@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo Thanks Jairosi, I was one of the men who served in that DRC mission and yes, lost many young men...it was a senseless war then and now. I will do a thread about the roles of the key individuals who looted. How Manyame airbase became one of the busiest transit points for diamonds.
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo Dear colleagues, friends, followers and foes...the thread I promised about the DRC war will be unrolled today on this platform from 16:00. Apologies for the long wait I was hard pressed at and with work.
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 1) In this thread I will cover the following as first hand experience as a military officer in that war.Will summarize casualties I personally knew, equipment lost, 🔑 operational commanders, those captured, who benefited, areas of operation, what was promised,what happened after
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 2) I was deployed into the DRC at the beginning of Zim intervention&was involved till the end. I operated in different high intensity battle areas including Kinshasa,Kilembe,Kilime&Kamina. Whilst I don’t have actual figures of casualties, there are people I name here who knew
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 3) these people include Dr Gova from Manyame airbase then, he was one of the few people responsible for the wounded returnees from the front as well as certifying them as confirmed dead. There were over 45 young men and women who were injured that I personally witnessed.
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 4)I will get to the key casualties and key commanders in a moment but allow me to digrace and detail the equipment hired, used and lost during the war. Contrary to popular belief the Zim military went into DRC with patchy artillery for ground war fare&air defense. Hired/purchased
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 5)Russian made elision aircraft&Russian autonov over and above our local fighter jets-hawk hunters+MIGG22. For example, a whole team led by Brig Mashingaidze lost a lot after countered&had to come through Zambia&back. AFZ lost 1 fighter jet,one Casa 212 transporter plane all crew
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 6)died. For the fighter jet, Ensilin ejected. Also lost one chopper either an Agushta Bell or MII Helicopter. I am no finical guru or accountant but these losses were quite a quantum and Kabila promised to compensate for these equipment and personnel losses. Now to the casualties
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 7)first the key operational commanders. Contrary to popular belief, the SB Moyo&Chiwengas weren’t instrumental in this war, the real strategists were Gen Nyambuya et al. On the ground the real heroes that commanded operations were Brig Kufa who died in operation,Brig Tigwe Moyo,
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 8) who later died from war wounds after the war, Brig Kachana all from ZNA. From AFZ the key commanders were SQN LDR Ranga(Pilot), FLT LT Michael Ensilim (Pilot), SQN LDR Vundhla (Pilot), SQN LDR Atkinson (Pilot),&SQN Mamvura (Signals). Of these key figures, SQN LDR Vundhla died
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 9) with Brig Kufa,W/O Kundiona, FS Mandizvidza. 1 SGT whose name I forgot was captured and repatriated to Zim after the war&was promoted to W/O. He couldn’t shed light on what happened to Brig Kufa and SQN LDR Vundhla and this was kept a top secret by the Zim military to date.
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo It is important though to note that there were a lot of inconsistencies on how we lost these two key leaders, with suspicion that they were sold out as collateral to allow safe passage for some seniors who were holed-up.I don’t have true facts on what happened exactly just rumors
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 11) forgot to number the previous one 10. Of all the key personnel that I worked with directly, dead or alive today, only SQN LDR Vundhla’s remains have never been recovered or unknown. I made some subtle noise about it as a minority ethnic member but couldn’t do much for fear of
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 12) being court martialed, SB Moyo was one of those who silenced me. Now we shift to those who benefited and what Kabila pledged to Zim. The top brass in the army and air force were largely involved in stitching and negotiating deals for the compensation that DRC pledged. At one
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 13) time, the trusted Commander from ZNA did not hand over the briefcase full of diamonds as was the norm to the Aid De Camp, instead, he gave him a pistol. This was a result of the middle chain who felt benefits were only accruing to the top Generals and the Minister then, ED.
