Gibson Mhaka — For Mr Shepherd Madanhire (93) from Gokwe North's Matambo Village under Chief Chireya, a former prison guard who served under the Rhodesia Prison Service and courageously risked his life to protect political prisoners, notably President Mnangagwa, during their time at Khami Remand Prison, the forthcoming Independence Day celebrations carry a profound meaning.
He views the upcoming Uhuru celebrations as a pivotal opportunity, representing a chance to finally fulfill his long-cherished wish: to reunite with his former inmate, now the President of Zimbabwe, after 53 years.
Mr Madanhire, born on March 9, 1932, and President Mnangagwa first met around 1967 when Zimbabwe's first citizen was serving a life sentence at Khami Remand Prison. President Mnangagwa and other prisoners of his ilk were, at that time, classified by the regime as "most dangerous terrorists".
They were isolated from other prisoners in a special section of single cells and automatically placed in the infamous "D" category.
They were the proverbial bad apples that the regime feared would spoil the bunch if they were allowed to mingle with other prisoners.
The President had been arrested in Salisbury's Highfield Township in 1965 for being part of the Crocodile Gang that carried out sabotage activities against the Rhodesian regime after receiving military training in China.
As preparations for the forthcoming Independence Day celebrations at Nembudziya Growth Point in Gokwe North gain momentum, Zimpapers Politics Hub delved into its archives, seeking hidden gems from the district, and fortunately managed to contact Mr Madanhire, who is indisputably one of Gokwe's unsung heroes.
This remarkable individual played a courageous role in the liberation struggle by risking his life by smuggling letters and vital information from political prisoners like President Mnangagwa during his time at Khami Prison.
In a telephone interview, Mr Madanhire expressed immense excitement upon learning that the Independence Day celebrations would be held at Nembudziya Growth Point, particularly because his former Khami Remand Prison inmate, President Mnangagwa, would be leading the national event.
Despite his advanced age, he fervently prayed that the commemorations would present the perfect opportunity to reunite with his erstwhile inmate.
He reminisced about their lighter moments behind bars, sharing anecdotes of their unlikely friendship, and expressed a long-held desire to meet the President since he became Zimbabwe's number one citizen.
"It has always been my long-held wish to meet President Mnangagwa since he became President. I first met him many years ago, when he was an inmate at Khami Remand Prison in 1967, where he was incarcerated.
"When I heard that the Independence Day celebrations would be held at Nembudziya Growth Point, I was very excited.
"This is something we have cherished, and we never expected such an event to happen in Gokwe. Many thanks to President Mnangagwa for bringing the celebrations to Gokwe, which is often regarded as a backward district," said Mr Madanhire.
He said that despite his old age and difficulties walking, he believed that if he received assistance with transport to Nembudziya, he would consider it the perfect opportunity to meet President Mnangagwa again.
"I had been trying to engage some party officials (ZANU PF) from the constituency to assist me in meeting him, but without success. However, I believe that since he is coming to Nembudziya Growth Point to lead the independence celebrations, if I manage to get transport, it will be a perfect opportunity to meet him.
"Despite the good relationship we had, it was unfortunate that I couldn't bid him farewell, as my job and life were at risk. I have not met him since the 1960s. My long-cherished wish is to meet him. It would be truly wonderful to meet him and reminisce," he said.
In an earlier interview at his rural home in April 2022, Mr Madanhire shared part of the story of President Mnangagwa's long years behind bars, during which he served a life sentence for contravening Section 37 (1) (b) of the notorious Law and Order Maintenance Act.
"It was around 1967 when I came face-to-face with a young Emmerson Mnangagwa. I was a prison guard at Khami Maximum Security Prison, where he was serving a life sentence. I met him through one of my relatives, Ishmael Dube, who was also a political prisoner there. The two -- Emmerson and Ishmael -- were friends.
"When I first met the young Emmerson Mnangagwa, I was immediately taken by his ready smile and the gentleness in his eyes. He was down-to-earth and courteous," Mr Madanhire said then.
An elder with an encyclopaedic knowledge of all landmarks in the Rhodesia Prison Service, Mr Madanhire said he had too many stories to tell about President Mnangagwa, adding that the President's experiences at Khami Prison deserve to be in a book.
"Not many prison officers during that time can say they shook hands with him. Very few have encountered him personally since he was classified by the regime as most dangerous," he said.
"I saw his suffering and near desperation when I used to stand behind him during the few visits his relatives were allowed and I could also see the anguish in him each time I talked to him or deliver a letter from his relatives and friends. After a while, even though he was a political prisoner, a friendship grew between us. It was a friendship behind bars and I never dreamt that one day he was going to be the country's President".
He also details how he came to do "favours" for President Mnangagwa, smuggling his letters from prison, which were demonising the colonial regime and posting them.
Mr Madanhire broke the rules to allow President Mnangagwa to communicate with relatives while he was behind bars.
"One of the most cruel rules was that prisoners should never write or receive letters containing subversive statements. Inmates were initially prohibited from writing about prison conditions. But he (President Mnangagwa) could write and receive such letters through me. At times, he was worried that I would get caught and be punished.
"It was quite a risky exercise, and I didn't want many people to know about this. It was also one of my main duties to censor the letters that were being written by political prisoners. I also accommodated his relatives at my house whenever they came to visit him," explained Mr Madanhire.
"I would also smuggle newspaper cuttings into cells of these political prisoners so that they could read about the liberation struggle," he added.
Mr Madanhire said many ex-political prisoners who were serving their jail sentences together with President Mnangagwa remembered him from their time inside as one of those rare phenomena: a prison officer with a heart.
"Other political prisoners I remember very well who served during the same time with him (President Mnangagwa) are Boniface Madzimbamuto, John Mashakada, John Mukoko, Saunders Mahwite and Ishmael Dube, who I said was his close friend," said Mr Madanhire.
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He said he also connected a lot of political prisoners to some charitable organisations that helped them pay for their studies.
Mr Madanhire who retired in the late 70s, showed off a medal he was given upon his retirement from the Rhodesia Prison Service. It is one of his most prized possessions.
He said that before he retired, he had asked for a transfer from Khami Prison to Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison after one of the prison officers discovered that he was allowing letters from political prisoners to pass without being censored.
To show that he is a decades-long admirer of President Mnangagwa, Mr Madanhire also showed off the poster of President Mnangagwa for the 2018 Harmonised Elections, which was hanging on the walls of his living room.
He also narrated how the Smith regime was ruthless to political prisoners, with some being hanged in a barbaric fashion.
"Political prisoners like President Mnangagwa were ill-treated. The living conditions were terrible, and the cells were too small and we would allow them outside early in the morning for very few minutes for exercise and bathing.
"During those few minutes, they were also expected to clean their toilet buckets. This is one of the reasons I risked my life smuggling letters for these political prisoners who were so determined that one day they would fight white rule in the country," said Mr Madanhire.
He said that although he was a prison guard, he loved politics.
Mr Madanhire seemed to have resigned to the fact that life is a just a clock that is counted down until one finally gives up and breathes his or her last. His wife Herena died in 2005. Four of his eight children are also late.
The old man lives with his grandchildren.
