Nqobile Tshili — It was in 1977 when Cde Rejoice Sibanda, then aged 15, joined the liberation struggle with fellow teenagers, and a year later, she would survive the Mkushi Camp bombing in Zambia by the brutal Rhodesian forces who massacred a Zipra Women's Wing.
The bombing of Mkushi Camps was in retaliation after Zipra forces downed an Air Rhodesia Viscount plane as it left Kariba for Salisbury in February 1978.
Cde Sibanda, who is Bulawayo's Zanu PF Women's League chairperson, said by the time she joined the liberation struggle, she was not yet ideologically grounded but was driven by the popular wave to liberate her country as many youths at that time were joining the protracted struggle.
Her resolve was emboldened by the 400 Manama High School pupils in Gwanda District who had joined the liberation struggle in January 1977.
As someone who also hails from Gwanda, she said it became natural for her to join the struggle.
"I joined the liberation struggle under Zipra, which was a military wing of Zapu and this was in 1977. At that time, I didn't have a serious conviction but we were motivated by that kumele siyempini siyelwela inkululeko," she told our Bulawayo Bureau in an interview yesterday.
"Some of us coming from Gwanda, upon learning that pupils from Manama High had joined the struggle, we became more motivated."
Joining the liberation war was a real struggle as they had to endure the hardships of being away from the comfort of their homes and from eating three meals a day to sometimes a single meal.
She vividly remembers the bombardment of Mkushi Camp in Zambia in 1978, which led to loss of lives of female cadres.
"This was a difficult moment and sometimes you wonder how you survived when others lost their lives. We were still in our initial stages of the training and most of us were not even armed," she recalled.
"The Smith regime was heartless and didn't have any conscience and it was so painful to see bodies of those who succumbed having their skin peeling off as they lay lifeless. That is how scary the situation was," said Cde Sibanda.
The Rhodesian forces are said to have used Napalm, a highly flammable sticky jelly used in incendiary bombs and flame-throwers, consisting of petrol thickened with special soaps to attack the women's camp.
It is an enormously destructive weapon that can stick to the skin, ignite and cause terrible burns. Even light contact with the substance can result in second-degree burns, eventually causing scars called keloids, experts say.
Cde Sibanda said she experiences trauma each time she remembers the incident as she also lost a close relative during the attack.
"Even when we came back, the situation created friction within our family as one of my cousins lost her life during the attack. So, the family did not understand why I came back and she didn't," she said.
"Also, the bombing led to serious trauma among the survivors. Some of us would have nightmares just recounting what happened there. It's not an experience that one would want to narrate," said Cde Sibanda.
She said loss of some cadres did not deter the women from their determination to liberate the country as they had experienced the brutality of the colonial regime at home.
Reflecting on the gains of independence, Cde Sibanda said it was encouraging that women's rights are being respected in the country while women have even taken positions of power.
"Before independence women did not have property rights. Even when they were capable they were not allowed to own properties. But due to Independence, women now own properties," she said.
"We now have women who are involved in agriculture, mining, among other sectors of the economy. We also appreciate that the Government is supportive of women economic empowerment policies. We have the Women's Bank; which women can utilise to access loans."
Cde Sibanda challenged young people to find their purpose within the development thrust of the country saying it was worrying to observe youths being consumed by drugs among other social ills.
It should be expected that young people who had benefitted from the inclusive education system should champion the country's development agenda using relevant technological advancements.
Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Cde Judith Ncube paid tribute to the successive Governments in independent Zimbabwe for advancing the rights of women.
Before independence women were not even expected to work hence the first suburbs in Bulawayo were built mainly as dormitories for men while women were expected to stay in the rural areas.
"Even those who were employed, their rights were trampled on. A woman who would go for maternity leave was not automatically readmitted to their position," she said. "They had to re-apply as a new employee regardless of how long they had served. This meant that the women were being prejudiced of their pension benefits. But in independent Zimbabwe, the Government has created laws and policies that protect the rights of women.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"When a woman goes on maternity leave, she is treasured and is considered to be doing a national duty because the next generation is dependent on women. They now go on leave and beyond that are given time when they return to their jobs to look after the babies and we are grateful to the Government for that," said Minister Ncube.
Women now occupy serious positions of power as they have proved their capabilities to lead in both private and public sectors.
"We have women in powerful positions, for instance we have Thoko Ndlovu working for Treger Group of companies, she occupies a very powerful position. We have Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, who is the Minister of Defence as well as Zanu-PF chairperson. We have Cde Sithembiso Nyoni, Cde Monica Mutsvangwa who have occupied serious ministries in Government," said Cde Ncube.
"It's through the performance of women that our principals continue to put them in positions of power as they have shown their leadership skills.
"We have women in tourism, agriculture, mining, manufacturing who are doing well. We are grateful to the Government for creating an enabling environment for women to be involved in various sectors of the economy," said Minister Ncube.
