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Freedom Mupanedemo-Midlands Bureau

WHEN a slim-built young man walked into the campus at University of Zambia around mid-August 1973, a group of students at the then revered institution of higher learning were soon to congregate around him upon realising it was Emmerson Mnangagwa.

He had just been released from serving a 10-year jail term and had come to enrol at the University of Zambia to complete his law studies.

He was a big name, a name which had been broadcast on various radio and television stations: a name which had been written all over the newspapers across the region.

He had made a huge name for himself as a Zimbabwean in particular and the Southern region at large was seized with the liberation struggle.

And Cde Pritchard Zhou was among the group of students from Zimbabwe who had to congregate and stampede to greet the young Mnangagwa who had just enrolled with the university.

They were to then get along very well until today that Cde Zhou is still proud to be associated with the Head of State and Government to the extent of referring to each other as young and elder brother.

They are also neighbours at their farms in Sherwood block in Kwekwe as their association and companionship has grown in leaps and bounds.

“As students from Zimbabwe, we constituted the bigger group of foreigners at the University of Zambia and we were very happy and excited to know that the gallant man had just arrived and enrolled with the University of Zambia. 

“We congregated around him together with some students from Zambia. It was a special moment for us Zimbabweans as we were excited to meet a man who had already made headlines everywhere,” said Cde Zhou.

Cde Zhou said at the time when President Mnangagwa arrived at the University of Zambia, the trending news then was that he had just been released from jail in Zimbabwe and had been deported to Zambia.

“So seeing him and meeting him the day when everyone was just talking about him with his name trending across the media platforms was something great,” he recalled.

This is how Cde Zhou first met with the President at the University of Zambia in 1973 where they then spent two years together as fellow students.

Cde Zhou was, however, to remain at the university for a couple of years as he pursued a second degree after the President graduated.

He still remembers the memorable times together with the decorated war cadre as they would follow him to his hostel after lectures to learn more about the liberation struggle, which he was well versed in.

“In fact, President Mnangagwa was the one who taught all the students at the University of Zambia how the war was being fought and how the party structures were mobilising and organising,” he said.

Added Cde Zhou: “I was part of the group of Zimbabwean students that were together with the President in university. We were very lucky to be his fellow students. Yes, we were young boys then who had just come out of high school, small boys with no credentials to show and he had already achieved many successes. He had been trained as a freedom fighter, he had operated in the country and his name was published in various newspapers across the region and we were very lucky to be associated with him.”

He recalled that the issue of the liberation struggle was a hot topic then and President Mnangagwa became the source of information about the struggle.

“It was a critical year and years of instability so after lectures we would follow the President from the dining hall to his hostel room where we would ask all the questions about the war. He was very cooperative, eager to make us comprehend where we were coming from and where the country was going. We also got to ask how he got arrested and his experiences in prison. It was just like he had become a political lecturer to us,” he said.

Cde Zhou described President Mnangagwa as a very humble and approachable man, even in his earlier days as he would accommodate anyone in his hostel. 

He remembers the President’s approachability and openness, which made it very difficult for one to claim he was his friend.

“During the university days, I don’t remember any person who would claim to be President Mnangagwa’s personal friend because he was very friendly and accommodative to everyone.

“Despite the age difference, he could accommodate everyone, allowing all of us into his hostel, we would chat, discuss and ask every question, some personal and he was just open.

“We all referred to him as Mkoma and no one claimed to be a personal friend, we were all close to him as he was also very close to everyone despite the age differences,” he said.

Cde Zhou remembers the following year the President married and all the students at the University of Zambia attended his wedding ceremony in Mumbwa, a town in the Central Province of Zambia, lying on the Great West Road.

“The whole group of students from the university went to Mumbwa and we celebrated with him.”

Cde Zhou said President Mnangagwa was exempted from other modules and he spent only two-years at the University of Zambia before he left for Mozambique to join the liberation struggle.

“Before he left for Mozambique, he did his internship at Dumbutshena law firm in Lusaka that was also owned by a Zimbabwean,” he said.

Cde Zhou said he was to then meet the President in 1980 at independence and he immediately gave him a job.

“I was to remain at the University of Zambia to complete my second degree and when I completed my studies I came back to Zimbabwe at independence and by then the President was the Minister of State, responsible for Intelligence,” he said.

Cde Zhou said knowing the President’s approachability and humbleness he decided to pay him a visit without making an appointment.

He said while in his office President Mnangagwa immediately employed him under his ministry without making any appointment for an interview.

“I did not make any appointment, I just told myself that I need to just pass by his office when he was Minister of State Security responsible for intelligence to say hie.

“He was very happy to see me and I was surprised. He just said I want you into the intelligence so come back Monday — see so and so. I did not argue, I just went home and came back the following Monday and thus how I was employed in intelligence until I retired a few years ago,” he said.

A humble man, an accommodative man, a true cadre and leader, Cde Zhou said he wished his former colleague in university many more years.