The battle of Ndungwane: a testament to the resilience and tenacity of ZPRA

By Cliff  Ngulube

The battle of Ndungwane, which took place in August 1979 in what is now Ward 12 of Gwanda, in the village of Ndungwane under Chief Mathe, is a testament to the resilience and tenacity of ZPRA fighters. This living legend also demonstrates the level of planning and discipline within ZPRA units, especially during serious crises.

The battle followed a very intriguing chain of events which have become part of its legend to date. Its success was also the result of a series of fortuitous incidents. At the centre of that battle was Commander Knox, the leader of a company trained in Mlungushi, Zambia.

Commander Knox developed a mysterious illness that did not respond at all to Western treatment and medication. With the commander’s deteriorating condition causing so much concern within the company, some comrades suggested Julius Ngulube, a traditional healer who operated near the Ntalale causeway on the river Tuli.

Because Knox was in a bad state, the herbalist had to be brought to him in Ndungwane. This posed challenges because of the distance to be covered, as the countryside was littered with Rhodesian patrols and checkpoints.

A lorry belonging to Dalayi Nare was quickly mobilised and dispatched to Ngulube, with Enoch Moyo of Tshingasaka from Matobo behind much of the planning and execution, and also behind the wheel. To execute this King Tshaka of a task, Moyo was assisted by Kenneth Mabheka, a young lad from Makokwe village in today’s Ward 12 in Gwanda. Mabheka was an active youth within ZPRA’s support network. His task was to accompany the driver to Ntalale and help navigate the minefields of checkpoints along the way.

Moyo, together with Limakatso Nyathi, was a local entrepreneur who ran a fairly successful business buying goats and pigs from villagers for resale in Bulawayo. Limakatso Nyathi is the current headman Selebogo. He is from Sankonjani, Ward One, in Matobo District.

To underscore the risks involved, the Cdes had to use letters, dispatched by bus and other means through the well-established community networks, to reach Moyo, the driver. Because the Cdes could not leave anything to chance, Moyo was also armed with a letter to the renowned traditional healer, which explained the gravity of the situation and requested the herbalist’s urgent attention and utmost discretion.

This letter nearly blew the mission up. At the first checkpoint Moyo and Mabheka encountered in Malitou Village near Gungwe, the Rhodesian soldiers asked for their identity cards. Perhaps overcome by nerves or not thinking straight because of the fierce guns pointed at them, Enoch Moyo pulled out the letter to Julius Ngulube, the herbalist, instead of his ID.

It was like manna from heaven for the elated Rhodesian soldiers. Commander Knox was at the top of their most-wanted list; now they knew he was sick and incapacitated somewhere in Gwanda. The two young emissaries were quickly apprehended as the Rhodesian Front soldiers devised a plan to ambush the sick commander.

As part of that plan, the RF soldiers dressed up Kenneth Mabheka in a military jacket and also forced him to carry an unloaded Rhodesian FN30 rifle. He was ordered to lead the soldiers to Knox’s hideout in Ndungwane.

However, sensing the impending disaster, the quick-thinking Mabheka led the unsuspecting RF soldiers to Mlilo’s homestead, the local ZAPU Youth chairman. Mabheka knew that the politically astute Mlilo would take some action upon realising that Mabheka had been apprehended. To further delay them, Mabheka proceeded to another homestead where people were gathered for some traditional beer.

That is when all hell broke loose.

Unknown to Mabheka, a ZPRA unit led by Baster Magwizi was on its way to Belingwe (now Mberengwa) in the area. Some members of this unit had entered the same homestead for a beer drink.

The RF soldiers easily spotted them and fired without warning. Cde Frederick Nyathi (nom de guerre Skeleton Khumalo) was narrowly missed by a bullet as he relaxed on a wheelbarrow. Luckily, there were no injuries as Magwizi’s boys safely retreated, worried that a firefight in that environment would result in civilian casualties.

However, this brief firefight was quite a godsend for Knox, who was not as incapacitated as the RF unit believed. Upon hearing the unmistakable sound of Rhodesian guns as the RF soldiers fired on Magwizi’s unit, Commander Knox ordered his troops into position for the inevitable battle.

On the other hand, the RF soldiers thought the mission was complete. They did not know that the guerrillas they had engaged were not the ones they had set out to attack. They dropped their guard as they trudged back towards Lubhangwe Rest Camp.

Anticipating their movement, Knox and his men were ready in ambush. The RF soldiers never knew what hit them. According to local reports, only two of the soldiers survived, including Edmond Salile Bhajila, an infamous black Rhodesian soldier.

The story of a panicked Bhajila encountering villagers at Matholwa and running for safety toward Lubhangwe Rest Camp is still a legend in the area.

Knox, who became a legendary figure, was taken to the rear in Botswana for treatment. Ndebele novelist Ezekiel Hleza has recounted how he was pleasantly surprised to meet a very fit Knox sometime near the end of the war, after many rumours suggested the guerrilla had been killed.

Hleza was an active young collaborator during the war. Ezekiel’s father, Joseph Hleza, is the prison officer who helped Moffat Hadebe and his crew escape from Grey prison.