By Mapanza H Nkwilimba
My studies were briefly interrupted in second year. Military duties were calling. Going to “war” was not something that I had anticipated. Thanks to student leaders’ enthusiasm for what I saw as an adventure. I was being “conscripted” into the “green army”.
Zimbabwe (Rhodesia then) was fighting for independence from settler regime led by Ian Smith. The Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) led by Joshua Nkomo was based in Zambia. One of their camps was in Chikumbi, 28 kilometres north of Lusaka, the Capital City.
On 19th October 1978, the Rhodesian military made a dazzling entry into Zambia in the afternoon. Witnesses talked about seeing four jets and three Chinook helicopters bombing the camp in Chikumbi. About 300 ZAPU men were killed and many wounded. The wounded were rushed to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH).
On 20th October 1978 Union leaders addressed students at the University of Zambia (UNZA). Student anger on the bombing was not only directed at Ian Smith and his regime in Rhodesia but also at the “imperialists” in the West. After the address we headed to the British and American Embassies where we protested. One student removed the Union Jack from the wall of the British Embassy. After protesting at the two embassies, overzealous students influenced the protesters to go to State House. We jammed traffic on Independence Avenue as we trotted and jumped to State House shouting:
“We want war. Give us guns.”
President Kenneth Kaunda did not only address us, he also granted our request for guns. We were to be mobilised immediately and join the fight to protect Zambia. We walked back to the University campus. Many students were not as excited as they had been earlier on. I heard some students complaining. Suddenly, it had downed on them that they had overstretched our purpose for the protest. They didn’t want the war and guns, after all.
On our way to the campus we met a Land Rover carrying officers from the Zambia Air Force. Some students decided to let it off on the officers. They harassed and mocked them:
“Where were you?” (when foreign planes entered Zambian airspace) They demanded answers.
Foreign military planes had entered the country and bombed Rhodesian freedom fighters. Not a single Zambian jet scrambled the airspace. Zambian planes sat like lame ducks on the ground. I can only imagine complex issues that could have surrounded offering refuge to the freedom fighters.
The night of 20th October 1978 saw many young men hoping from room to room in October Residence. They were saying good byes to their girl-friends. Only men would be mobilized to fight for Zambia’s protection from aggressors.
Military trucks rolled on campus in the morning of 21st October 1978. We were on our way to Chindwin Barracks in Kabwe. At about 13.00 hours, news broadcast from either Salisbury (Harare now) or Pretoria mentioned the convoy taking students to Kabwe. It went like: “The most intelligent Zambian army is on its way to Kabwe.” Was that sarcasm? I felt vulnerable and unprotected. There was possibility that the Ian Smith insurgents could fly into the country at will and do whatever they wanted to do with impunity. They could shower our convoy with bombs…
From a book being written by Mapanza H Nkwilimba
Zambia didn’t hv advanced military radar to detect combat aircraft at that time. So it was not possible to spot enemy fighter planes until it was too late.
That was the year I dug down and buried my school cadet uniform under a rubbish heap to hide it from the Rhodesian soldiers just in case they came and searched our workers compound of 12 houses at Roma Girls Secondary School in Lusaka.
I have more to say on this.
Sounds like fiction . Regardless, thank you for the entertaining read
This is true. Perhaps you were too young to understand what was going on.
It was a sad day and period where the Ian Smith completely took control of our air space. Such raids did not just at Chikumbi camp they got extended as far as Solwezi District on North Western Province where ZAPU camp was bombed around 16.45hrs. Fighter planes flew all the way following Kabompo river upto Mumbezhi river and then started raining bombs. Not did they end at Mahemba ZAPU camp but had the chickness even to carry out bombing raids right up in Angola Mexico Province North West of Mwinilunga. There used to night curfews which among other things no street lights being on and when lights were on in houses curtains had to be closed. It was a terrible experience because by then our officers and men were still young without military medals like what is obtaining today. The most…
I was listening to UNZA students march on radio as a junior secondary school pupil then. There was a bad exchange of words btwn President Kaunda and British high commissioner to Zambia Sir Leonard Alynson during that week. KK ordered Britain to withdraw him as he had become, in Kaunda’s words, ” irrelevant to the relations between Zambia and his country”.
