Shooting Butterflies

by T. M. Clark

  GLOSSARY

  Achaar An Indian word for pickle, used generally in Southern Africa for any pickle with an Indian flavour. (Indian – but used in general term in Southern Africa.)

  Aiwa No. (Shona)

  Amawarrior Nguni prefix ‘Ama’ to warrior. Name used for the raiders of the south, now most commonly known as the Ndebele or amaNdebelen, officially known under British rule as the Matabele. (Nguni)

  Ándale Come on, hurry up. An instruction used in my youth to tell a horse to run fast as it could. (Spanish)

  Assegai A traditional spear, used for fighting. (Generally used in Southern Africa.)

  Baas Boss. Generally used in Southern Africa as a reference for your employer. (Afrikaans)

  Bags Slang, to make a claim for. (English)

  Bakkie South African word for a pickup truck, a ute in Australian English. (Afrikaans)

  Balla Balla Kudu. (Ndebele)

  Biltong A kind of dried meat.

  Bladdy A swear word often used for emphasis, to replace ‘really’ alongside ‘good’, ‘fantastic’, ‘great’ – can also be used in derogatory terms, like ‘that bladdy so and so’, meaning that no good/good for nothing, etc. (South African slang)

  Bobotie A curried mince and baked egg traditional Afrikaans dish. (Afrikaans)

  Boerewors A traditional Afrikaans spicy sausage, made in a coil. (Afrikaans)

  Boet Brother. This term is also used for a close friend. (Afrikaans)

  Boma An area surrounded by a fence used to keep animals enclosed, also can refer to an area used for outdoor meals and parties. (Swahili, used generally in Africa)

  Bonnox A type of wire mesh fencing used to keep animals inside.

  Bonsella A bonus, a tip, a gift. (Zulu, used generally across Southern Africa.)

  Braai / Braaivleis A barbecue – to cook meat outdoors. (Vleis – meat in Afrikaans.)

  Broekies Knickers, underpants. (Afrikaans)

  Budza A hoe to scrape weeds from the fields. Sharp gardening tool. (Used generally across Southern Africa.)

  Baie lekker Very nice, very good. (Afrikaans)

  Bundu The wild bush. (South African slang)

  Bushveld The bush of Africa. (Southern African English)

  Chicken-run Reference to the people who left Rhodesia during and after the change to Zimbabwe. Term implies they were too scared to stay and fight or give the country a chance. (South African slang)

  Chinhoyi Formerly Sinoia

  Chinhoyi Caves Limestone caves located in the Makonde District, Zimbabwe, which have amazingly clear blue deep water in the cave system. Formerly Sinoia Caves.

  Chipo A bonus, A tip. A small gift. (Shona)

  Chirorodziva The biggest blue pool in the Sinoia Cave system. Called The Pool of the Fallen Heroes. (Shona)

  Chockers Filled to the brim – totally filled up. (Zimbabwe slang)

  Claymores During the Rhodesian war, these were often made with smaller old plough disks, packed with nails and other shrapnel and plastic explosives, set with wax. Designed to explode outwards, and damage the person coming into the trap, to slow them down, not necessarily to kill them, but make certain they can’t follow the path they are on.

  Concession A hunting concession is when the Parks Board allow a certain number of animals to be hunted for the year. The ‘concession’ is what the hunter purchases – his quota of animals for the year/season.

  Cossie A swimming costume. (Zimbabwe slang)

  Doek African head scarf worn as part of a maid’s uniform, but also as part of the traditional clothing. (Afrikaans)

  Donkey boiler An drum of water kept outside that is heated by fire then feeds hot water into the house area. (South African English)

  Donkeyberries Grewia bicolor. A native bush with brownish edible berries. (South African English)

  Doppie/s The shell left after a bullet is spent. This can also be a drink in Afrikaans. (Afrikaans, used in general slang)

  Dorp A small town. (Afrikaans)

  Eish An exclamation used to express anything and everything: from frustration to surprise to disapproval and everything in between. (Slang, used generally in Southern Africa.)

  Esse stove Stove that burns a fossil fuel. Can be anthracite or wood. (English)

  FN Light automatic rifle, standard issue weapon used during the Rhodesian Bush War made by Belgian arms manufacturer Fabrique Nationale de Herstal. (Acronym from Fabrique Nationale de Herstal.)

