By Dr Sikhanyiso Duke Ndlovu

Zanu-PF Secretary for Education in the Politburo Joseph Wilfred Msika, the greatest among the great, a rare nationalist, Pan Africanist and Revolutionary par excellency.

Yes stories and historical chronologies have been given and befitting multifarious accolades powered from His Excellence the President Cde Robert Gabriel Mugabe, his collegues in government and in the struggle down to the common person in the street and in the remotest villages in all parts of Zimbabwe.

Some people would say all has been said there is nothing more. Oh, No! Sons and daughters of Zimbabwe a lot more remains to be said.
Here I mean Msika the critical thinker, the philosopher and the bold action oriented negotiator towards achievement of goals, the nationalist, trade unionist, pan africanist, and revolutionary.

When his father Maplanka in Chiweshe sent a young Joseph to Mt Selinda to learn carpentry, he saw his future needing more education and he studied by correspondence distance education and passed junior certificate. He combined practical knowledge with academic cognitive knowledge.

This is what Zimbabwe has been trying to do since independence such that President Mugabe had to set up the Nziramasanga Commission of Inquiry into the education system hence its recommendation for combining the academic and practical skills in the education system.

Msika’s inherent political conceptualisation was a result of the oppressive white colonial system which prevailed and out of his wish as a trade unionist to assist fellow Africans achieve a better life led to his involvement in leading the Bulawayo Textile and Allied Workers Union. His political astuteness led to his election as president of the African National Congress Youth League.

His ability to communicate, negotiate and convince others made it possible for him to come to an agreement with Jason Moyo to meet Francis Ndawali from Matabeleland and George Nyandoro, James Chikerema and Paul Mushonga from Mashonaland to form the first national political party, the African National Congress.

They met at the Stanley Hall small library at the back of the hall. As Msika and his team were not ambitious to lead the new ANC, they invited Joshua M Nkomo, Stanlake Samukange, Enock Dumbutshena and Aidan Mwamuka and asked each one of them whether they would accept to lead the new party. Msika never forgot the insult by one of them who said he did not want to lead the varicose people — which meant uneducated people equated to the leg swollen varicose veins.

Among the four, Joshua Nkomo accepted but warned that the road to freedom would have hardships and on condition they would include all Zimbabweans regardless of tribe and cultural differences and particularly if the people wanted him to lead them.

The ANC was then launched on 12 September 1957 with Joshua Nkomo as president, Msika as national treasurer and James Chikerema vice-president. I had come from Marinhill High School on holiday and was a correspondent of the Bantu Mirror now the Chronicle urging Africans to rise and fight using Dr Aggrey of Africa’s statement that “we are not fowls but eagles, stretch forth your wings and fly”.

Having been a member of the South African ANC Youth League in Durban during the South African Treason trials, it was fascinating for me to learn of Msika’s ANC Youth League which led to the formation of the major ANC party.

In 1958 as Msika was the National Treasurer of ANC since its formation on 12 September 1957 he arranged and made it possible for Dr Nkomo to attend the All Africa people’s conference in Ghana which was followed by another conference in Egypt where Nkomo met and became friends with Gamal Abdul Nassar the president of Egypt.

ANC with Msika as the treasurer was part of the founding of OAU now AU hence we say Msika was indeed a Pan Africanist.

In February 1959 Msika was detained at Khami Maximum Security Prison outside Bulawayo. For the first few weeks Msika said he was scared but the spirit of nationalism and the philosophy of existentialism hardened him and was no longer afraid of imprisonment and suffering. Having been with Msika in Gonakudzingwa detention camp in 1964 I can give true testimony on the real Joseph Msika in times of adversity while in incarceration. He diverted his mind to study Constitutional Law.

He did not allow stress to affect him. He encouraged other detainees to study under the Gonakudzingwa Education Programme which I established in 1964 for political detainees. A book Darkness by noon written by a detained prisoner by Hitler made Msika and myself braver. People like Willie Musarurwa, Jane Ngwenya, Boyson Mguni and hundreds of others studied and passed their high school and degrees while in detention.

There were some detainees who wanted me to stop the education programme because Smith called it a Communist University of Crimes and they feared indefinite detention periods but Msika and Joshua Nkomo said that I must carry on. Msika’s interest in education was not only for himself, but also for others as he was fearless. I think he wanted them also to be fearless. He would say “what are they afraid of”? He said if it means being killed for learning then let it be.

Although we say Msika was fearless in fact he was afraid of lions and elephants at Gonakudzingwa. One afternoon elephants invaded the camp where Msika was with Dr Nkomo, Chinamano and Mrs Ruth Chinamano and Dan Madzimbamuto. Chinamano was the first to see the elephants and he ran to Nkomo at his hut and said “Baba tapera”.

Nkomo moved out to find Msika running to the police camp followed by Dan Madzimbamuto and Nkomo joined followed by Chinamano and last was Mrs Ruth Chinamano who was shouting at the elephants threatening to beat them up with her fists. The police eventually gave them protection and chased the elephants away.

Ruth laughed and said “Kanti anjani amadoda la, angamagwala abaleka engitshiya ngedwa emva ngitshayiNdlovu” (These men are coward; they run away leaving me alone behind fighting the elephants).

In Lusaka Zambia during the bombings of our camps at Nampundu Freedom Camp, JZ Camp, Victory Camp, Works Camp, Silowezi, Mboroma and Dr Nkomo’s House near Kaunda’s State House Msika remained calm and resolute and encouraged the ZIPRA cadres to intensify fighting.

