ZANLA Fighters at a community meeting

ZIMSEC O Level History Notes: The Struggle for Independence in Colonial Zimbabwe 1900-1980: ZANU Military Tactics

  • Recruitment into the ZANU army became almost automatic
  • After political education, most young men and women voluntarily joined the guerillas (Vakomana neVasikana)
  • Pungwes increased and intensified and were attended by young boys (mujiba) and young girls (chimbwido)
  • The Mujibas were responsible for spying for information on the Rhodesian Security Forces and the chimbwidos were responsible for feeding the guerillas
  • A radio programme called The Voice of Zimbabwe which aired on Radio Mozambique at 8 pm everyday was also used to disseminate ZANU propaganda
  • Another propaganda tool for ZANU was The Zimbabwe News which was an official organ of ZANU
  • A combination of these methods increased refugees in camps who wanted to join the ZANLA forces from 35 000 in 1977 to 150 000 at the end of the war
  • The living conditions in these military camps were not good as they had no medical facilities and no formal schools
  • The enemy would sometimes infiltrate camps with poison and many inhabitants would be killed in the process

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