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128-572: The Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front ( ZANU–PF ) is a political organisation which has been the ruling party of Zimbabwe since independence in 1980. The party was led for many years by Robert Mugabe , first as prime minister with the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) and then as president from 1987 after the merger with the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) and retaining

256-816: A Marxist-Leninist , speaking warmly of Marxist-Leninist revolutionaries like Vladimir Lenin , Joseph Stalin , and Fidel Castro . Despite his Marxist views, Mugabe's meetings with Soviet representatives were unproductive, for they insisted on Nkomo's leadership of the revolutionary struggle. His relationship with the People's Republic of China was far warmer, as the Chinese Maoist government supplied ZANLA with armaments without any conditions. He also sought support from Western nations, visiting Western embassies in Mozambique, and travelled to both Western states like Italy and Switzerland and Marxist-governed states like

384-824: A Marxist–Leninist , and as a socialist during the 1990s and the remainder of his career. Mugabe was born to a poor Shona family in Kutama , Southern Rhodesia . Educated at Kutama College and the University of Fort Hare in South Africa, he then worked as a schoolteacher in Southern Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia , and Ghana. Angered by white minority rule of his homeland within the British Empire , Mugabe embraced Marxism and joined African nationalists calling for an independent state controlled by

512-478: A 1978 radio address, Mugabe declared: "Let us hammer [the white man] to defeat. Let us blow up his citadel. Let us give him no time to rest. Let us chase him in every corner. Let us rid our home of this settler vermin". For Mugabe, armed struggle was an essential part of the establishment of a new state. In contrast to other black nationalist leaders like Nkomo, Mugabe opposed a negotiated settlement with Smith's government. In October 1976 ZANU nevertheless established

640-513: A Bachelor of Arts degree in history and English literature. In later years he described his time at Fort Hare as the "turning point" in his life. Mugabe returned to Southern Rhodesia in 1952, by which time—he later related— he was "completely hostile to the [colonialist] system". Here, his first job was as a teacher at the Driefontein Roman Catholic Mission School near Umvuma . In 1953 he relocated to

768-436: A National Command Centre over a period of over a month without the presence of independent observers. The election process that followed was marred by more violence against and intimidation of voters and party workers. Morgan Tsvangirai initially stated he intended to contest the second round but pulled out of the runoff saying a free and fair election was impossible in the current climate. The elections were held on 27 June with

896-664: A Roman Catholic ceremony conducted in Salisbury; she had converted to Catholicism to make this possible. The British government held a Salisbury conference in 1961 to determine Southern Rhodesia's future. Nkomo led an NDP delegation, which hoped that the British would support the creation of an independent state governed by the black majority. Representatives of the country's white minority—who then controlled Southern Rhodesia's government—were opposed to this, promoting continued white minority rule. Following negotiations, Nkomo agreed to

1024-485: A budget deficit year-on-year that averaged at 10% of the country's gross domestic product. Under Mugabe's leadership, there was a massive expansion in education and health spending. In 1980, Zimbabwe had just 177 secondary schools, by 2000 this number had risen to 1,548. During that period, the adult literacy rate rose from 62% to 82%, one of the highest levels in Africa. Levels of child immunization were raised from 25% of

1152-418: A capitalist framework and emphasizing the need for foreign investment. In office, Mugabe sought a gradual transformation away from capitalism and tried to build upon existing state institutions. From 1980 to 1990, the country's economy grew by an average of 2.7% a year, but this was outstripped by population growth and real income declined. The unemployment rate rose, reaching 26% in 1990. The government ran

1280-403: A common destiny and democratic rule by the majority, regardless of race, colour, creed, or tribe." ZANU's platform was quickly taken up by the press, and stood in contrast to ZAPU, which had not made public a comprehensive platform. ZAPU responded by attacking ZANU leaders' character and ideological bona fides. Almost immediately following the split, violent clashes broke out between supporters of

1408-433: A correct justification that just because the whites oppressed us yesterday when they had power, the blacks must oppress them today because they have power. An evil remains an evil whether practised by white against black or black against white. — Mugabe's speech after his 1980 victory Mugabe initially emphasized racial reconciliation and he was keen to build a good relationship with white Zimbabweans. He hoped to avoid