On the afternoon of the day when Dr Nkomo’s house was to be bombed at night — intelligence information had been sent from the war front by Thomas Ngwenya now Retired Colonel Ngwenya to Cde Albert Nxele, Nkomo’s Chief Security that all leaders must vacate their houses that night. Msika said “Mabhunu acho anopenga”. He was unperturbed.

I had purchased a secret hideout for Nkomo at Gezmondene near the University of Zambia a day before at his request with the instructions that I should not tell anyone except his chief Security Albert Nxele. Nxele also did not know where the house hideout was until I took him there with other security guards with Nkomo. I earned a new title from Msika “lokhu okungumfana kuka Nkomo kuhlakaniphile”.

In Zambia from 11 years’ prison term he was involved initially in the ANC which had been formed in Zimbabwe originally to oppose the Lord Pierce Commission which would have endorsed the Rhodesian Regime’s legitimacy. Under the Lusaka declaration of 1974, Msika was chosen to represent ZAPU on the Central Committee of the ANC which was involved in the 1975 Victoria Falls Talks of détente.

Détente was meant to be “constructive engagement” by Kissinger, the American Secretary of State under President Nixon. He was at the Geneva talks and Gibroiter and at Lancaster House. Here we see a trusted clear minded political negotiator and tactician with a mission and vision for Zimbabwe. After UDI the British and Smith had their own talks on a ship known as SS Tiger which Msika denounced while in detention and he urged us to do the same — thus I sent a telegram to the ship SS tiger condemning the talks without our representation of our leaders.

After the formation of the Patriotic Front Msika was sent by the party to the United Nations and the Americas. Arrangements for his speeches were made by the PF-ZAPU representative of the United Nations Dr Callistus Dingiswayo Ndlovu after which I invited him to come to my University Syracuse University in upstate.

I had been sent by ZAPU to complete my doctorate and to return to the armed struggle from New York which I did. Dr Callistus Ndlovu opened United Nations and American Media closed doors for Msika. Msika made Americans aware not only of our Zimbabwe liberation struggle but also ANC of South Africa and Swapo.

In Syracuse the Americans had always been told of terrorists in Zambia which we also always disputed. The whole of America press ABC, CBC, New York Times, Washington Post, and the Syracuse Herald descended at Syracuse University to see the “terrorist”.

In his usual inviting personality he said I have been in political jails for 11 years fighting to liberate my country from British colonial rule just as you did during your American Revolution, then came an applause. Yes, we are getting weapons from the communists since you are refusing to give us arms. We asked you to impose sanctions on Ian Smith’s Rhodesia and you are refusing. We need your support so that we can liberate ourselves.

If you do not want we will surely liberate ourselves through the barrel of the gun. Paradoxically the same Americans who refused to impose sanctions on the illegal regime of Ian Smith have imposed sanctions on a free Zimbabwe and on Msika himself. Now America cannot ban Msika’s spirit.

Msika participated at the Lancaster House Constitutional talks. He reluctantly agreed under pressure from the Front Line States to the Constitution he called racist. After the Lancaster House Conference Msika left Zambia with me in an advance Independence Election Team which included Aaron Milner, Josiah Chinamano and Ariston Chambati.

I was Deputy Executive Secretary for PF-ZAPU elections. Msika was involved in the formation of the first unity government with ZANU after elections. He was disappointed about the 1980 election results but he accepted the people’s verdict in the election results.

During the crisis after independence Msika was seriously involved in negotiations with ZANU which he said were to bring peace, unity and development as the Zanu-PF unity logo still reads. Here is a selfless person who was concerned about the well being of the people and sovereignty of the state. After the most cherished home grown Unity Accord signed by Dr Nkomo and President Mugabe we see Msika holding various positions in the new government.

This was in keeping with his principle of forward ever backwards never and that when people agree then the agreement principles must be taken to their logical conclusion and implemented. He applied his carpentry experience in the agreement in that he insisted that the unity must be like a dovetail joint in woodwork — this is a joint which cannot be pulled apart — Equal groves of the two pieces of wood go into each other (dovetail) and cannot be separated. PF-ZAPU structures and ZANU structures merged from provinces to cells.

In the army our Ex-ZIPRA fighters were part of the National Army together with Ex-ZANLA and ex-Rhodesian fighters. Msika encouraged that. He was concerned about the need to recognise PF-ZAPU as an equal partner in the unity and about the equitable allocation of jobs.

In government as chairman of the Land Acquisition Committee he was concerned that those who were given land must be productive. He constantly stated that we were not fighting white people because they were white, but fighting them for iniquitous policies. He insisted on one person one farm and that a white farmer should be left with one farm and this had to be amended to official farm size when it was discovered that the one farm could be 10 times bigger that the four farms which he/she would have given for acquisition.

His concern for the country’s future and the role of youths was loud and clear. He said politics was like a relay where there is a button stick hand over. He urged the youths to be ready to take up the button stick as the elders’ time was up. He said he was very happy to die having not sold out and not being a sell-out. It is important to be properly oriented and to remain “consistent, persistent and persevering”. indeed Joseph Msika.

Msika accepted and was a senior unflinching revolutionary in the GPA and stressed that we can work together in the Inclusive Government for the development of our country through maintaining our different political parties. Those whom he scolded must know that was out of love for them not to go astray. Some war veterans whom he called misguided missiles must now stand guided by his advice.

May Msika’s soul rest in eternal peace.

Dr Sikhanyiso Ndlovu is a Zanu PF politburo member and a former Information Minister.