DURING THE RHODESIAN WAR

SATURDAY 29 AUGUST 1977
Second ambush in Park about 200 metres from previous ambush – occurred about 16:10

TUESDAY 27 DECEMBER 1977
Ambush on road to Shumba – somewhere between White Hills and Shapi. Beyond Shapi about 4kms.

It was a scary time for us children being between the ages of 14 and 11. We had huge grenade screens put up outside our bedrooms windows that were filled with granite chips for about ¾’s of the way up. About 1½ metres from the main bedroom window they had built a wall about ¾’s of the way up and then chicken mesh from there to the roof. In front of our entire glass doors on the verandah we had “Trojan horses” (these were wooden boxes on wheels filled with granite chips). The verandah was also enclosed in chicken mesh, and this was an ideal place for me for keep my budgie. During the day we went about our exploring without much thought for the war, but night times was fearful for me. I would be convinced that there would be terrorists sitting in the trees and they could see me from above the granite chips and were going to shoot me. If I was really scared then I would creep into the passage and grab a sleeping bag and go and sleep on the floor at the foot of Mum and Dad’s bed. I felt safe there as Dad had a revolver by his side of the bed.

Some nights though I would jump into my sister’s bed and hug her tightly and talk to her. Our conversation would go something like this:
“Did you hear that noise?” me
“Yes I did.” Karen
“What do you think it was?” me
“I don’t know.” Karen
“Can you repeat the noise?” me
Silence – then I knew that she was talking to me in her sleep and I would just hug her tighter in the hope that sleep would come back to me and the noises would go away!

When I got a little older, I was allowed to have to room at the end of the house, which was normally the guest room. I put all my toys in there and decorated for myself, BUT, I never spent one night in there, I always slept in the middle room with my sister, as I was just too scared.

Mum also decided that the spaces on the ground between the wall and the chicken mesh would be a good place to breed rabbits to sell to the staff in camp, and they would make the most awful noises during the night which would add to the idea that there were definitely terrorists out there in the dead of night.

We had am agric-alert radio in our house and there was one in the house behind us which was linked to all the farmers in the Gwaai area, which was about 35kms away. So when the alarm went off at night it set our hearts racing as you were never sure if it was right behind you or one of the farmers, as we had not learnt everyone’s call signs.

Our trips to and from Bulawayo we were supposed to join in a convoy from the Gwaai Hotel, which had an armed vehicle in the fron, the rear and one in the middle. Unfortunately, our vehicle could not always go the speed that the convoy went at, so we would go it alone, which was not always wise, because if you broke down then no-one from a convoy or individual would stop and help you. I would spend most of the 3 hour journey holding my thumbs.

Thankfully we were left alone at Main Camp, even though there were a lot of ambushes along the Victoria Falls/Bulawayo road and also in the National Park. I think we were quite lucky having the wild animals around us. There were siting’s of suspicious boot prints around Sadina pan which was at one end of the airfield, and they tracked them to the compound, but we never found them. Dad did have an informer, Umfigaroro, who would listen in to conversations of movements etc. and then let Dad know. When we had left Hwange and moved back to the Gwaai area we used to go and visit him at his home kraal and take him oil, mealie meal and sugar. In exchange he would give us baskets, drums or other items that they had made. When we left the young children of the village would love to jump on the back of the bakkie and get a ride to the end of the road.

ANOTHER GAME COUNT

We decided to do another game count and this time we were situated at the southern end of the park at Wexcau in the ‘Wild Area’ of Hwange where tourists are not allowed in their own private vehicles and covered an area of 6827 sq. km’s. They can only go there with a professional safari operator, so nice and peaceful. We borrowed a friend’s 4x4 bakkie and headed off soon after breakfast to be there in time to set up and be ready to count by 12 noon. We had ‘Aussie’ Cathy with us again.
When we arrived we decided that we would set up on the north side of the pan, even though the only big tree was a lovely Leadwood tree on the south side, it had far too much evidence of elephant rubbings on it and all the elephant paths ran off in that direction!!
We were all set and ready at 12noon in anticipation of some animals coming down to drink. Well we had a very long afternoon with absolutely nothing, so had to contend with counting birds and bugs- exciting for some of us, but not everyone in the party. We also caught up on a lot of whispered chats, reading and sipping tea to while away the hours. Sun downers came and went, and dinner and still no animals. Half the party decided they would go to sleep, so Cathy and I offered to do the first shift. We settle down next to vehicle on a tarpaulin and gazed up at the stars and chatted.

