Harare — IT IS Friday October 23. The time is 10pm. A dark cloud hovers above Mashonaland Central, the cradle of the country's liberation struggle.

The province has lost one of its gallant sons, a true liberation fighter, a hero not by sheer declaration but by the inherent zest to see the country prosper under black majority rule.

His name: Cde Misheck Takaedza Chando.

The name "Chando" is, however, not that familiar with the Mashonaland Central populace but his nom de guerre (Chimurenga name) Cde Makasha certainly is.

"Makasha" is a Shona term for a container in which bullets are packed before they are fed into the gun magazine.

The nation has lost Cde Makasha, a warrior whose bushy beard was reminiscent of yet another gallant son of Mash Central, Cde Border Gezi.

Cde Makasha's contribution to the country's liberation is legendary. Born on February 12, 1941 in Murehwa's Jacob Village, Cde Makasha started Sub A at Jacob Primary School in 1953.

In 1956 he transferred to Murehwa Primary School where he did Standards 2 to 4.

Financial woes forced the family to move him to Chiveri Farm Boarding School in Bindura where he completed Standards 5 and 6.

At the school, his opposition for the racist and repressive minority rule began to emerge and he dropped out when school authorities made black pupils learn two hours a day and spend the rest of the day doing manual labour.

At 21, Cde Makasha joined Zapu while he worked in Harare.

While at work, he began organising war collaborators to operate in Highfield and Mbare.

The war collaborators blockaded roads with large stones, dustbins, poles and pipes to register their disgruntlement with the colonial regime.

The British South Africa Police got information that Cde Makasha was the brains behind the blockades and immediately launched a manhunt for him.

He, however, escaped the BSAP jaws and went to his rural home in Shamva where he continued his work as an organiser.

Cde Makasha was instrumental in disrupting farming activities of Rhodesian settlers and was eventually arrested along with six colleagues.

They were taken to Mashambanhaka Police Camp in Uzumba and later moved to Manyika and Murehwa police camps where they were subjected to severe torture before being released.

His struggle for freedom did not end there and in 1971 he joined Zanu.

Cde Makasha, together with other collaborators went to Hoya, Muzarabani, where he met Cdes James Bond, Chivero, Tsanangura and Kid Mawrong-wrong near Hoya Primary School.

They informed them about a group of five police officers who were cycling near Mbwedzi Village in search of the comrades.

This led to an ambush in which all the five BSAP policemen were captured.

A sellout informed the Rhodesian forces that Cde Makasha and his friend, identified as Mhembere, had led the freedom fighters -- labelled terrorists -- to the capture of the policemen.

Cdes Makasha and Mhembere were arrested and taken to Centenary Police Station where they were tortured for a week.

In the second week, they were taken to Gutsa Police Camp in Muzarabani where a policeman who had known Cde Makasha from Murehwa told them they were to be handed over to the firing squad.

They managed to escape the police at night and immediately crossed into Mozambique where they were received by Frelimo district party chairman Cde Fernando of Kadunje Village.

He told them to wait there until the comrades passed through the village, which took about eight days.

The comrades took them to Zambia's Chifombo Camp where Cde Makasha completed six-week "chimbi-chimbi" training before he started operating along the Zambezi River as section commander for about one-and-a-half months.

In 1972 together with Cde Josiah Magama Tongogara and Cde Robson Manyika, he was transfered to Mgagao in Tanzania for further military training along with 150 others.

In 1975, Cde Makasha, whose section also comprised present Vice President Cde Joice Mujuru, went to Chimoio and received Cde Mugabe, Edgar Tekere and the late Chief Rekayi Tangwena.

In 1976 the High Command declared three provinces of operation, namely Gaza, Manica and Tete in Mozambique.

He was deployed to Gaza where he was involved in a battle that left him critically injured and he was taken to Maputo Military Hospital.

Cde Makasha was bed-ridden there for eight months and President Mugabe visited him at least once a week.

On his discharge from hospital, he was assigned to Chimoio Headquarters where he was to be deputy camp commander under the now late Cde Peter Chibaya.

He was later appointed camp commander for Tembwe in Tete Province and later commanded Maroro, Fingwe and Doroi camps.

Cde Makasha played a leading role in the setting up of Nyadzonia Camp in Manica Province.

He was later moved to Tembwe Camp in Tete where he assumed the role of camp commander.

In 1979, during the ceasefire, he was assigned to remain with 250 comrades in Tembwe Camp so that he and others would maintain graves for some of the fighters buried there.

He stayed there for one-and-a-half years.

After independence he was elected deputy secretary for Zanu-PF's Mashonaland Central Province and became a member of the National Consultative Assembly.

He was elected Senator in last year's elections, a position he held until his untimely death last Friday.

Cde Chando is survived by two wives and 18 children, 11 boys and seven girls.

May his soul rest in eternal peace.