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1536-627: A coup , replacing him with former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa . Having dominated Zimbabwe's politics for nearly four decades, Mugabe was a controversial figure. He was praised as a revolutionary hero of the African liberation struggle who helped free Zimbabwe from British colonialism , imperialism , and white minority rule. Critics accused Mugabe of being a dictator responsible for economic mismanagement and widespread corruption and human rights abuses , including anti-white racism , crimes against humanity , and genocide. Robert Gabriel Mugabe

1664-596: A devout Catholic. Mugabe excelled at school, where he was a secretive and solitary child, preferring to read, rather than playing sports or socialising with other children. He was taunted by many of the other children, who regarded him as a coward and a mother's boy . In about 1930 Gabriel had an argument with one of the Jesuits, and as a result the Mugabe family was expelled from the mission village by its French leader, Father Jean-Baptiste Loubière. The family settled in

1792-550: A good friend. Mugabe unsuccessfully urged Soames to remain in Zimbabwe for several more years, and also failed to convince the UK to assume a two-year "guiding role" for his government because most ZANU–PF members lacked experience in governing. ZANU–PF's absolute parliamentary majority allowed them to rule alone, but Mugabe created a government of national unity by inviting members of rival parties to join his cabinet. Mugabe moved into

1920-516: A guerrilla war against Smith's government. Among the revolutionaries, it was known as the "Second Chimurenga". Paramilitary groups based themselves in neighboring Tanzania and Zambia; many of their fighters were inadequately armed and trained. ZANU's military wing, the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA), consisted largely of Shona. It was based in neighboring Mozambique and gained funds from

2048-521: A house in Quelimane and kept him under partial house arrest , with Mugabe requiring permission to travel. It would be almost a year before Machel accepted Mugabe's leadership of ZANU. Mugabe travelled to various ZANLA camps in Mozambique to build support among its officers. By mid-1976, he had secured the allegiance of ZANLA's military commanders and established himself as the most prominent guerrilla leader battling Smith's regime. In August 1977, he

2176-622: A joint platform with ZAPU known as the Patriotic Front. In September 1978 Mugabe met with Nkomo in Lusaka. He was angry with the latter's secret attempts to negotiate with Smith. The beginning of the end for Smith came when South African Prime Minister B. J. Vorster concluded that white minority rule was unsustainable in a country where blacks outnumbered whites 22:1. Under pressure from Vorster, Smith accepted in principle that white minority rule could not be maintained forever. He oversaw

2304-472: A makeshift platform had been erected for speakers. Having become a much-respected figure through his profession, his possession of three degrees, and his travels abroad, Mugabe was among those invited to speak to the crowd. Following this event, Mugabe decided to devote himself full-time to activism, resigning his teaching post in Ghana (after having served two years of the four-year teaching contract). He chaired

2432-574: A military coup in Zimbabwe resulted in President Robert Mugabe being placed under house arrest and led to speculation over whether Grace Mugabe or Emmerson Mnangagwa would succeed him as leader of the party. Following the 2017 Zimbabwe coup, ZANU–PF voted to depose Robert Mugabe as party leader and install the banished Emmerson Mnangagwa as leader instead. Before the Zimbabwean parliament could vote to impeach Mugabe, he resigned from

2560-506: A new party, the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), in August; Ndabaningi Sithole became the group's president, while appointing Mugabe to be the group's secretary-general in absentia . Nkomo responded by forming his own group, the People's Caretaker Council, which was widely referred to as "ZAPU" after its predecessor. ZAPU and ZANU violently opposed one another and soon gang warfare broke out between their rival memberships. Mugabe

2688-484: A plan for a transition to formal independence as a sovereign republic under black-majority rule, also maintaining that Rhodesia would be renamed Zimbabwe, a name adopted from the Iron Age archaeological site of Great Zimbabwe . The agreement also ensured that the country's white minority retained many of its economic and political privileges, with 20 seats to be reserved for whites in the new Parliament. By insisting on

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2816-526: A proposal which would allow the black population representation through 15 of the 65 seats in the country's parliament. Mugabe and others in the NDP were furious at Nkomo's compromise. Following the conference, Southern Rhodesia's African nationalist movement fell into disarray. Mugabe spoke at a number of NDP rallies before the party was banned by the government in December 1961. Many of its members re-grouped as

