MILLICENT HUNGWE
As Zimbabwe commemorates Heroes and Defense Forces Day, two liberation war veterans, Rose Mutare (76) and Ezekiel Gonomene (109), shared their harrowing experiences during the struggle for independence.
Mutare recounted a terrifying encounter in Bulawayo when she was just 12 years old.
The then Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith’s soldiers and freedom fighters had a fierce encounter where they exchanged fire, leaving her family’s home and neighboring buildings in ruins.
The Smith soldiers accused the former freedom fighters of looting and went on to brutally assault their children who denied any involvement.
Other children were later arrested and imprisoned at Khami Prison, only to be released and forced to flee to neighboring countries like Tanzania, Mozambique and Zambia.
In 1978, Mutare joined the freedom fighters, helping to supply food to comrades in Filabusi.
The now nonegerian Gonomene, the eldest inmate at Mucheke Old People’s Home, shared his own traumatic experiences.
He witnessed brutal incidents at Nyajena and risked his life to supply food to freedom fighters in the mountains.
Gonomene recalled how the comrades would only want meat and refused to eat vegetables, leading to the depletion of domestic animals during the war.
Both veterans pleaded for government assistance, feeling abandoned despite their sacrifices for the nation’s freedom.
Their stories serve as a poignant reminder of the liberation struggle’s human cost and the need for continued support for those who fought for Zimbabwe’s independence.