  Four count After jumping out of a plane, a static line paratrooper counts off four seconds in his head, at which stage he needs to hear and feel things start happening, if they don’t, he knows to deploy his own spare chute from his chest. (English)

  FRELIMO Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO) from the Portuguese Frente de Libertação de Moçambique. (Acronym from the English name.)

  Geyser An electric hot water system often placed inside the ceiling. (English)

  Gooks Terrorists were referred to as gooks during the Rhodesian Bush War because they were trained by Chinese and Cuban military. Also influenced by the American soldiers who went to fight in Rhodesia, because of the Vietnam War. Became used for any black terrorist.

  Goosie sand Loose sand in the lowveld. Fine and abundant and almost like beach sand. (Zimbabwean slang)

  Groot gat Big hole. (Afrikaans)

  Gudo Baboon. (Shona)

  Hepcooler A cold box used for keeping things cool. South African brands include Coleman. (Australian: Esky) (English)

  Huya pano Come here. (Shona)

  Ice it Put it on ice to keep for later, to save it for another time. (South African English slang)

  Ikhaya Home, a hut made with mud and thatched roof. (Zulu)

  Imbodla Wild cat, also ‘Igola’. (Zulu/Ndebele)

  Impi Armed body of men or a Zulu fighting regiment, often referred to as the Zulu Impis for their fighting skill under Shaka Zulu reign, and the reputation that remained after that. (Zulu)

  Indlulamithi Giraffe. (Zulu)

  Ingutchini The madhouse. Certifiably crazy. (Zimbabwe slang)

  Ingwe Leopard. (Zulu/Ndebele)

  Inkosana Eldest son, prince, son of a respected person. (Zulu)

  Inkosazana Eldest daughter, princess, or just daughter of a respected person. (Zulu)

  Insinkew Bushbaby. (Ndebele)

  Kaalnek Naked necked, chickens with no feathers on their necks. (Afrikaans)

  Kaffir The word kaffir has now evolved into an offensive term for a black person. But it was previously a neutral term for black southern African people. The word was also used of a nonbeliever, referring to a black person not being of Christian upbringing.

  Kaffir oranges Strychnos spinosa. Also known as the monkey orange, hard shell outside, and soft edible fruit inside.

  Kapenta A small fish found in Kariba Dam, it’s dried and eaten by the local population.

  Karoi Little witch. Also a town in Zimbabwe near Sinoia. (Shona)

  Kaross Blanket made from animal skins. (Zulu/Ndebele)

  Kaylite Styrofoam / polystyrene. (Zimbabwe slang)

  Kist A blanket box, can be ornately carved or a simple box, used to store linen. (Generally used in Southern Africa.)

  Knobkerrie An African club. These are typically made from wood with large knob at one end and a long stick protruding from that. They can be used for fighting or throwing at animals during hunting. Ideal size to also be used as a walking stick. (From Afrikaans, but now generally used in Southern Africa.)

  Komeredes A New Zimbabwe soldier, referring to the soldiers employed by the Zimbabwe government following the end of the bush war. These soldiers were disliked intensely in Mozambique.

  Kraal An area where animals are kept, usually found inside and African village/settlement, and is usually circular with barricades to keep the stock inside. Can also refer to an African cluster of huts. (Afrikaans, but used commonly in South African English.)

  Kujana A fair distance away. (Zulu)

  Laagered The ox wagons formed a defensive circle called a
laager.

  Laat-lammetjie A late lamb, when an older woman has a baby it is referred to as a laat-lammetjie. (Afrikaans)

  Lowveld Generally refers to low-altitude areas where the soil is loose and loamy, supporting grasslands, and flatter areas covered in grass or low scrub.

  Madala An old man. (Ndebele, slang. Also used in parts of South Africa)

  Makonde District Located in north central Zimbabwe. Chinhoyi, its main town, is approximately 125 kilometres by road to Harare.

  Mala Mala Mala Mala was the first privately owned game reserve in South Africa. It is located between the Sabi Sands game reserve and the Kruger National Park, and has international recognition as an outstanding reserve. It is considered to be the blueprint on which the South African safaris are built.

  Mandrax A drug made with Methaqualone that is highly addictive when smoked with Dagga, causes psychological and physical dependency.

  Marula Sclerocarya birrea. A medium-sized tree, mainly found in the woodlands of Southern Africa. Now popular for its fruits, which are used in the liqueur Amarula. When ripe, the fruits have a light yellow skin and white flesh. Many animals love this fruit. Even the seed/nut inside is eaten by rodents once the flesh of the fruit has gone.