2944-513: A relationship with another woman, with whom he had three further offspring. Loubière died shortly after and was replaced by an Irishman, Father Jerome O'Hea, who welcomed the return of the Mugabe family to Kutama. In contrast to the racism that permeated Southern Rhodesian society, under O'Hea's leadership the Kutama Mission preached an ethos of racial equality. O'Hea nurtured the young Mugabe; shortly before his death in 1970 he described

3072-834: A second degree by correspondence, this time a Bachelor of Administration from the University of London International Programmes through distance and learning. In Northern Rhodesia, he was taken in for a time by the family of Emmerson Mnangagwa , whom Mugabe inspired to join the liberation movement and who would later go on to be President of Zimbabwe . In 1958, Mugabe moved to Ghana to work at St Mary's Teacher Training College in Takoradi . He taught at Apowa Secondary School, also at Takoradi, after obtaining his local certification at Achimota College (1958–1960), where he met his first wife, Sally Hayfron . According to Mugabe, "I went [to Ghana] as an adventurist. I wanted to see what it would be like in an independent African state". Ghana had been

3200-457: A single candidate, Robert Mugabe, who was re-elected. Many blame ZANU–PF for neglecting to deal with Zimbabwe's problem with the mounting 2008 Zimbabwean cholera outbreak , which by the start of December 2008 had already killed between 500 and 3,000 people. Former President of South Africa Thabo Mbeki facilitated, under the auspices of Southern African Development Community (SADC), a Zimbabwean Government of National Unity between ZANU–PF,

3328-674: A speech in which she declared that the British Queen Elizabeth II "can go to hell". Europeans must realise that unless the legitimate demands of African nationalism are recognised, then racial conflict is inevitable. — Mugabe, early 1960s The rise of African nationalism generated a white backlash in Southern Rhodesia, with the right-wing Rhodesian Front winning the December 1962 general election . The new government sought to preserve white minority rule by tightening security and establishing full independence from

3456-579: A teaching diploma, Mugabe left Kutama in 1945. During the following years, Mugabe taught at various schools around Southern Rhodesia, among them the Dadaya Mission school in Shabani . There is no evidence that Mugabe was involved in political activity at the time, and he did not participate in the country's 1948 general strike . In 1949 he won a scholarship to study at the University of Fort Hare in South Africa's Eastern Cape . There he joined

3584-654: A village about 11 kilometres (7 miles) away; the children were permitted to remain at the mission primary school, living with relatives in Kutama during term-time and returning to their parental home on weekends. Around the same time, Robert's older brother Raphael died, likely of diarrhoea . In early 1934, Robert's other older brother, Michael, also died, after consuming poisoned maize. Later that year, Gabriel left his family in search of employment in Bulawayo . He subsequently abandoned Bona and their six children and established

3712-476: A white exodus and tried to allay fears that he would nationalize white-owned property. He appointed two white ministers— David Smith and Denis Norman —to his government, met with white leaders in agriculture, industry, mining, and commerce, and impressed senior figures in the outgoing administration like Smith and Ken Flower with his apparent sincerity. With the end of the war, petrol rationing, and economic sanctions, life for white Zimbabweans improved during

3840-568: A white-owned farm near Hartley , killing its inhabitants. The government responded by returning the members of the ZANU executive, including Mugabe, to Salisbury Prison in 1966. There, forty prisoners were divided among four communal cells, with many sleeping on the concrete floor due to overcrowding; Mugabe shared his cell with Sithole, Enos Nkala , and Edgar Tekere . He remained there for eight years, devoting his time to reading and studying. During this period, he gained several further degrees from

3968-960: Is a member of the Former Liberation Movements of Southern Africa , an association of six socialist political parties that were involved in the nationalist and anti-colonialist movements of Southern Africa . ZANU–PF was previously affiliated with the Socialist International (SI), having sent representatives with guest status to the SI congresses in 1980, 1992, and 1996, and was present at the Socialist International Africa Committee meeting in Maputo , Mozambique , as recently as 1999. ZANU–PF has not attended any SI congresses or meetings since, and Zimbabwe's then-leading opposition party,

