Major Martin George Chikondo SCR, was by far one of the top “psuedo-operators” of the Rhodesian Bush War. He enlisted in the 1st Battalion, Rhodesian African Rifles in 1970, serving for 3 years and being promoted to Lance-Corporal. His skill at soldiering was quickly recognized, and he was taken under the wing of the legendary Captain Chris Schulenburg, who personally mentored him as a special forces operator in the newly formed Selous Scouts. Chikondo would also be the man Lieutenant Colonel Ron Reid-Daly went to in order to develop the Selous Scouts’ gruelling selection course.

Chikondo as one of the founding members of the Selous Scout, Recce Troop, his insight in the development of the legendary unit was invaluable. On operation, his regular long range recce missions had him cover 200km on foot through hostile territory, inserting covertly via extremely dangerous last-light freefall jumps.

He was a force to be reckoned with whenever he met the enemy, and had a knack for fighting at night. His citation for his Silver Cross of Rhodesia reads:

During anti-terrorist operations in the north eastern Border area, Corporal Martin, commander of a small patrol of men, was involved in numerous successful engagements with the terrorists. In a number of these encounters, whilst seeking out the enemy at night, Corporal Martin and his men have come under heavy enemy fire at close range whilst in unfavourable positions. On three such occasions Corporal Martin, with complete disregard for his own safety and showing a high degree of personal gallantry, leadership and tactical skill, was able to extricate his men, without loss, from most precarious positions to more favourable ground, where he quickly re-organised his men and remaining perfectly cool, turned what could have been disastrous situations to his advantage, killing a number of terrorists and capturing quantities of arms and equipment.

He ended his time in the Selous Scouts at it’s disbandment in 1981 as a Sergeant. Unlike many of his comrades, he opted to stay with the successor unit in the ZNA’s 1 Parachute Battalion, taking an officer’s commission. He continued running classified “psuedo-ops” for the new Zimbabwe government into Mozambique for another decade, before retiring in 1991 at the rank of Major.

In February 1991 shortly after his retirement, he was murdered by a politically motivated assailant who resented his affiliation to the former Rhodesian Security Forces