Civil disturbances that happened in the early years of
Zimbabwe’s Independence that came to be known as “Gukurahundi” were a
conspiracy by former Rhodesian security operatives who set up black compatriots
and erstwhile freedom fighters against each other and cause instability in the
country, an interview with national hero Dr Dumiso Dabengwa, previously
unpublished, reveals.
The interview was conducted by researcher Garikai
Mushambadope in 2009. Mushambadope had earlier, in 2008, met President Mnangagwa
and challenged him to open up on Gukurahundi.In turn, President Mnangagwa snowballed him to Dr Dabengwa.
In the revealing interview, which we publish in full
elsewhere in this issue, Dr Dabengwa locates the troubles that made Zimbabwe’s
birth pangs and also highlights some key post-independence dynamics, including
succession where he was involved in trying to persuade former president Robert
Mugabe to step down.
The former Zapu intelligence supremo — affectionately known
as the Black Russian — would also later try to revive the old Zimbabwe African
People’s Union (Zapu), the independence party of the late founding father,
Joshua Nkomo.
The interview casts new light on the genesis of tribal tensions
which former colonisers wanted to exploit.
Additionally, Dr Dabengwa reveals that some of his Zapu
commanders worked with the Rhodesian elements in the dreaded Central
Intelligence Organisation (CIO), perhaps unwittingly.
“It’s a painful episode both at personal and national level
. . . betrayal by colleagues,” says Dr Dabengwa.
“There is a lot of discourse and fabrication surrounding
that period and I would like you to put this on record.”
He explains: “To start with, there is a lot of blame being
put on the then ZANU and people are saying this was a tribal engineered thing.
That’s rubbish and that can only be said by people ignorant of what was taking
place.
“When the freedom fighters were in assembly points, the
Rhodesians hatched a sinister plan based on creating divisions and fissures
between ZIPRA and ZANLA. They did this
by approaching ZIPRA commanders in strategically selected assembly points and
lied to them that the new ‘Shona’ government was planning to exterminate them .
. . So these CIO officers convinced the commanders at assembly points to hide
weapons in preparation for the so-called eventuality.
“In doing so they labelled the senior commanders like me
and Lookout Masuku as having sold out to the Government. They presented it as
if the commanders and their forces were on their own.
“So indeed they hid weapons conniving with the white CIOs.
What the ZIPRA commanders didn’t know was that the CIOs were taking the
information to authorities in Harare. When the CIO had enough ‘evidence’ they
told Ken Flower (their boss) and Peter Walls. I don’t know whether it was
Flower and Walls’ plan in the first place.
“What I know is that Ken Flower and Peter Walls took it to
the then Prime Minister, Mugabe. They had carefully presented it as our plan …
(Lookout) Masuku and I.”
Dr Dabengwa was jailed by Mr Mugabe until the Unity Accord
in 1987 while Masuku died shortly after.
Dr Dabengwa was part and parcel of the Zanu PF succession
debate wat back before the 2008 elections.
He recalled that him, Zvinavashe and Mujuru (all late) went
to see Mugabe in his office were they asked him to step aside and give someone
a chance to push the ideologies of the party further since Mugabe had run his
race.
He was involved in the talks to convince the former
president Mugabe to step down and give others a chance in the interest of the
party as well as democracy.
It is said that Mugabe agreed to step down and promised not
to contest in the next general election. Mugabe is said to have gone in public
and said he was going to step down but however that did not happen and it came
as a surprise to the other Cdes, who felt betrayed and that is the reason that
pushed Simba Makoni and others out of ZANU PF to form the Mavambo/Kusile Dawn
party.
The late hero even supported Simba Makoni while other Cdes
were on the fence and afraid to come out in the open.
‘‘In 2003, Zvinavashe, Rex Nhongo…Mujuru and myself went to
see President Mugabe and we asked him about succession. We said…” President you
have given your time and the country is grateful. We think it is time that you give or prepare
to handover to someone who can take the country to another level”. The President had done a brilliant job since
independence and if he had taken our advice seriously he wouldn’t be suffering
like it is today,” Dabengwa said.
Dabengwa said Mujuru broke the news first to Mugabe.
‘‘We all contributed but the first to speak was General
Mujuru…he broke the ice so to speak.
Zvinavashe and I came in and emphasised on a few points. He actually
agreed with us and said he would make way.
He talked about having free time to write his memoirs and give advice to
the successor,” he said.
Dr Dabengwa said that even though they had the courage to
confront Mugabe on the succession issue but they had no one in mind who would
take over.
‘‘No, we didn’t. Our
expectations were that the party will open the race for everyone to contest
democratically. To Mugabe’s credit after
our meeting with him he came out and told the country that was his last term in
office. We do not know what then
happened in the background for him to change his mind later on. I have a feeling that some in ZANU (PF)
leaned on him and he started seeing it as an attempt to push him out. The people in the Army and Security agents
might have done that. For their own selfish interests,” he said.
When asked why he backed Simba Makoni, Dr Dabengwa revealed that it was because of the sticking
succession issue.
‘‘This was a continuation of the discussion we had with
Mugabe. Some of us felt he should have
given way to others. A number of big
guns within ZANU(PF) had given their word that they would come and join Simba
Makoni but they developed cold feet at the last minute. They are cowards. I know for certain that Mujuru wanted to
leave and join Mavambo… others might have been sitting on the fence,” he said.
Herald
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