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4096-562: Is mild. People are being terrorized. It is terror ." Reacting to ZANU–PF's acts of voter intimidation, Mugabe was called before Soames at Government House. Mugabe regarded the meeting as a British attempt to thwart his electoral campaign. Under the terms of the negotiation, Soames had the power to disqualify any political party guilty of voter intimidation. Rhodesia's security services, Nkomo, Muzorewa, and some of his own advisers all called on Soames to disqualify ZANU–PF. After deliberation, Soames disagreed, believing that ZANU–PF were sure to win

4224-654: The 1979 general election which resulted in Abel Muzorewa , a politically moderate black bishop, being elected Prime Minister of the reconstituted Zimbabwe Rhodesia . Both ZANU and ZAPU had boycotted the election, which did not receive international recognition. At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 1979 , held in Lusaka, the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher surprised delegates by announcing that

4352-627: The 2018 election . On 19 November 2017, following a coup d'état , ZANU–PF sacked Robert Mugabe as party leader, who resigned two days later, and appointed former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa in his place. The first militant African nationalist organisation in Southern Rhodesia was the City Youth League (CYL), formed in the colony's capital, Salisbury , in August 1955 by James Chikerema , Dunduzu Chisiza , George Nyandoro , and Edson Sithole . On 12 September 1957,

4480-480: The 2023 Zimbabwean general election . Officially, ZANU–PF has a leftist ideology. The party maintains a Politburo and a Central Committee. Mugabe pursued a more left-wing populist policy on the issue of land redistribution in 2000s, encouraging seizure of commercial farms—usually owned by Zimbabwe's white minority—"for the benefit of landless black majority". The inauguration speech of President Mnangagwa threw this program's support into question since he said that

4608-535: The African National Congress youth league (ANCYL) and attended African nationalist meetings, where he met a number of Jewish South African communists who introduced him to Marxist ideas. He later related that despite this exposure to Marxism, his biggest influence at the time were the actions of Mahatma Gandhi during the Indian independence movement . In 1952, he left the university with

4736-596: The Chinese -backed ZANU led by Robert Mugabe, which operated mainly from neighboring Mozambique . Both movements contributed to their respective military forces. ZAPU's military wing was known as the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) and ZANU's guerrillas were known as the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army . The objective of the PF was to overthrow the predominantly white minority government, headed by

4864-804: The Gukurahundi of 1982–1987, Mugabe's Fifth Brigade crushed ZAPU-linked opposition in Matabeleland in a campaign that killed at least 20,000 people, mostly Ndebele civilians. Internationally, he sent troops into the Second Congo War and chaired the Non-Aligned Movement (1986–1989), the Organisation of African Unity (1997–1998), and the African Union (2015–2016). Pursuing decolonisation , Mugabe emphasized

4992-480: The Highfield home of Enos Nkala to form the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU). In response to ZANU's formation, Nkomo called a mass meeting on 10 August 1963 at Cold Comfort Farm , a multiracial cooperative outside Salisbury, where he formed a new organisation, the People's Caretaker Council (PCP), to replace ZAPU, which was still banned. To preempt ZANU's growth, Nkomo took steps to solidify his hold on

5120-481: The Mass Media Trust , through which they bought out a South African company that owned most of Zimbabwe's newspapers. The white editors of these newspapers were sacked and replaced by government appointees. These media outlets subsequently became a source of the party's propaganda. At independence, 39% of Zimbabwe's land was under the ownership of around 6000 white large-scale commercial farmers, while 4%

5248-469: The Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai and the Movement for Democratic Change – Mutambara . In 2014, a battle between Vice President Joice Mujuru and Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa , and possibly First Lady Grace Mugabe , began over the succession to President Robert Mugabe . An elective congress was scheduled for December 2014, in which ZANU–PF would elect members to fill vacancies in

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5376-473: The Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai , joined the SI in 2008. The Socialist International has condemned the actions of Zimbabwe's ZANU–PF-dominated government and military. Ruling party In many democratic republic countries like the Philippines , the ruling party is the party of the elected president that is in charge of the executive branch of government. In parliamentary systems,

