• The Government claimed that the dissidents were actively supported by ZAPU who wished to overthrow the Government
• ZAPU believed the Government was using the "dissident problem" as an excuse to crush ZAPU completely and create a one party state
• South Africa was using the situation between ZAPU and ZANU-PF to make things worse in Zimbabwe
• The dissidents believed they had no option but to desert the army and take to the bush again as they were being persecuted within the army in various ways

There is evidence to support the last three views, but so far no important evidence to support the Government's view that ZAPU was responsible. Two treason trials, one in 1982 against Comrade (Cde) Dumiso Dabengwa and one in 1986 against Cde Sydney Malunga, failed to prove ZAPU had actively supported the dissidents in any organised way.

Whatever the cause, by the middle of 1982, there was a serious problem with armed bandits in Matabeleland. Property and human lives were being lost, as gangs of "cruel, uncontrollable, leaderless" dissidents committed crimes in the region.

Entumbane
There were problems after Independence in integrating ZIPRA and ZANLA into the National Army. These problems were not only in Matabeleland, but also in Mashonaland. For example, ex-ZANLA elements attacked civilian areas in Mutoko, Mount Darwin and Gutu. Both sides hid weapons.

By the end of 1980, only 15 000 troops out of 65 000 had been placed in the army. Some of the remaining ex-combatants were moved to the cities. Many ex-ZIPRA cadres were given housing in Entumbane in Bulawayo, where they lived right next to civilian suburbs.

In November 1980, Cde Enos Nkala made remarks at a rally in Bulawayo, in which he warned ZAPU that ZANU-PF would deliver a few blows against them. This started the first Entumbane uprising, in which ZIPRA and ZANLA fought a pitched battle for two days.

In February 1981, there was a second uprising, which spread to Glenville and also to Connemara in the Midlands. ZIPRA troops in other parts of Matabeleland headed for Bulawayo to join the battle, and ex- Rhodesian units had to come in to stop the fighting. Over 300 people were killed.

The government asked Justice Dumbutshena, the former Chief Justice of Zimbabwe, to hold an inquiry into the uprising û to date the findings and report have never been released.

Army defectors
Many ZIPRA cadres defected after Entumbane, mainly because they were afraid of staying in the army, as they felt some of their colleagues were disappearing mysteriously. They were also annoyed because they felt ZANLA cadres were being favoured for promotion. It was these issues rather than any clear political policy, which caused them to leave the army, taking their guns.

This situation became worse after the finding of arms caches in February 1982. ZANU-PF now openly accused ZAPU of plotting another war and ZAPU leaders were arrested or removed from cabinet. However, the treason trial in 1982 involving Comrades (Cdes) Dabengwa, Masuku and four others failed to prove a case against them. All were released although Cdes Dabengwa and Masuku were redetained without trial for four years. Possibly thousands of ex-ZIPRA cadres deserted the army after this. Most of them now claim that they saw this as necessary to stay alive. With their leaders all locked up or in exile, they felt there was nobody to protect them within the army. "We were threatened, that was why I decided to desert," said one dissident.

How did the dissidents operate?
The dissidents took a while to get organised, but in late 1983 they divided Matabeleland and parts of the Midlands into three operational zones. Several bands of 15 to 30 dissidents worked within each area, under a commander. They had serious problems getting ammunition and supplies, especially as they had little popular support.

The ex-ZIPRA dissidents were suspicious of "Super ZAPU", the South African backed dissidents. They said they did not want "to be like UNITA", whom South Africa backed in Angola. Partly because the ex-ZIPRA dissidents would not support them, Super ZAPU did not last long: by mid 1984 it had more or less collapsed.

There were others who became dissidents who were not ex-ZIPRA, mainly youth from Matabeleland who felt persecuted by 5 Brigade, or who desired revenge against 5 Brigade after the wide-spread killings by 5 Brigade in 1983. There were also some "pseudo dissidents", who were really the "hit squad" of ZANU-PF politicians in the region. It has been said that the gang which killed sixteen missionaries in Matobo in 1987 was this group of pseudo-dissidents: they killed the missionaries over a land dispute.

Around 75% of the dissidents either had been killed, captured or had left for Botswana by the amnesty in 1988. Only 122 dissidents handed themselves over at this time.

Did the dissidents have popular support?
Ordinary people living in rural areas did not willingly support the dissidents, especially after early 1983. People could see no point in this conflict of the 1980s. What was its purpose? People had understood the need to suffer in the 1970s, in order to bring about independence for Zimbabwe, but what could be hoped for from more violence in the 1980s? It was people living in rural areas who suffered worst once more, mostly from the activities of 5 Brigade, but also at the hands of dissidents. These were drought years, and it was hard to be forced to cook food for dissidents, especially knowing the punishment that could well follow. The dissidents often raped women, which made them unpopular. They also killed people they thought were sell-outs.

What did the dissidents do?
The dissidents murdered at least 33 white commercial farmers or members of their families. This forced farmers to move into town, leaving their farms unproductive. The commercial farmers in Matabeleland suffered more in the 1980s than during the 1970s civil war. The dissidents also murdered civilians in rural areas, especially sell-outs. The evidence suggests the numbers of rural civilians killed by dissidents is not that high, particularly when compared to murders at the hands of government troops in the same areas. Their methods of killing people were very cruel nonetheless.

The dissidents also destroyed property, especially government property: "where the Government put money, we destroyed that thing." There were also many armed robberies committed by dissidents, who robbed stores and buses.