By Bruce Chahwanda, Political Editor
IT is 45 years since the Rhodesian colonial regime launched an attack on Zimbabwean guerrilla and refugee camps in Chimoio, Mozambique killing thousands of liberation war fighters and leaving others with permanent injuries.
Just a mere mention of November brings tears and sorrow among former liberation fighters after the colonial regime committed atrocities that also left others with permanent scars over three days from the 23rd to the 25th of November in 1977.
For Cde Samuel Makureya, it was a moment that proved the cruelty of the Ian Smith regime.
“It was around 8 AM on the 23rd of November 1977 when I heard the noise of planes. At that time, that’s where fighters would carry out their parade, they were so many planes and bombing started so we took cover but it was a terrible day as it took almost the whole day of exchange of gunfire. We lost many comrades and most of our people were injured,” he said.
What is remarkable though is that the liberation fighters remained resolute until victory was won with post-independent Zimbabwean youths expected to take some valuable lessons from this determination.
“The young generation must know that getting the country’s Independence was not an easy fit. It required people of steel to ensure that independence is upon us, people must learn to sacrifice towards safeguarding the independence of this country,” Cde Makureya said.
While the massacre brought tears to many, it was a turning point for survivors who became even more aggressive until the enemy was defeated for the attainment of Independence in 1980.