5504-576: The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), a position that he retained until 1989. As the leader of one of the Front Line States , the countries bordering apartheid South Africa, he gained credibility within the anti-apartheid movement. The wrongs of the past must now stand forgiven and forgotten. If ever we look to the past, let us do so for the lesson the past has taught us, namely that oppression and racism are inequalities that must never find scope in our political and social system. It could never be

5632-483: The Premier's residence in Salisbury, which he left furnished in the same style as Smith had left it. Across the country, statues of Cecil Rhodes were removed and squares and roads named after prominent colonial figures were renamed after black nationalists. In 1982 Salisbury was renamed Harare. Mugabe employed North Korean architects to design Heroes' Acre , a monument and complex in western Harare to commemorate

5760-670: The Prime Minister Ian Smith , through political pressure and military force. Their common goal was achieved in 1980, following the Lancaster House Agreement of December 1979, when the United Kingdom granted independence to Zimbabwe following a brief period of direct British control. During the 1980 general election campaign, the PF parties competed separately as ZANU–Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF) and Patriotic Front–ZAPU (PF–ZAPU). The election

5888-455: The Shona people . Compared to ZAPU, ZANU branded itself as taking a more confrontational approach to white-minority rule, while portraying Nkomo as weak, indecisive, and insufficiently revolutionary. ZANU messaging downplayed ethnicity as a factor in the divisions within the nationalist movement, instead highlighting strategic and ideological differences. By contrast, Nkomo pointed to tribalism as

6016-481: The Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) several days later, with Mugabe appointed as ZAPU's publicity secretary and general secretary. Racial violence was growing in the country, with aggrieved black Africans targeting the white community. Mugabe deemed such conflict a necessary tactic in the overthrow of British colonial dominance and white minority rule. This contrasted with Nkomo's view that African nationalists should focus on international diplomacy to encourage

6144-598: The redistribution of land controlled by white farmers to landless blacks, initially on a "willing seller–willing buyer" basis. Frustrated at the slow rate of redistribution, from 2000 he encouraged black Zimbabweans to violently seize white-owned farms. Food production was severely impacted, leading to famine, economic decline, and foreign sanctions. Opposition to Mugabe grew, but he was re-elected in 2002 , 2008 , and 2013 through campaigns dominated by violence, electoral fraud , and nationalistic appeals to his rural Shona voter base. In 2017, members of his party ousted him in

6272-444: The "government is committed to work on a compensation plan for former land owners." The compulsory acquisition of commercial farmland without compensation was discontinued in early 2018. In 2018, Mnangagwa stated that "all foreign investments will be safe in Zimbabwe" and called for "increased production and capacity and new investment in the country." The ZANU–PF constitution establishes a hierarchical party structure consisting of: (1)

6400-536: The African nationalist Leopold Takawira , urged them to stay. In July 1960, Takawira and two other NDP officials were arrested; in protest, Mugabe joined a demonstration of 7,000 people who planned to march from Highfield to the Prime Minister's office in Salisbury. The demonstration was stopped by riot police outside Stoddart Hall in Harare township. By midday the next day, the crowd had grown to 40,000 and

6528-427: The African townships of Harare and Mufakose . The day after the meeting, Sithole "acknowledged [a] miscalculation of Nkomo's mass strength." In Bulawayo , two houses were bombed with Molotov cocktails , and on 17 August, three policemen were injured by a stone-throwing mob of Nkomo supporters. By 14 August, both Sithole and Nkomo were calling for an end the violence in the African press, to little effect. Nkomo blamed

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6656-563: The British government to grant their demands. Nine months after it had been founded, ZAPU was also banned by the government, and in September 1962 Mugabe and other senior party officials were arrested and restricted to their home districts for three months. Both Mugabe and his wife were in trouble with the law; he had been charged with making subversive statements in a public speech and awarded bail before his trial. Hayfron had been sentenced to two years imprisonment—suspended for 15 months—for

6784-558: The CYL merged with the long-established but largely dormant Southern Rhodesia chapter of the African National Congress to form the Southern Rhodesia African National Congress (SRANC). The new organisation adopted the CYL's principle of " one man, one vote " and elected Joshua Nkomo as its president. The SRANC, which demanded African majority rule, gained substantial support across the country, but

