Mapai

THIS BOOK IS a social epic, a reminiscence, which combines verse, prose and dance in an effort to record the war experiences of the struggle for independence from Rhodesia to Zimbabwe. For, this is the way and form the liberation of Zimbabwe took. It is all about the social dynamics of the war and its politics. It is not necessarily a historical account.This book has been compiled, and written, from prime source material. Most of the events are first hand experiences. So this is, in many respects, a true account of the war as perceived and experienced by those directly involved in the war, mostly on the side of the Africans themselves. If such important social events and processes are left unrecorded, the crucial social history is lost in the mist of time and haze of memory.It is an incredible story of many years of high adventure, courage, fortitude and determination to win against all odds. Although the freedom fighters, ' the comrades' ranks were thinned through death, and by capture, they eventually succeeded brilliantly in waging a heroic armed struggle. Many thanks go to the unwavering support from fellow Africans, people of the world, from inside and outside the country. The fight for freedom was a monumental Herculean task given the collective intelligence, the war experiences, the fire power and weaponry the white Rhodesian regime had at its disposal. The regime also used dirty tricks, subterfuge, chicanery, brutality and cunningness as standard tools of war. No stone was left unturned in search of what the regime called Communist terrorists. The comrades, mujibhas, and civilian supporters were all regarded, and treated, the same, that is, as enemies to be ruthlessly eliminated.The book departs from the dry fact account of war, to one that provides a vast panorama of life under siege, of humanity in distress but buoyed by hope and continuity of purposeful action caught in the whirlwind of violence, potential danger of loss of life and limb. It is a story that is full of dialectics of life: Kill or be killed, imprison or free, feed or starve, cry or sing, poison or be poisoned, hate or love, cheat or be cheated, betray or be loyal, manoeuvre or be out-manoeuvred. It was a dangerous cat and mouse game.Included in this book are candid sensational details of the training, operations, betrayals, killings, and revelations hitherto untold in the chequered history of the armed struggle. If some people get offended or embarrassed by accounts in this book, I profusely apologize. It is not intended! All the same, some names have been changed to protect identities, and for ethical reasons. MUTUBUKI E.H. (TRUE FREEDOM FIGHTER!