07/08/2025
*Battle of Ratanyane*
Mphini Tshabalala was born Adam Dube in Ratanyane under Chief Nyangazonke in Matobo and crossed to join the struggle in 1972 . He trained in Morogoro in Tanzania and was deployed in the Northern front under Todd Mpisi ( Peter Ndebele) .
When the Southern front was opened Mphini Tshabalala was given twenty nine men to open the front in the Southern part of the country.In his group he had people like Vasco, Dubies Magedleni ( not Thambolenyoka) in Mdubani from Makokwe, Gwanda, Makwesha Nyathi from Siboza in Gwanda, Richard Galawudo from Wenlock in Gwanda and others.
Mphini since he was from matobo in was deployed Beitbridge but could travel the whole region inspecting his troops .He once fought in the battle of Tjehondo in Matobo while he was on a regional tour inspecting the troops .
In february 1979 Mphini went to Botswana to give reports when in Botswana he learnt there was a group of 120 ZPRA convectional troops to be deployed Mberengwa and beitbridge and Mphini was to take them to their operation areas.
It said a guerilla called Nox told the Phelandaba crew that they must tell other cdes in Kafusi their commander wants to meet them in Homestead in Matobo and it is suspected that there was a Rhodesian agent who phoned the Smith soldiers and told them about the coming of the regional commander and the same night on 9 February 1979 Rhodesian troops deployed the whole area of southern Matobo including Gohole, Matshilo, Homestead, Mashumba and neighbouring areas.
In the morning on Saturday there was contact in Gogole etswayini village between the ZPRA convectional troops and Rhodesian troops and the ZPRA repelled the Rhodesian attack.
After the battle they diverted southwest and did not go to the GP in Homestead village and in the night of Friday Mphini came and on Sunday morning he failed to find the 120 ZPRA convectional troops and also missed the guerillas from Kafusi who included the zonal commander Jabulani Sibasa pseudonym Mgugiselwa Mahlangu and Tom pseudonym Maqhageni who had slept on the southern part of Ratanyane hill and wake at in the morning and went westward.
After failing to find those cdes Mphini with his troops numbering 12 went eastwards not knowing that the Rhodesian troops were on the hill observing everything.They settled near the stream which was near Ratanyane dip tank for cover.
One cde went to organise food from the villagers and returned to the base Few minutes after his return the Rhodesian air force attacked and it is said the guerillas shot down a helicopter and the battle took nearly 8 hours and ten ZPRA guerillas died including Mphini himself and two were left including cde Khanda who I heard is from Plumtree and the one I have forgotten his name.
Through my research I managed to find three cdes who were in the 120 group and one is July Moyo from Plumtree,a Nyathi man from Gwanda north and a khumalo man I only know as Sa Edwin from Mareyi near number 3 tank near Lubhangwe in ward one in matobo