6912-867: The Highfield Government School in Salisbury 's Harari township and in 1954 to the Mambo Township Government School in Gwelo . Meanwhile, he gained a Bachelor of Education degree by correspondence from the University of South Africa , and ordered a number of Marxist tracts—among them Karl Marx 's Capital and Friedrich Engels ' The Condition of the Working Class in England —from a London mail-order company. Despite his growing interest in politics, he

7040-864: The National People's Congress, (2) the National People's Conference, (3) the Central Committee, (4) the National Consultative Assembly, (5) the National Assembly of the Women's League, (6) the National Assembly of the Youth League, (7) the provincial coordinating committees, (8) the provincial executive councils, (9) the district committees, (10) the branch committees, and (11) the cell/village committees. The current first secretary of ZANU–PF, reelected at

7168-518: The People's Republic of China. ZAPU's military wing, the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA), was instead funded by the Soviet Union , was based in Zambia, and consisted largely of Ndebele . Mugabe and other senior ZANU members had growing doubts about Sithole's leadership, deeming him increasingly irritable and irrational. In October 1968 Sithole had tried to smuggle a message out of

7296-570: The Soviet Union, China, North Korea, Vietnam, and Cuba. Mugabe called for the overthrow of Rhodesia's predominately white government, the execution of Smith and his "criminal gang", the expropriation of white-owned land, and the transformation of Rhodesia into a one-party Marxist state . He repeatedly called for violence against the country's white minority, referring to white Rhodesians as "blood-sucking exploiters", "sadistic killers", and "hard-core racists". In one typical example, taken from

7424-637: The UK would officially recognize the country's independence if it transitioned to democratic majority rule. The negotiations took place at Lancaster House in London and were led by the Conservative Party politician Peter Carington . Mugabe refused to attend these London peace talks, opposing the idea of a negotiated rather than military solution to the Rhodesian War. Machel insisted that he must, threatening to end Mozambican support for

7552-519: The United Kingdom. Mugabe met with colleagues at his house in Salisbury's Highbury district, where he argued that as political demonstrations were simply being banned, it was time to move towards armed resistance. Both he and others rejected Nkomo's proposal that they establish a government-in-exile in Dar es Salaam . He and Hayfron skipped bail to attend a ZAPU meeting in the Tanganyikan city. There,

7680-467: The University of London: a masters in economics, a bachelor of administration, and two law degrees. While imprisoned, Mugabe learned that his son had died of encephalitis at the age of three. Mugabe was grief-stricken and requested a leave of absence to visit his wife in Ghana. He never forgave the prison authorities for refusing this request. Claims have also circulated among those who knew him at

7808-537: The ZANU executive voted to suspend Sithole's membership of the organization. Fearing that the guerrilla war would spread south, the South African government pressured Rhodesia to advance the process of détente with the politically moderate black governments of Zambia and Tanzania. As part of these negotiations, Smith's government agreed to release a number of black revolutionaries who had been indefinitely detained. After almost eleven years of imprisonment, Mugabe

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7936-476: The ZANU-PF if he did not. Mugabe arrived in London in September 1979. There, he and Nkomo presented themselves as part of the "Patriotic Front" but established separate headquarters in the city. At the conference the pair were divided in their attitude; Nkomo wanted to present himself as a moderate while Mugabe played up to his image as a Marxist revolutionary, with Carrington exploiting this division. Throughout

8064-546: The Zezuru clan, one of the smallest branches of the Shona tribe . Mugabe's paternal grandfather was Chief Constantine Karigamombe, alias "Matibiri", a powerful figure who served King Lobengula in the 19th century. Through his father, he claimed membership of the chieftaincy family that has provided the hereditary rulers of Zvimba for generations. The Jesuits were strict disciplinarians and under their influence Mugabe developed an intense self-discipline, while also becoming

8192-577: The Zimbabwe's wealthiest people. Growing corruption among the socio-economic elite generated resentment among the wider population, much of which was living in poverty. ZANU–PF also began establishing its own business empire, founding the M&;S Syndicate in 1980 and the Zidoo Holdings in 1981. By 1992, the party had fixed assets and businesses worth an estimated Z$ 500 million (US$ 75 million). In 1980, ZANU–PF used Nigerian funds to set up

