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The Battle of Sinoia was a small military engagement fought near Sinoia (modern-day Chinhoyi) between a small group of Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) guerrillas and Rhodesian police on 28 April 1966. The skirmish is sometimes considered as the opening engagement of the Rhodesian Bush War (Second Chimurenga). A team of seven ZANLA cadres engaged with British South Africa Police forces near the northern town of Sinoia. The guerrilla group was wiped out, the police killing all seven. There were no police casualties.
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Description
In March 1966 four small groups of ZANLA guerillas crossed the Zambezi near Chirundu, the first nationalist incursion following UDI. One group, comprising seven men from Guruve, Hurungwe and Makonde Districts travelled to the Sinoia area Their presence was detected by the British South Africa Police. Throughout the day of 28 April 1966 the two sides skirmished, and all seven ZANLA men were killed after their ammunition ran out.
Although the battle was a Rhodesian victory, the event became a source of inspiration to the nationalists: Edgar Tekere wrote in his memoirs that when news of the battle reached nationalists detained in Salisbury Maximum Security Prison, they "went wild with joy".
Legacy
The battle is celebrated in modern Zimbabwe as the first battle of the Second Chimurenga; its anniversary – also the anniversary of Nehanda Nyakasikana's execution – is marked as Chimurenga Day. The battle site was later developed into the Mashonaland West Provincial Heroes Acre and a site museum built by the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe.
The battle is commemorated in the Bhundu Boys song Viva Chinhoyi, on the album Pamberi.