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 14)Now to the diamonds. Kabila’s team paid Zim with briefcase loads of pure diamonds. A private jet would land at airport and signaled to Manyame airbase to deliver the briefcase. At one time the Minister then @edmnangagwa also chartered a jet with diamonds which were never
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 15) accounted. To this day, soldiers at Manyame airbase were left baffled. But what did Kabila promise the Zim Gvt and soldiers? I was there when Kabila committed and pledged the following: either a house, car or USD 15k to each soldier ZNA&AFZ whether at the front or rear. This
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 16) was just a bonus for serving Kinshasa from the rebels. This never materialized although Kabila’s people confirmed that diamonds were delivered enough to cover these minor costs. At the retreat done at the National Sports Stadium,mostly ZNA guys asked about that money from DRC
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 17) the senior Commanders including SB Moyo, promised to look into it and also threatened those who raised this issue for not following proper channels. As predicted, most of the vocal friends were framed and condemned to detention barracks. Three of them disappeard. A song was
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 18) compiled by Cdes to this effect, and those who were with us know that song, @MinisterSBMoyo do you remember that song too? The commanders then hatched a plan to pay bearer Cheques to all rank and file who participated in the war. A few received the payment through FBC and by
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 19) the time I left service, thanks to a scholarship I earned, the commanders decided not to pay the full amount pledged by Kabila claiming that the soldiers will become ungovernable and resign enmasse, this was used as an excuse not to pay those who were forced to go to war
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo But what happened to the diamond mines, the famous OSLEG? I had one opportunity to accompany colleagues FLT LT Sibanda and Wing Commander Moyo from AFZ who were working/administering a diamond mine in Mbujimai. They told me up to five brief cases full of clear diamonds were
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 21) forgot to number the previous one as 20. The diamonds were delivered weekly and later once monthly. And to date the diamond mines are still operating without accounting to Treasury. In the next series of threads later today, I will give you my best and worst moments in DRC
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 22) the key battles, some unsung heroes whose military prowess was outstanding unlike the arm-chair strategists who became popular for announcing the coup 😂😂😂😂. Till then, let me take a short break and will commence from this thread after my break. Thank you for reading.
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 23) I am back. The other colleague who was captured and killed movie style was Brig T Moyo.WG CDR Anele Moyo& FLT LT Abednigo Sibanda stayed long in DRC and were not changed at all till 2003/4. Sibanda is now working in Min of Fin, used to be base accountant at Manyame Airbase
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 24) I enjoyed the battles of Kinshasa,Tense and Kamina. The area around the Congo River bridge was a site of intense warfare. That’s the place which brought the war to an end. Planes cldnt go over&bomb without refueling, it would be a long journey. So locomotives were welded onto
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 25) the bridge to prevent any passage for resupply and that was the death of airfare. Enters the soft spoken elderly Wasu from ZNA. The legendary marksman from our team was Wasu and he saved our lives. It was nightfall with no airsupport across the Congo River. Wasu requested we
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 26) lie down behind him and he will be the only one shooting. That day Zim airforce lost 3 cargo planes, but Wasu caused enemy fatalities in the dark, we counted 14 by day-break. Aingoputa mbanje dzake then each time he clicked his fingers, he signaled danger and shoot thereafter
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 27) Wasu was so experienced he could see or detect sound by direction and distance...in the dark. He told us he had served in the Mozambique war and liberation struggle. He said his biggest misfortune was limited education but the shefu’s respected him too. Back to the big night
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 28) Wasu would shoot and assure us that as long as we kept lying low, the enemy is exposed and he can detect them. There were moments I thought of defying him and move but his assurances were so softly and comforting. I remember when one member questioned him, Wasu said enda but
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 30) urikufa. The guy stayed and we all thanked Wasu by daybreak when we learnt about the capture and death of our men and Namibian guys in another group. It was sombre we couldn’t eat our rations that day. We never spoke as a group and it was sad when I had to leave the group to
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 31) focus on reassignment as reconnaissance and counter surveillance first in Goma (between DRC&Rwanda) to understand the supply operations of the Rwandan military. Then I moved after gathering enough intel to Mpondwe and Bunagana,border towns between DRC and Uganda to understand
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 32) Uganda military supply routes and logistics into DRC. I relayed information to our guys mostly in Shona. Now why I left the military? Apart from being worn out by losing friends in the war, I was frustrated by being sidelined for promotions simply because I belonged to an
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 33) ethnic minority, I would waltz all the exams they ever presented to me but they always found technicalities. There is huge tribalism in the Zim military which is so hedgemonic. The Zezuru and Karanga crew hold sway especially when it comes to promotions&postings as military
@MJairosi @edmnangagwa @MinisterSBMoyo 34) attaches and aid de camps etc.The very intelligent within the system are frustrated out or condemned to places like Suri Suri in Chegutu and other places.The key clans or families that controled the system then were the Shiri/Zimondi/Chamunokara, then Chiwengas. The end 4 now
