Zimbabwe African National Union

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the political formation during the period 1963–1980. For the military formation, see
ZANU–Ndonga
.

Zimbabwe African National Union
FoundersEnos Nkala,
Ndabaningi Sithole,
Edgar Tekere,
Herbert Chitepo,
Leopold Takawira,
Washington Malianga,
Herbert Ushewokunze
Founded8 August 1963
Dissolved1975
Split fromZimbabwe African People's Union
Succeeded byZANU–PF
ZANU – Ndonga
IdeologyAfrican nationalism
African socialism
Pan-Africanism
Political positionLeft-wing
ColoursGreen, yellow

The Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) was a militant socialist organisation that fought against white-minority rule in Rhodesia, formed as a split from the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) in 1963. ZANU split in 1975 into wings loyal to Robert Mugabe and Ndabaningi Sithole, later respectively called ZANU–PF and ZANU–Ndonga. These two sub-divisions ran separately at the 1980 general election, where ZANU–PF has been in power ever since, and ZANU–Ndonga a minor opposition party.

Formation

ZANU was formed 8 August 1963

Ndebele, the two major tribes of the country. Both ZANU and ZAPU formed political wings within the country (under those names) and military wings: the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) and the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) respectively to fight the struggle from neighbouring countries – ZANLA from Mozambique and Zambia, and ZIPRA from Zambia and Botswana.[citation needed
]

Operations in exile

Most of ZANU's operations were planned from exile, where the party leadership was based throughout the 1970s, when the party had offices in

Dar-es-Salaam, Maputo and London.[3][page needed
]

Relationship with armed wing

The Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) was ZANU's military wing.[4][unreliable source?][5]

Leadership and splits

There were two splits within ZANU prior to independence. The first was with Nathan Shamuyarira and others leaving to join the Front for the Liberation of Zimbabwe (FROLIZI) in 1973[6] after Shamuyarira's bid for the party leadership was defeated by Chitepo.[3]

Following the assassination of Chitepo on 18 March 1975, Sithole assumed leadership of the party, but faced immediate opposition from the more militant wing of ZANU, as Sithole was a proponent of détente.

ZANU Mwenje" or "ZANU Sithole", joined a transitional government of whites and blacks in 1979, led by Bishop Abel Muzorewa. When sanctions remained in place, he joined Muzorewa for the Lancaster House Agreement in London, where a new constitution and elections were prepared.[11]

Zimbabwe independence

At the

ZANU-Ndonga; it remains a minor party with support among the Ndau.[12]

See also

References

  1. ISBN 9783039119417
    . Retrieved 7 August 2013.
  2. ISBN 1-59221-275-1
    .
  3. ^ a b c d David Martin; Phyllis Johnson (1981). The Struggle for Zimbabwe: the Chimurenga war. Zimbabwe Publishing House.
  4. ^ Smith, Ian (1997). The Great Betrayal. London: Blake Publishing.
  5. ^ Reed, Douglas (1966). The Battle for Rhodesia. Cape Town: Haum (Standard Press, Ltd.).
  6. ^ Fay Chung; Preben Kaarsholm (2006). Re-living the second Chimurenga: memories from the liberation struggle in Zimbabwe. Stylus Publishing. p. 160.
  7. ^ Fay Chung; Preben Kaarsholm (2006). Re-living the second Chimurenga: memories from the liberation struggle in Zimbabwe. Stylus Publishing. p. 105.
  8. ^ Fay Chung; Preben Kaarsholm (2006). Re-living the second Chimurenga: memories from the liberation struggle in Zimbabwe. Stylus Publishing. p. 146.
  9. ^ Fay Chung; Preben Kaarsholm (2006). Re-living the second Chimurenga: memories from the liberation struggle in Zimbabwe. Stylus Publishing. p. 158.
  10. ^
    ISBN 9781135013486
    . Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  11. ^ Lord Soames, "From Rhodesia to Zimbabwe." International Affairs 56#3 (1980): 405–419. online
  12. ISSN 0001-9909
    .
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