By Dr Takavafira Zhou
It took me some time to realise Retired Brigadier Rungani, whose death could have been averted if we had good healthy care in the country was cde Victor Chikudo who operated in Mberengwa during the liberation war.
Thanks to his declaration as a National hero and to his daughter Prof Ellen Rungani’s audio recounting the challenges the family encountered when her father was transferred from one health centre to another, I have picked that cde Victor Chikudo has passed on.
I remember Chikudo for an incident that happened either late in 1979 or early 1980 (cease fire period). He came to our homestead one afternoon and talked to the elders. The elders said he was our relative, apart from being a freedom fighter. He ordered me and three of my childhood friends and relatives (Tasiyashe, Tambaimose & Sheunesu) to take axes, remove chains from our scorchcats, get harnesses and six donkeys, and rode the donkeys for 5km to an area where the donkeys pulled a car allegedly belonging to a white guy who had been killed by liberation fighters together with his wife in nearby chiefdom of Mapiravana. After getting to an area between Chavaziyanhu & Chamazizi hills where there was a thicket of mukonachando trees, we started cutting branch trees to cover or conceal the car. Cde Victor ordered us to leave our chains now attached to the car but allowed us to carry home the harness and axes.
I have not seen cde Victor Chikudo since then, although I understand he built a homestead in the Chingechuru area in Mberengwa. I must admit that leaving our chains was so painful to us as we had to improvise by using fibre for some time before we acquired some replacements later.
Needless to say, one day we mooted a plan to get our chains from the car as we had checked some days before, that the car was still there although cde Victor was no longer frequently seen in our area. Sadly, the night we decided to get the chains with my childhood friends and relatives we couldn’t as the car was also no longer there. We inquired from elders on the morrow about the car only to be informed Victor had come to take the car two days before our night raid.
It is good to learn that cde Victor Chikudo played a vital role in strengthening the army’s engineering capabilities, earning recognition for his leadership, technical expertise and dedication to national service as the Director of the Engineering and Military Equipment Directorate.
However, it may be prudent for the cdes still surviving to revisit the areas that they operated in during the liberation war and thank the people who supported them well, let alone see how backward or even worse some such areas are. It would be interesting to meet such comrades as Manhanga, Majaravanda, Peace Muchineripi, Phenious Chitokwe, Sekuru Zuze, Fight Well, Zvikaramba Toidza Zvimwe, Angels Muparadzi, Elliot Churu, Shumba yamabhunu, Caleb, Sekuru Chirombo etc in Mberengwa. I am aware many may have died but those still surviving can honourably do this exercise.
It is prudent to thank the liberation fighters for their war effort, but remind them that whilst we achieved flag independence and presidency of a black person, more remains to be done. Crucial is ensuring that resources of the country are tapped and harnessed for sustainable development of the nation and improvement of the livelihoods of Zimbabweans across the political divide. With abundant natural and human resources, it remains puzzling why the general populace in Zimbabwe is wallowing in poverty and misery. The veritable paradise promised by the liberation fighters (some of whom are now fighting against freedom) has turned into a diet of starvation and a bullet to the head.
Be that as it may, go well Brigadier General, and national hero, Victor Chikudo Rungani, you fought a good battle in the liberation war. Should I meet you after my earthly life, I would ask you about the chains and how it pained me as a kid then in 1979/1980, but healed as I became an adult. The great questions you should ask all the genuine heroes interned at the National Heroes Acre such as Joshua Nkomo, Herbert Chitepo, Josiah Tongogara, Josiah Chinamano Jaison Moyo, Nikhita Mangena, Sally Mugabe, etc are *1. Has the Revolution Lost its Way? 2. Is it normal for a revolution not only to eat its children, but also its mothers and fathers? 3. Todini nezvigananda zvarerusa nyika somusha watanwa nokutsva guni somutakura?*
Vencremos
Dr Takavafira M. Zhou*, son of a peasant.
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