Operation Overload was undertaken to block what appeared to be an advance by ZANLA insurgents from the Chiweshe Tribal Trust Land towards the Rhodesian capital of Sailsbury during early 1974.

[1] The residents of these areas had previously been subjected to collective punishment by the Rhodesian government in 1973 in a failed attempt to deter them from supporting the insurgents.

[3] Residents of the northern part of the Chiweshe Tribal Trust Land were generally willing to move voluntarily into the protected villages as they had been intimidated by the insurgents.

The security forces immediately set about a similar operation called Overload Two in the Madziwa Tribal Trust Lands.

This combined with the effectiveness of the recently formed Selous Scouts to reduce ZANLA influence in the area and force the cadres back to the north, towards Mozambique.