Innocent Sibonginkosi Ncube
BULAWAYO – A former Zipra combatant has painted a harrowing picture of the lasting physical and psychological toll of Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle, stating that many who fought for the country’s independence have been left to suffer in silence and poverty.
Priscilla Sithole, 70, who also served as a councillor, speaks not of triumph but of broken bodies, empty cradles, and fallen comrades whose bones remain scattered in unmarked graves.
In an emotional interview with Zim GBC News, Sithole detailed the extreme conditions she endured as a young fighter, which she believes have led to a lifetime of illness and grief for many women.
“Our trainings were very difficult — sometimes you would be thrown in water for days until your body was weak,” Sithole recounted.
“The gasses we inhaled made our chests burn and our eyes blur. A lot of my comrades never had a chance to have children afterwards.”
She revealed a painful legacy for many female veterans, who faced stigma upon their return.
“Some of my sisters-in-arms were blamed in their marriages because they could not conceive, yet no one ever explained to their husbands what we had endured in those camps. We were just left to suffer in silence.”
Sithole’s own injuries from a 1978 attack in Mukushi are a source of constant pain.
“My left hand was injured, my leg broke… My chest was crushed, my eyesight weakened. I had to stay five days in that water,” she said, describing a Rhodesian military assault.
Today, she says sustained government medical support is absent.
“We are sick, in pain, all in one. Every day I wake up with my back aching, my chest tightening, my eyesight failing. There is no medication given to us.”
Her small pension, she says, is insufficient to cover her living costs, let alone medical bills.
“They deduct from the little that I have, leaving me with almost nothing. We fought for this country, but when you are old and suffering, it is as if the country has forgotten you.”
Beyond healthcare and pensions, Sithole lamented the lack of proper burial for countless ex-combatants.
“Their bones are still lying there, scattered, forgotten; their families never got closure. It haunts us every single day.”
She also issued a powerful plea for the recognition of all who contributed to the struggle, not just those who carried guns.
“During the war, there were comrades who served as nurses, midwives, teachers, those who cooked, those who sewed our uniforms. They kept us alive… But today, they are treated as if they were nothing. Everyone played their part. Why should only a few be honoured?”
Calling for counselling services to address deep-seated trauma, Sithole mourned the loss of the spirit that once united them.
“In the war, comradeship was strong — no one thought of themselves, we were one… that hurts the most.”
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