Around about 8pm when all was quiet and a few snores where heard from the bakkie an elephant bull came sauntering out of the bush opposite us for a drink. He also seemed to be enjoying the peace and quiet, as he was in no rush. It was lovely to just sit and enjoy listening to him sucking water up and the excess dropping back into the pan like a dripping tap.
When finally he decided to meander off he started heading off to the right of the pan and us. Cathy was now convinced that he was heading our way. I repeatedly kept telling her not to worry he was far away and not coming in our direction. But she was not convinced. Finally he headed into the bush and we lost sight of in the shadows cast by the moonlight.
About ten minutes later lo and behold he started coming out of the bush behind us, well you can imagine the fright we got. We both rolled under the vehicle (thankfully had high clearance) and waited for him to satisfy his curiosity as to what we were. Cathy was full of glee that she was right, but I am still convinced that she telepathically lured him our way!!

Thankfully after that the rest of the party had woken up with our commotion, so we swopped shifts and we put our heads down for a good sleep before facing a new day.
The next six hours of daylight counting did not produce much either, except for a couple of zebra!! But it was just good to be out in the bush away from phones and noise. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys the wildlife and nature.

HWANGE NATIONAL PARK

Here are some facts of Hwange, that some people might find quite interesting.



A recent study (Wetenhall 1991) found that:
1. The number of tourist doubled between 1986 and 1990
2. Tourist revenues attributed to the park have increased from ZW$3.1million in 1987 to ZW$17 million in 1991.
3. The park management budget has declined from ZW$815 thousand to ZW $688 thousand over the same period.


TOTAL NUMBER OF VISITORS PASSING THROUGH EACH OF THE 3 TOURIST CAMPS FROM 1980 – 1987 SINAMATELA

1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 TOTAL
MAIN CAMP 11132 25592 26334 20757 24867 40785 45762 41730 95682
3481 659 5134 3880 3759 9272 8694 6748 10979
ROBINS 818 914 1407 688 1394 1615 1668 1932 10436
TOTAL 15431 27165 32875 25325 30020 51072 56124 50410 117097

TOURIST REVENUE
JANUARY TO DECEMBER 1987
MAIN CAMP 302 829.53
SINAMATELLA 81 002.80
ROBINS 13 929.15

397 761.48
(Bet they can't brag about this figure anymore!!)


HISTORY OF DAM BUILDING
1936 Masuma, Mtoa 1¤ & 2¤
1938 Deteema
1951 Nantwich, Robins, Tshingahobi
1953 Mandavu, Masuma 2¤
1955 Tshompani, Gomo and Limpande
1958 Inyantue (Masuma 2 broke and was never repaired)
1965 Leasha (borehole sunk)
1971 Salt Pans
¤ = collapsed

DRILLING DATES
1969 BAOBAB 1957 LINKWASHA 1963 SECHECHE
1965 BASHA 1957 MANDUNDAMELLA 1936 SHAPI
1963 BEAVER 1970 MAHOBOTI 1936 SHUMBA
1970 BUMBUZI 1957 MAKALOLO 1 1959 SIDINA
1969 BUMBUMUTSA 1963 MAKONA 1973 SINANGA



CULLING FIGURES FOR WANKIE NATIONAL PARK

1971 1304
1972 972
1973 -
1974 698
1975 432
1976 552
1977 650
TOTAL 4608


NUMBERS OF CARNIVORES SHOT 1928 - 1933
YEAR LION LEOPARD CHEETAH HYAENA WILD DOG
1928/9 18 4 15 10
1930 5 5 9 2
1931 13 3 1 11 4
1932 3 1 1 1 14
1933 0 2 17
1934 7
1935 7
1936 2
TOTAL 55 13 2 38 47

(Nothing from 1936 to when we left in 1982!!)

