I do not often write about events that happened in the past. However, the passing of General Michael Chaminuka has moved me to write and salute one of the finest
soldiers and liberators this country has ever produced.
Humble, grounded and smart, I first met then Captain Michael Chaminuka at Special Task Force (STF) Chimoio in Mozambique in 1990. At that time, Zimbabwe had deployed security forces in Mozambique to safeguard the pipeline and assist the FRELIMO government to restore peace, law and order in Mozambique. The RENAMO insurrection was at its peak and Zimbabwe was heavily involved in the fight on the side of FRELIMO and the Government of Mozambique.
Captain Chaminuka, was the Military Intelligence Officer (MIO) of the 5th Brigade. The Commander was Colonel Elisha Muzonzini. I, together with my senior colleague Katsiru were deployed in Chimoio and worked together with the ZNA in providing intelligence. As the youngest in the intelligence circle, I struck a strong relationship with Captain Chaminuka and Dr Kamusoko who was the Brigade Medical Officer. We would spend numerous days traveling together and gathering intelligence, analyzing and processing information gleaned from various sources.
Ours was to ensure we provided timeous intelligence to the command element, so they could make prompt decisions.
Michael struck me as a dedicated officer and disciplined war veteran. He had gone through the officer cadet training and was highly trained in intelligence. During our tour of duty in Mozambique, a cable came from National Joint Operations Command headquarters in Harare tasking us to go and interview RENAMO bandits who had been captured and detained at Nhamatanda, Sofala province. A number of our troops had been ambushed and killed in the area between Nhamatanda and Lamego. The battalion leadership led by then Lt. Col Nicholas Dube, a decorated Commando Trooper was baffled and frustrated. A crack team was then assembled to come and assist the military leadership.
Gen Chaminuka and I drove down to Lamego and we were received by Lt Col Nicholas Dube and his senior command element, who gave us a detailed briefing on what was obtaining in his area of tactical responsibility. He was deeply concerned about the volatile situation.
The two of us immediately got to work and began our task early in the morning the following day. We were accompanied by the battalion intelligence team to Nhamatanda prison to interview the captured bandits. We drove in a CIO issued B2200 to the main camp at Nhamatanda. After disembarking and identifying ourselves, the security details then accompanied us into the holding cells.
The prisoners were standing in an open pit prison in water which was slightly above the hip. These were the conditions under which the captured bandits lived in. To get into the prison, we had to walk down a spiral staircase into the water logged cells.
As we started enquiring and interviewing the captured bandits, I overheard in Portuguese, remarks that immediately concerned me. I had acquired a working knowledge of Portuguese and could understand the language. The officers from our sister institutions who had accompanied us into the cell murmured something to the effect that the Zimbabweans were now their problem and they should deal with us. The insinuation, was that we should be attacked whilst inside the prison. I immediately alerted Michael and my colleagues to the danger we faced and told them to draw their guns and get out of the place. Armed with our pistols, we made our way out of the building, got into our vehicle, and drove to the battalion camp at Lamego.
We were shaken but not deterred, for we knew it was a war and anything was possible. We briefed the Commanding Officer Lt Col Dube, on what had transpired. In our report to the National Joint Operations Command, we highlighted our observations, that the war had taken a dramatic turn and that the RENAMO bandits had been able to get the people on their side, and had infiltrated most of the institutions, in that area. The attacks on our troops and vital infrastructure was being carried out by bandits who would were now operating from within the various settlements along the corridor. We observed that it was no longer attacks coming from bases located far away but that the very communities were hosting the bandits. We strongly recommended to the leadership that, the war effort required a review. We opined that the war was now a quagmire and would not be winnable. Meanwhile our colleagues in Beira, Captain Josto (Defence Attache), Jeff Mbalekwa, Kufa Chinoza and Tadzingaira Tachiveyi were also of the same opinion.
Fast forward, the peace process got underway and elections were held under the supervision of the United Nations, led by Aldo Ajello. The complete sweep by RENAMO of the Sofala Province, and in particular, the Nhamatanda area proved our point that the bandit movement was enjoying unequal support from the community.
I chose to dwell on this one incident to confirm the commitment and determination Michael had for his country. He was a professional soldier and dedicated patriot. Fair and balanced, he was a remarkable officer and gentleman.
We continued to work together after he was appointed to higher offices. In all our interactions, it was evident, Michael was a caring big brother.
Our two daughters Natasha Kasukuwere and Rachelle Chaminuka were to study law together at the University of Zimbabwe and become great friends. We last met, when both girls were registered as legal practitioners at the High Court of Zimbabwe in 2018.
Michael was not only a comrade in arms but also a brother, and patriotic warrior for the Motherland. Mukoma, Bvumavaranda, famba zvakanaka, I will not be able to attend your burial, but I will plant my flowers on your burial ground in good time.
Farewell Great Commander.
