have a serious conviction, but we were motivated by that kumele siyempini siyelwela inkululeko,” she told Chronicle in an interview yesterday.

“Some of us from Gwanda were motivated by learning that pupils from Manama High had joined the struggle.”

She vividly remembers the bombardment of Mkushi Camp in Zambia in 1978, which led to the mass loss of female cadres.

“This was a difficult moment and sometimes you wonder how you survived when others lost their lives. We were still in our initial stages of training and most of us were not even armed,” she recalled.

“The Smith regime was heartless and didn’t have any conscience and it was so painful to see bodies of our comrades lying lifeless with their skin peeling off. That is how scary the situation was.”

The Rhodesian forces are said to have used Napalm, a highly flammable sticky jelly used in incendiary bombs and flame-throwers, consisting of petrol thickened with special soaps to attack the women’s camp.

It is an enormously destructive weapon that can adhere to the skin, ignite and cause terrible burns. Even light contact with the substance can result in second-degree burns, eventually causing scars called keloids, experts say.

Cde Sibanda said she experiences trauma each time she remembers the incident as she also lost a close relative in the attack.

“Even after we returned, it created friction within our family as one of my cousins lost her life in the attack. So, the family did not understand why I came back and she didn’t,” she said.

“The bombing also left survivors with serious trauma. Some of us would have nightmares just recounting what happened there. It’s not an experience that one would want to narrate,” said Cde Sibanda.

She said the loss of some cadres, however, did not deter them from their resolve to liberate the country because of the brutality they had experienced at the hands of Ian Smith’s racist regime at home

Reflecting on the gains of independence, Cde Sibanda said it was encouraging that women’s rights were being respected in the country and that women had also even taken positions of power.

“Before independence women did not have property rights. Even when they were capable, they were not allowed to own properties. But due to independence, women now own properties,” she said.

“We now have women who are involved in agriculture and mining, among other sectors of the economy. We also appreciate that the Government is supportive of women economic empowerment policies. We have the Women’s Bank, which women can utilise to access loans.”

Cde Sibanda challenged young people to find their purpose within the development thrust of the country, saying it was worrying to observe youth being consumed by drugs, among other social ills.

She said the expectation is that young people who benefitted from the inclusive education system should champion the country’s development agenda using relevant technological advancements.

Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister, Cde Judith Ncube, paid tribute to the Government in independent Zimbabwe for advancing the rights of women.

She said before independence women were not even expected to work, and the construction of the first western suburbs in Bulawayo was mainly as dormitories for men while women were expected to stay in the rural areas.

“Even those who were employed, their rights were trampled on. A woman who went on maternity leave was not automatically readmitted to their position,” she said.

“They had to re-apply as a new employee regardless of how long they had served. This meant that women were being prejudiced of pension benefits. But in independent Zimbabwe, the Government has created laws and policies that protect the rights of women.

“When a woman goes on maternity leave, she is treasured and is considered to be doing a national duty because the next generation is dependent on women. They now go on leave and beyond that, they are given time when they return to their jobs to look after the babies and we are grateful to the Government for that,” said Minister Ncube.

She said women now occupy serious positions of power as they have proved their capabilities to lead in both the private and public sectors.

“We have women in powerful positions. For instance, we have Thoko Ndlovu working for Treger Group, she occupies a very powerful position. We have Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, who is the Minister of Defence as well as Zanu-PF national chairperson, we have Cde Sithembiso Nyoni and Cde Monica Mutsvangwa who have occupied top ministries in Government,” said Cde Ncube.

“It’s through the performance of women that our principals continue to put them in positions of power as they have shown their leadership skills.

“We have women in tourism, agriculture, mining and manufacturing who are doing well. We are grateful to the Government for creating an enabling environment for women to be involved in various sectors of the economy,” said Minister Ncube. – @nqotshili.