RECORDS OF RHINO INTRODUCED TO WANKIE NATIONAL PARK
BLACK WHITE
1962 8
1963 40
1966/67 35
1980 5
1983 2
1984 21
1985 31
1986 34 5
TOTAL 134 47

Airstrips at : Main Camp, Cement, Robins, Sanyati, Sinamatella, Shapi, Josivanini, Shumba, Tshbema, Dandari, Umtishibi, Njekwa, Libuti.



Sorry this may bore some folk, but for the others who lived or worked in or around Hwange National Park I think they will find it quite interesting. Unfortunately, most of those rhino that were introduced have been poached by now, alot of the boreholes that were put in are not in operation any more and certainly most of the airstrips are no longer usable.

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GWAAI RIVER HOTEL

I feel that I have to mention this unique hotel, as this was where all our socialising would go on with the local farming community, which had wonderful people living in it.
The hotel was owned by Mr and Mrs Broomberg and was situated about ½ ways between Bulawayo and the Victoria Falls and had a reputation for their hospitality and ‘Gwaai pies’. From fishermen, businessmen, holiday makers and foreigners, they all had to stop to refuel, have a drink or one of their famous pies. There were also many a New Year’s Eve, birthday or impromptu party held there. The bar was filled with bank notes from all around the world and has been gazed at by millions. Mr Broomberg would always make a point of popping into the bar and having a chat with anyone who was there. If there was a big party going on, people would offer to buy him a drink and he would turn to the barman and say “I’ll have one of mine”, to which the barman would take a bottle of ‘whisky’ off the shelf and pour him a tot over ice. Not many people knew that that whisky bottle was filled with tea. I was never sure how some of the locals made it home as they had to cross the low level bridge, I am sure they did it VERY slowly with the wheels bouncing off the curb stones, as it was a single lane bridge. In the dining room there was a” Punka Walla” fan, and we used to laugh, as it would slow down, and then suddenly speed up and we would all say that someone must have given the boy a coke. It was a left over from the days when the hotel used to run on generators.

When we lived at Wankie, Mum and Dad regularly went to the hotel for the Lions meeting and had a social afterwards. Once it got to our bedtime we were made to go to sleep in the back of the car which was parked at the rear of the hotel. We hated to leave the fun, but one had to obey their parents!

A Zebra and a mule taking a drink from the pool

The children would have wild times in the swimming pool playing on a blown up tractor tube, or jumping on the trampoline, or occasionally playing a round of put-put while the adults had a Saturday afternoon of tennis.

Overlooking the pool to the bedrooms Trampoline
Most of the walls of the hotel and bedrooms were held together by love and white ants. If you knocked on the walls they sounded very hollow, and you certainly did not go there for a romantic weekend as your neighbours were bound to hear everything!

We even had President Mugabe fly in to visit the ceramic factory next door and have a cup of tea. There was great excitement, as it is not every day that one gets to see their President outside of a television box.
A lot of the farmers and later safari operators would order their supplies, anything from groceries to farm equipment, from Bulawayo and it would be transported up by RMS (Road Motor Transport, and was owned by the Railways), which would arrive on a Friday afternoon at the hotel and folk would collect their goods from there. This of course could easily lead to a social afternoon if people had nothing pressing on their agenda.
I did go back and visit the site in 2010, and remember all the happy memories of the hotel, and thought well that chapter of our lives is over and we are all now in a new one.

Part Iii of Our 2010 Zimbabwe Trip Slideshow: Elizabeth’s trip to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe was created by TripAdvisor. See another Victoria Falls slideshow. Create a free slideshow with music from your travel photos.

