A former ZPRA combatant described surviving a 1978 Rhodesian military assault on Mkushi Camp in Zambia that killed dozens of female fighters. Neddie Sibanda said she hid beneath a boulder near the Mkushi River while soldiers shot fleeing guerrillas and used bayonets to check bodies. She remained motionless among the casualties for nine hours until darkness allowed escape to a nearby homestead.
Rhodesian forces deployed helicopter gunships and paratroopers against the training facility on October 19 of that year. Sibanda said aircraft bombed the kitchen area where recruits waited for meals before setting fires to channel survivors toward ambush positions. She fled with other women toward the river as explosions destroyed the compound.
The attack began around 11 that morning, following an earlier raid on Freedom Camp. Sibanda sustained hand injuries from shrapnel fragments and later received treatment at Makeni. Rhodesian intelligence apparently tracked survivors to that location, prompting ZPRA to establish protective patrols around the area.
Rhodesian forces deployed helicopter gunships and paratroopers against the training facility on October 19 of that year. Sibanda said aircraft bombed the kitchen area where recruits waited for meals before setting fires to channel survivors toward ambush positions. She fled with other women toward the river as explosions destroyed the compound.
The attack began around 11 that morning, following an earlier raid on Freedom Camp. Sibanda sustained hand injuries from shrapnel fragments and later received treatment at Makeni. Rhodesian intelligence apparently tracked survivors to that location, prompting ZPRA to establish protective patrols around the area.
