Innocent Sibonginkosi Ncube<\/p>\n\n\n\n
BULAWAYO \u2013 A former Zipra combatant has painted a harrowing picture of the lasting physical and psychological toll of Zimbabwe\u2019s liberation struggle, stating that many who fought for the country\u2019s independence have been left to suffer in silence and poverty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur trainings were very difficult \u2014 sometimes you would be thrown in water for days until your body was weak,\u201d Sithole recounted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe gasses we inhaled made our chests burn and our eyes blur. A lot of my comrades never had a chance to have children afterwards.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She revealed a painful legacy for many female veterans, who faced stigma upon their return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSome 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sithole\u2019s own injuries from a 1978 attack in Mukushi are a source of constant pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy left hand was injured, my leg broke\u2026 My chest was crushed, my eyesight weakened. I had to stay five days in that water,\u201d she said, describing a Rhodesian military assault.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, she says sustained government medical support is absent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her small pension, she says, is insufficient to cover her living costs, let alone medical bills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beyond healthcare and pensions, Sithole lamented the lack of proper burial for countless ex-combatants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTheir bones are still lying there, scattered, forgotten; their families never got closure. It haunts us every single day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She also issued a powerful plea for the recognition of all who contributed to the struggle, not just those who carried guns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDuring the war, there were comrades who served as nurses, midwives, teachers, those who cooked, those who sewed our uniforms. They kept us alive\u2026 But today, they are treated as if they were nothing. Everyone played their part. Why should only a few be honoured?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Calling for counselling services to address deep-seated trauma, Sithole mourned the loss of the spirit that once united them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn the war, comradeship was strong \u2014 no one thought of themselves, we were one\u2026 that hurts the most.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For real-time news alerts, join us on WhatsApp:
+263 773 820 323<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Follow Zim GBC News on social media:
\u00b7X (Twitter): @ZimGbc
\u00b7Instagram: @ZimGBCNews
\u00b7TikTok: @ZimGBCNews_01
\u00b7Facebook: Zim GBC News
\u00b7YouTube: Zim GBC News<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zim GBC News | Global News From An African Perspective\u00a92025<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Innocent Sibonginkosi Ncube BULAWAYO \u2013 A former Zipra combatant has painted a harrowing picture of the lasting physical and psychological toll of Zimbabwe\u2019s liberation struggle, stating that many who fought… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9422,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9421","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9421","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9421"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9421\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9423,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9421\/revisions\/9423"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9421"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9421"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9421"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}