KATE'S VIEW OF OPERATION SLINGSHOT

Yes I had only been married three weeks and adjusting to living in this out of the way station with
just my husband.  I was terrified at having to cook for my husband on a wood stove having been used to electric stoves - never mind having our first two guests coming to stay.  But the two people coming were wonderful people and could not have been more hospitable – they ate everything that I
produced, which gave me some courage to carry on with my cooking!  I was now trying to make bread for the first time.  For some reason I was having to use eggs and milk.  Well the bread came
out beautifully but when your nearest shop was miles away and in my day you could not just jump into a vehicle and drive there I was limiting the amount used.  The eggs were also to be used for
breakfast and of course the milk for tea so there were not wasted amount available.     This upset everyone as a new loaf of bread was Moorish and everyone would have liked to have eaten both
loaves in one sitting.  I also did not want to spend my time in the kitchen cooking as I would much rather have been out with the boys seeing how the sling shot went.

Our house on the Lundi  was very near the river, and we had an almost 180’ degree view of the river,
with the most beautiful BIG trees.  No fence at all, so no flowers as they would have been eaten by the game - so there was just grass right down to the edge of the river which was nicely mowed
by the hippo that came up every night to check there was no long patches. The elephant use to also come around the house and eat the fruit from the Cordila, and see what else was available.

As Mike described excitement of the chase, the heart-pumping, anxiety of the stalk were all VERY
true but it did sort of get  me over the fear of elephant and I began to find it great fun and was learning fast about stalking , making no noise, escaping behind a tree trunk and praying you would
not be seen or smelled.   Especially on the 14^th when the old bull charged!  I just stopped thinking and froze and don’t know what I would have done if Boyd’s voice hadn’t changed the bulls mind and he changed course.  When the other 3 elephant turned up and now there were 6, well I died!   All I can remember was crouching down nearby in the reeds and just seeing a huge body emerging, then legs going off away from me and hearing a noise behind me and on the side.  Then quiet…. which was just as terrifying as you didn’t know what was happening or if the elephant were still there.  I had very wobbly legs, and was shaking like a leaf for quite awhile after it all.   This was one of the first encounters with elephant and I had had and certainly not the last.  I learnt a very healthy
respect for these gently grey giants.

It was sad to say goodbye to our two friends.

OPERATION SLINGSHOT

Chief Prison Officer Jack Harris and the Author recently embarked on an elephant marking expedition under the aegis of the Department of Wild Life Conservation, having as the main item in their arsenal an experience mental slingshot, manufactured in the prison workshops.  For this slingshot the
Department and all those concerned wish to record their most sincere thanks to the technical officers and others who helped in its manufacture.

An uneventful journey of some 400 miles saw us at our destination; the house of Wild Life Conservation Officer Boyd Reese and his charming bride of three weeks.  There in extreme confirm and enjoying an excellent cuisine, we girded ourselves for the fray.

On the morning of the 9^th September we sighted our first jumbo; 4 bulls, no further than 1½ miles from the breakfast table.  We approached to within 8 yards of them, and had our first attempt with the slingshot.  Unfortunately the padding parted at the seating area of the paint filled electric globe, causing this missile to break before leaving the weapon.  The brass portion did however fly true, and hit the target.

I must digress for a moment for the benefit of readers not acquainted with our rather novel weapon or the reason for its use.  Visualise a powerful catapult mounted on a cross bow stock which hurls a paint filled globe with considerable velocity.  This globe, on striking the target, breaks, the consequence being an admirable paint emblazoned animal.  An easy identification mark is afforded enabling researchers to study migration and breeding habit and to ascertain whether the herds break and reform into new units or remain as the same herd.

After our first unsuccessful attempt we approached to within 20 yards of some hippopotami and threw by hand a globe which broke on the water a scant 5 yards short of the target.

Returning home we re-glued and re-sewed the padding of the slingshot.

