Wenslus Murape
Evans Mushawevato
Correspondent
TODAY, as we stand on the soil of a free and independent Zimbabwe, we pause to reflect on a moment in history that was as tragic as it was transformative; a chapter of our unyielding courage written in blood — the Chimoio Massacre.
Forty-seven years have passed since that dark and bloodied chapter unfolded, yet the echoes of its horrors, courage and unyielding spirit resonate louder than ever.
Time has not dulled our memory nor dimmed the significance of the sacrifice at Chimoio and Tembwe.
We remember not out of habit or ritual; but we are drawn by an unbroken thread of duty — to honour the sacrifice, to confront our history and to find strength in its lessons.
Between November 23 and 25 1977, during the ferocious assault codenamed ‘Operation Dingo’ by the colonialists, the Rhodesian forces carried out a brutal genocidal campaign against the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) camps in Chimoio and Tembwe, Mozambique.
The massacre at Chimoio and Tembwe was not just an act of violence; it was an attempt to extinguish the flame of freedom.
Bombs rained down, bayonets pierced flesh and fire consumed the lives of men, women and children who dared to dream of a free Zimbabwe.
These were not combatants alone. Among them were mothers nurturing hope, fathers standing guard over futures and children who represented the promise of a liberated nation.
Their only crime was belief in justice and the audacity to resist oppression. We continue to remember them, not as victims but as heroes who chose to stand firm in the face of unspeakable brutality.
Over 3 000 of our brothers and sisters perished. Men, women and children fell and not as mere casualties of war but as martyrs of the liberation struggle. Their lives were extinguished, yet their light has never ceased to guide us.
To speak of Chimoio is to evoke images that words can scarcely contain. The brutality of the Rhodesian regime, hell-bent on crushing the liberation movement, knew no bounds.
This was not merely an attack on military personnel; it was a calculated move to extinguish the hope of a people. But as history has shown, hope cannot be so easily destroyed. It is stubborn and boundless, much like the hearts of those who refused to cower, even in the face of death.
The memory of Chimoio lives on, not only as testament to the horrors of colonial violence but as an eternal call to honour those who paid the ultimate price for our independence. Mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers — bombed, bayoneted, burned alive — they refused to surrender.
Today, their sacrifices compel us to reflect on the freedom we now enjoy and the responsibilities it places upon us. Those who perished at Chimoio did so for a cause far greater than themselves.
They saw the unrelenting cruelty of colonial oppression.
They saw our lands, our voices and our dignity stolen by the imperial forces. Yet, they also saw a future — a Zimbabwe where black and white would live as equals, where freedom would not be a distant dream but a lived reality.
It was this vision that fuelled their unbending will, their courage and their ultimate sacrifice. In that mass grave of Chimoio, we see not only the cost of freedom but the boundless capacity of humanity to fight for justice, for the motherland. These heroes were not nameless or faceless statistics.
They were sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, fighters and dreamers. Each one carried within a story, a truth and a fire that would not be extinguished. They showed us that the greatest tragedy is not death itself but the failure to stand up for what is right. Ours is a history written in blood. The massacre at Chimoio was an act of unimaginable brutality.
The goal was annihilation, not just of bodies, but of hope. Yet, hope survived. Those who perished believed in something greater than themselves. They believed in a Zimbabwe where liberty and justice prevailed. It is this belief that sustained them in their final moments, even as they faced death in its most horrifying forms.
They did not fight for recognition or reward; they fought because their hearts would not permit them to do otherwise. They had seen the bloody face of oppression and they resolved that the worst tragedy would not be death but failing to fight for freedom. Always we must carry and lift high the torch of vigilance.
As we commemorate Chimoio, we must never forget that the enemies of progress may no longer wear colonial uniforms, but they lurk in the shadows. The massacre teaches us that liberty is not a gift but a prize won through vigilance. Those who perished at Chimoio were vigilant. They saw the aggressive designs of the Rhodesian regime and the ruthless suppression of liberation movements and they understood that retreat was not an option.
They stood firm and, in doing so, they ensured that their deaths were not mere tragedies but powerful declarations of resistance. For us, their legacy is a reminder that independence is not the end of the journey. It is the foundation upon which we must build a prosperous and unified Zimbabwe.
To honour their memory, we must remain vigilant against the forces that threaten to erode the values they fought for.
Events at Chimoio bequeathed us a legacy of courage. The story of the massacre is not just about loss; it is about dedication and commitment to the motherland. Those who survived carry with them memories that no-one else can fully understand — memories of friends and comrades cut down, of hopes momentarily dimmed but never extinguished.
Their pain is a solemn reminder of the cost of freedom and the commitment required to safeguard it. The massacre also speaks to the depth of belief held by those who fought for liberation. Their deaths were not in vain; they were acts of profound ideological significance. They believed in the cause of freedom so deeply that they were willing to give their lives for it.
Their sacrifice forces us to ask ourselves: Do we carry that same conviction? Do we approach the challenges of our time with the same courage and determination? Their legacy calls us to action. It calls us to confront inequality, to fight corruption, and to build a Zimbabwe where every citizen has the opportunity to thrive.
It reminds us that the truest tribute to their sacrifice is not in words but in deeds. The Chimoio massacre remains sustenance for the living and the generations to come. Chimoio is more than a memory; it is a flame still burning, guiding us forward. The survivors, though scarred, have handed us the torch of liberation. It is our duty to carry it high, to pass it on to future generations and to ensure that the sacrifices of the past are never forgotten.
We must teach our children about the courage and conviction of those who fought for independence. We must remind them that freedom is not inherited but earned and that its preservation requires continuous effort.
The world may take little note nor long remember what happened at Chimoio, but we, the inheritors of the struggle, will never forget. Their sacrifice is the foundation of our nation and their courage is the standard by which we must measure ourselves. As we reflect on the massacre, we must ask ourselves: What does their sacrifice demand of us today?
The battlefields may have changed, but the struggle continues. Our fight is no longer against the visible chains of colonialism but against the invisible forces of complacency and neo-colonialism that threaten to erode the ideals for which they gave their lives.
Chimoio is not just a place of tragedy; it is a symbol of the indomitable spirit of a people who dared to dream of freedom and achieved it.
Let us also remember the survivors, those who carry the scars of Chimoio, both visible and invisible. Their pain is a solemn reminder of the horrors we must never allow to return. We owe it to them and to ourselves to ensure that the horrors of colonial violence are never repeated. —The Patriot
Online Reporter