Ok
EVEN IF THERE WERE ADVANCED MILITARY RADARS THAT TIME TO DETECT INCOMING ENEMY PLANES IT WAS A MATTER OF TACTICS DEPLOYED. FOR INSTANCE EVEN ZAMBAIN ZAF PILOTS WOULD HAVE FLOWN TO SUSIBURY BY FLYING JUST ABOVE THE TREES OR LOW WITHOUT DETECTION. EVEN THOSE RHODESIAN PILOTS USED SAME TACTICS OF FLYING ABOVE THE TREES IN FORMATION AND THIS IS DIFFICULT TO DETECT. BUT THE PLAIN FACT IS THE RHODESIAN FIGHTER PILOTS WERE HIGHLY TRAINED MORE EXPERIENCED AND READY TO CARRY OUT OFFENSIVE AIR RAIDS. EVEN THEIR SELOUS SCOUTS AT THAT TIME WERE A BIG THREAT TO OUR DEFENCE FORCES BY THEN WE HAD NO ORGANISED SPECIAL FORCES LIKE TODAY AND OUR MEN WERE STILL BEGINING TO GAIN EXPERIENCE FIGHTING WARS OF HIGH INTESITY.
Towards the end of 1979 the bombings and gorilla war fare practiced by the sellous scouts from Southern Rhodesia in collaboration with the apartheid regime of John Vorster then, had intensified and reached dangerous levels We lost many bridges and important installations across the country including the Chambeshi bridge between Mpika and Kasama. When news broke out of the bombing of Chambeshi bridge, as green army then at chishimba military camp we were commanded to rush to the armoury for our LMGs, M56 & M59 SARs. This was the peak for some of us in our liberation struggle for liberation of Southern Africa in general and Southern Rhodesia in particular.
I was a female cadet in the 70’s and could handle AK47
Yes, we was there. In fact it was Wezi Kaunda who was at the fore front shouting ‘We want war!’ Nonetheless, KK was very wise. He told us that we were facing a formidable enemy who just wanted to ‘internationalise’ the internal conflict in Rhodesia. If Zambia had joined in the war, it would have become a colony of South Africa and Rhodesia and led by puppets like Adamson Mushala among others. Nonetheless, what KK did by mobilising the higher education students was defensive posturing. He was saying that we would not attack, but we are prepared to defend. By the way, Peter Zuze did take to the skies as far as Salisbury, if I hears correctly.
Read the book See You In November’ by that racist Rhodesian general Peter Stiff, now deceased.. Two hunter planes from the then Rhodesia were circling Mumbwa airport were our Migs were on the ground. The squadron leader called up Lusaka International Airpot which controlled the radar and was in contact with Mumbwa: The message was: We have nothing against you Zambians but should your planes try to intervene ( from Mumbwa), they will be shot down. The rest is history.
Very intriguing. Share some more people.
Reading “see you in November” angered me to the bone. The so called zambian whites were terrible collaborators of the invaders. In fact stiff says the damage at chikumbi was done from the ground with the skies as mere mask. Bombings at times of Zambia and many others are well documented including some collaborators ‘ white farmers’. Its plain annoying.
Sounds like fiction!! Because it’s being read by a tenderpreneur who doesn’t know our history. I was conscripted to guard in Mkushi myself. It’s something I’m proud of.
Iwe Kaizar! Siunds like fiction? Because it’s being read by a tenderpreneur who doesn’t know our history. I was conscripted to guard in Mkushi myself. It’s something I’m proud of.
Too many kids and useless cadres on social media with no clue about their history. All they are interested in is asking you for alcohol and money for talk-time so they can get drunk and come and spew their filth here. Ask them what happened on Friday the 13th 1979 and they will be scratching their heads. The worst are the sponsored ones…total muppets!!!
Yeah, even though some of some of us were youngsters during that time to recall exact events with such clarity, but I can remember the musings of war among the elders. In fact, a few of my relatives were conscripted either into the Army or ZNS right after Form 5 (as we used to call today’s Grade 12.)
They were indeed scary times. Even Lunsemfwa bridge (if I am not mistaken, both rail/TAZARA and road) were bombed. After that Kaunda setup a semi-permanente army garrison at Lunsemfwa which lasted for many years thereafter. These were the days of curfews and the State Emergency which we lived under for many years. Even the culture of roadblocks grew out of this period. Anyway, I few for people who had to worry about the security of Zambians day and night. Us youngsters was play…
Continue….
“chimpombwa” time and confronting bullies, that was our main worry. Yes, the Innocence of childhood.
What we Zambians forget there were actually young Zambians who secretly joined liberation movements to combat racist and illegal regimes in South Africa and the the Rhodesia. Recently I visited a museum in South Africa. I was surprised to read about a young Zambian by the name of Bless Kapika who was part of the secret Umkontho We Sizwe commando unit.
These are the stories we need to hear and document. Most of young
zambians don’t know this like KZ, harry kalaba, tutwa ngulube, Garry nkhombo etc
On you tube is the real soundtrack of the squadron pilot taking to Lusaka control tower as he bombs, type in green leader Rhodesia 1978