Скачать или смотреть Rekayi Tangwena: The Brave Rebel Chief Who Changed Zimbabwe’s History

The route was treacherous: hidden mountain paths snaked along the Gairezi River, through dense forests and steep ravines patrolled by Rhodesian forces. Tangwena's intimate knowledge of the terrain—gleaned from generations of herding and hunting—proved invaluable. They evaded checkpoints by crossing streams barefoot, whispering in the dark to avoid detection. At one point, Rhodesian soldiers nearly intercepted them, but Tangwena's scouts diverted the patrol with decoy fires. Mugabe, the scholarly intellectual, and Tekere, the fiery organizer, relied entirely on Tangwena's ingenuity. "We walked like ghosts," Tekere later recounted in his memoir, crediting Tangwena's feigned falls to scout ahead without suspicion.

Mbuya Tangwena, ever the pillar, had urged her husband forward, preparing food packets and rallying the community to silence.After two grueling days, they crossed into Mozambique, reaching ZANLA camps where Mugabe would consolidate power. This escape was no minor feat; it prevented Mugabe's likely assassination or arrest, allowing him to emerge as ZANU's leader at the Mgagao Conference in 1976. Tangwena's act escalated the war, funneling recruits through his border networks. Rhodesian reprisals followed—raids on Tangwena villages—but the chief remained elusive, a phantom in the hills. His bravery bridged traditional leadership and modern nationalism, proving that ordinary chiefs could alter history's course.