  Matabele The Ndebele people.

  Mfino A wild African herb, sort of like spinach.

  Mhanya Run. (Shona)

  Mhondoro A royal mudzimu (wandering ancestral spirit) or lion spirit. Can also be a guardian spirit. (Shona)

  Mhoroi amai Hello, Mama. (Shona)

  Middle mannetjie The dirt bump in between the two tyre tracks in the road. (Afrikaans, used as a general term in Southern Africa)

  Moffie Male homosexual, used in a derogatory way, expressing distaste. (South African slang)

  Moola Also spelt as mula or moolah. Slang for money (Generally accepted African continent term)

  Mudzimu Wandering ancestral spirit. (Shona)

  Mukomana Boss’s son. (Shona)

  Mushi Nice, great, fantastic, good. (Zimbabwe slang)

  Musika Wahuku The chicken market, the trading place in the middle of everything, that everyone comes to. (Shona)

  Muti Traditional medicine in Southern Africa. It is used in South Africa as a slang word for medicine in general. Also spelt as ‘umuthi’. (Zulu, general slang.)

  Muture The third largest city in Zimbabwe in the east of the country. Former name Umtali. (pre-1983)

  Mvura Water. (Shona)

  Mwari Shona god, the High God of the Shona. (Shona)

  Mywena Oh goodness. Literal translation: my you. (Zulu slang – now slang for Southern Africa.)

  Mzilikazi ‘The Great Road’. He was the Zulu who split from King Shaka, moved north and founded the Matabele kingdom, Matabeleland, Zimbabwe.

  Ndebele The Ndebele are an ethnic group in Zimbabwe, descendants from Mzilikazi.

  Nehanda / Nyamhika Neranda Shona god. Nehanda, originally Matope’s sister-wife, possessed supernatural powers. She became a guardian spirit, and could transfer her spirit and inhabit other bodies. Nehanda Charwe Nyakasikana was considered to be the female incarnation of the oracle spirit Nyamhika Nehanda, and considered to be the grandmother of Zimbabwe. Some people, both male and female, claim they are Nehanda reincarnated because Shona people believe in spirit possession.

  Ngubani igama lakho What is your name? (Zulu)

  Nguni A people of Africa, including the Xhosa, Zulu, Swazi, Hlubi, Phithi and Ndebele. Can also refer to a type of hardy African cattle.

  Nyamandhlovu Nyamandhlovu is a village in Matabeleland, northwest of Bulawayo. The name of the village means ‘meat of the elephant’. (Ndebele)

  Onika oil An oil used to treat bruising. (South African)

  Pan A flat depression in the land that fills with water only when the rains are very good.

  Panado Paracetamol medication used for headaches and fever.

  Penga Mad in the head, certifiably mentally unstable enough to be institutionalised. (Zimbabwe slang)

  Piccaninny Also spelt as pickaninny. A young black child. At one time the word may have been used as a term of affection, but it is now considered derogatory. In this story this word is used with affection. (English)

  POU Psychological Operations Unit. Name used during the Rhodesian Bush War.

  ProNutro A breakfast cereal that has a porridge like consistency when mixed with milk.

  PSYOPS Psychological Operations Unit.

  R&R Military term, meaning rest and relaxation, time off from the military world.

  Raviro Gift from the gods. (Shona)

  Recces The South African Special Forces Brigade.

  RENAMO Mozambican National Resistance, from the Portuguese Resistência Nacional Moçambicana. An anti-Communist political organisation that fought against the FRELIMO during the Mozambican Civil War, and against ZANU from 1975 to 1992. (Acronym from Portuguese)

  Riempies Ropes made with animal hides. (Afrikaans)

  Rooi The colour red. (Afrikaans)

  Rooinekke English people. Can also can be called ‘Sauties’. (Afrikaans)

  Roora A dowry, a payment made to a bride’s family as a sign of respect. (Shona)

  SADF South African Defence Force. The SADF was all forces within South Africa: black, white, brown, everyone together were under one defence label.

  Sadza The staple food in Zimbabwe of the African people. It is a thick maize meal porridge. (Shona and Ndebele)

  Sadza neNyama Sadza and meat. Traditional dish of meat and gravy eaten with sadza. (Shona)

  Sakubva A township in Umtali, Rhodesia with a small area and high population density.

