ZIMSEC O Level History Notes: The Struggle for Independence in Colonial Zimbabwe 1900-1980: Nyadzonya raid
- The Rhodesian Security Forces with the help of part-time soldiers organized a major counter-offensive attack on 2 May 1976
- Rhodesian Selous Scouts on 9 August 1976 besieged a ZANLA military camp in Mozambique at Nyadzonya and attacked it
- There were about 5,000 guerrillas and hundreds of refugees.
- The Selous Scouts were 72 in number and they wore FRELIMO uniforms,
- The whites among them had black ski masks,
- They also attached FRELIMO license plates and painted their vehicles in FRELIMO colours in disguise White soldiers wore black ski masks
- They crossed to Mozambique at about 0005 hours and greeted FRLIMO forces as they drove by
- They got to the ZANLA camp at around 0800 hours,
- They were allowed entry and
- they went on to set up their positions around 4,000 guerrillas
- When they were ready they shouted the words “Zimbabwe tatora!” (We have taken Zimbabwe/Zimbabwe is now ours )
- They began firing and only stopped when there was no movement on the ground
- They killed more than 1000 ZANLA forces and only four of the Selous Scouts were wounded lightly
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