While having afternoon tea on the verandah, 3 bull elephants were seen feeding into the Lundi River.  A cry of action stations 1, a further painstaking stalk, and another globe fired from a range of some 10 yards at a bull feeding in some reeds.  The glove flew strongly, but missed target by some 6 feet.  A little more stalking, followed by another shot at 20 yards.  This shot missed by but a few inches.  The globe having all the force and speed that could be desired.  The jumbo by now being alarmed, they ran off, stopping on the opposite bank near to the house.  Again the excitement of the chase, the heart pumping anxiety of the stalk, and then the disappointment of the shot going 6 feet wide.  No disturbance the reloading of the slingshot, and the last missile of the day fired.  This one was on target, but 2 yards short.  Consolation, though, the globe did break with sufficient force to spatter a few small spots on the elephant’s right hind leg.

We decided on the 11^th, to mark and film hippo.  Shortly after setting off an African Game Scout brought tidings of a deformed hippo.  Previous attempts had been made to despatch this animal, and Mr Boyd Reese was elated to hear that it was now sunning itself in an easily accessible spot on a sand bank.

Proceeding cautiously and noiselessly along the Lundi on our errand of mercy, we overheard Africans
talking in the vernacular.  Our command for them to be quiet had surprising results, for it caused the noisy ones to flee wildly.  Our suspicions were aroused; we pursued them and after a hectic chase through he reed beds of the river one hapless victim was apprehended; a ‘piccanini’ of about 10 years old.  Questioning elicited the information that he was one of a party of three poachers; he showed us the carcass of a freshly killed buck.  This youngster was sent off under the escort of a Game Scout to bring in the other members of his party; an uncle and a brother.  These three were
eventually sent for trial on a charge of poaching in a game reserve.

Shortly after the original object of our search, the deformed hippo, was sighted, and efficiently despatched by Boyd Reese.  While awaiting the arrival of African skinners we had the extreme good fortune to view in it’s entirely a savage and thrilling fight between two massive hippo bulls not more than 15 yards away.  Not only to witness it, but also to record this savage battle on film.

While breakfasting on the 14^th, we sighted 3 jumbo bulls in the river bed.  Due to the erratic behaviour of the slingshot we decided to revert to the older method of throwing the marking globes by hand.

After a most exciting approach to within 10 yards of a large bull, I took careful aim and threw a globe with considerable force.  This struck the bull on the ear, but failed to break.  The impact, however, alarmed him considerably, and he wheeled and charged straight at us.  Boyd Reese and I, using an old trick, spoke to him, calling him, among other things a ‘silly old fool’.  The power of the human voice once again proved effective and jumbo turned and made off.  I threw another globe, this time with success, for it broke and marked the elephant low down inside his right leg, giving our first real mark.

The noise caused by these proceedings alarmed the rest of the herd, and we were somewhat disconcerted to see 6 elephants break cover where we had reckoned on only three.

These 6 crossed the river and our merry pursuit was rewarded by us finding them standing quietly but tightly bunched.  Another glove was thrown and an effective mark noted.  But unfortunately,
on the same animal as that which I had just previously marked.

Some two hours later this young bull was sighted feeding, brilliantly marked with his 2 splashed of paint.  Later in the day, at about 4pm we sighted a herd of 12 bull elephant and again set off with hope high in our breasts.  Approaching to within 10 yards we threw another globe, this time marking a large bull on his left hip, near the spinal ridge.  He ran off a few yards, and our elation was most marked until we turned and saw the rest of the herd stalking us in much the same way as we had stalked our recent target.  Amongst this herd was ‘our’ young bull, proudly displaying his two badges of paint.  A globe thrown at very close range gave us our third mark, this on a large bull with
tusks of at least 60-70lbs.  A while later a herd of 30 odd cows was sighted and 5 globes in all thrown at them.  These 5 globes marked successfully 3 cows; perhaps our most encouraging result.

Having to return to our daily chores in Salisbury prison, we regretfully bade our charming hosts farewell, and so turned our backs on a most enjoyable interlude devoted to the furtherance of science and wild life conservation on the banks of the Lundi River.

Written by the Late Mike Van Rooyen who was a friend of the family.