  Salisbury Capital of Rhodesia. New name: Harare.

  Sangoma Traditional healers, practitioners of traditional African medicine. Often still holding onto the Sharman aspect of mixing witchcraft with herbal medicines.

  SAP South Africa Police.

  SAS Rhodesia’s Special Air Service.

  Shongololo Jurus Terrestris Millipede. Giant millipede, has a hard shiny dark brown segmented exoskeleton. (Zimbabwe, from Nguni ‘ukusonga’, to roll up.)

  Shoosh Tell someone to keep quiet (sounds like bush). (South African slang)

  Sinoia A town on the road to Kariba from Salisbury. New name: Chinhoyi. (Shona)

  Sinoia Caves Limestone caves located in the Makonde District, Zimbabwe, which have amazingly clear blue deep water in the cave system. New name: Chinhoyi Caves. (Shona)

  Siyabonga kakulu Thank you very much. (Ndebele)

  Spoor Tracks, usually left by animals. (Afrikaans)

  Takkies Sandshoes/trainers, worn for running and exercising. (Afrikaans, general South African slang.)

  Ters Shortened form of terrorist. Term used during the Rhodesia Bush war. (Zimbabwe)

  Thinning disease In Africa, HIV is commonly referred to as the thinning disease. People who lose lots of weight suddenly are more often than not suspected of having HIV. If you have the thinning disease it is assumed that you will be dead soon as there is not a lot of intervention by the government with drugs.

  Thuli-makwe The Thuli-makwe water scheme was a dam built in the Thuli area, supplying irrigation to a vast area of commercially grown crops.

  Tiri Tose We are together. Motto adopted by the PSYOPS and the actual POU unit during the Rhodesia Bush war. (Shona)

  Tokoloshe A really bad spirit. A tokoloshe can resemble a zombie, or a poltergeist, or a gremlin, any demon-like thing. A tokoloshe in this book refers to something evil.

  Tosholotsho Formerly known as Tjolotjo, a village 65 kilometres north-west of Nyamandhlovu and 98 kilometres north-west of Bulawayo.

  Troopie National Serviceman. (Zimbabwe slang)

  TTL Tribal Trust Land.

  Umtali The third largest city in Zimbabwe in the east of the country. New name: Muture. (1983)

  Varsity University, shortened form in South Africa.

  Veld/Veldt/Velt A generic term defining wide open grass or low scrub rural spaces of Southern Africa. (Afrikaans)

  Vel
skoene/ Veldskoene/ Velskoen Bush shoes. These are suede leather ankle boots, usually worn without socks. (Afrikaans)

  Vlei A shallow minor lake, mostly of a seasonal or intermittent nature. (Afrikaans)

  Xhostas store The name of the store that sold second-hand goods, and mainly catered to the black trade, and was cheap.

  Xolile Made happy. (Zulu)

  Yebo Yes. (Zulu)

  Z-style A gate that can’t fold in on itself; solid outside steel tubing in a Z shape across the inside of the frame, with a wire mesh covering.

  ZANLA Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army, the military wing of the Zimbabwe African National Union.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  I might string the words on paper to form a book, but a lot of people had their input as always. All mistakes in this book are mine, not those of anyone I consulted with.

  Thank you to:

  Inacio Antonio Simango and Corn Smith for your help with my Shona.

  Gary Fonternel for your help on helicopters, paratroopers and general military from that time. For taking my frantic research calls late at night and somehow always managing to understand my emails.

  Cleaver Firearms, thank you for your gunsmith expertise.

  To the brilliant men and women who were part of the Grey Scouts Regiment. Although I have borrowed your name, and many of your nicer mannerisms, the incidents referred to in this book are fictional and bear no resemblance to any incident in real life. Thank you for suspending your disbelief while reading this book.

  The Grey Scout Regiment loop on Facebook, including Doug Kriedemann and Mike Watson, who so kindly let me sit in, watch and research, and who answered my questions, both silly and meaningful, thank you. The horses I promised to immortalise in print and didn’t make it in this book will be in another one coming. Thank you for sharing your love of your mounts with me. Long life to the mounted war horse!

  Gordon Frost, for your time and patience in my deeper research of the Grey Scouts, of their formation and their everyday lives. For inspiring the idea of a link between books, and for being the gentleman you are. To Gordon’s beautiful wife, Lanie, who I had the pleasure of meeting too, thank you for sharing Gordon’s mind with me.