8320-497: The armed forces, was elevated to the post of vice president of the party (the first woman to hold that office) at the expense of contender Emmerson Mnangagwa and his supporters; Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa and Information Minister Jonathan Moyo . The 2005 Zimbabwe parliamentary elections were held on 31 March 2005. The party won 59.6% of the popular vote and 78 out of 120 elected seats. Later that year, 26 November, it won 43 of 50 elected senators. The parliamentary election

8448-437: The black majority. After making antigovernmental comments, he was convicted of sedition and imprisoned between 1964 and 1974. On release, he fled to Mozambique, established his leadership of ZANU, and oversaw its role in the Rhodesian Bush War , fighting Ian Smith 's predominantly white government. He reluctantly participated in peace talks in the United Kingdom that resulted in the Lancaster House Agreement , putting an end to

8576-419: The central committee, politburo, and presidium, and most likely endorse the party's next candidate for president. This congress, which takes place every five years, is the most important elective organ for the party. Although President Mugabe had not named a successor, Joice Mujuru was seen by many as the most likely candidate. She had support from both the politburo and the population at large (demonstrated by

8704-608: The college and shared his political interests. While Mugabe was teaching abroad, an anti-colonialist African nationalist movement was established in Southern Rhodesia. It was first led by Joshua Nkomo 's Southern Rhodesia African National Congress , founded in September 1957 and then banned by the colonial government in February 1959. SRANC was replaced by the more radically oriented National Democratic Party (NDP), founded in January 1960. In May 1960, Mugabe returned to Southern Rhodesia, bringing Hayfron with him. The pair had planned for their visit to be short, however Mugabe's friend,

8832-443: The congress that ZANU "stands for democracy, socialism, nationalism, one man/one vote, freedom, pan-Africanism , non-racism, and republicanism . The Patriotic Front (PF) was formed as a political and military alliance between ZAPU and ZANU during the war against white minority rule in Rhodesia (now called Zimbabwe). The PF included the Soviet Union -backed ZAPU, which was led by Joshua Nkomo and operated mainly from Zambia , and

8960-579: The country and supporting anti-Mugabe militants among the country's white minority. In December 1981, a bomb struck ZANU–PF headquarters, killing seven and injuring 124. Mugabe blamed South African-backed white militants. He criticised "reactionary and counter-revolutionary elements" in the white community, stating that despite the fact that they had faced no punishment for their past actions, they rejected racial reconciliation and "are acting in collusion with South Africa to harm our racial relations, to destroy our unity, to sabotage our economy, and to overthrow

9088-485: The day-to-day military operations of ZANLA, which he entrusted to Tongogara. In January 1976, ZANLA launched its first major infiltration from Mozambique, with nearly 1000 guerrillas crossing the border to attack white-owned farms and stores. In response, Smith's government enlisted all men under the age of 35, expanding the Rhodesian army by 50%. ZANLA's attacks forced large numbers of white landowners to abandon their farms; their now-unemployed black workers joined ZANLA by

9216-481: The early years of Mugabe's rule. In the economic boom that followed, the white minority—which controlled considerable property and dominated commerce, industry, and banking—were the country's main beneficiaries. Nevertheless, many white Zimbabweans complained that they were the victims of racial discrimination . Many whites remained uneasy about living under the government of a black Marxist and they also feared that their children would be unable to secure jobs. There

9344-457: The eastern districts around Fort Victoria and Umtali . Meanwhile, ZAPU maintained an advantage in Bulawayo and Matabeleland , and in and around the capital, Salisbury. Though neither party's leaders belonged exclusively to one ethnic group, the division arguably had an ethnic component, with ZAPU finding disproportionate support among the Ndebele people and ZANU drawing its base largely from

9472-621: The election and that disqualifying them would wreck any chance of an orderly transition of power . In the February election , ZANU–PF secured 63% of the national vote, gaining 57 of the 80 parliamentary seats allocated for black parties and providing them with an absolute majority . ZAPU had gained 20 seats, and UANC had three. Mugabe was elected MP for the Salisbury constituency of Highfield . Attempting to calm panic and prevent white flight, Mugabe appeared on television and called for national unity, stability, and law and order, insisting that

9600-487: The election of her loyalists to the youth league). Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa was supported by a smaller group composed mainly of senior members of the security establishment, part of ZANU–PF's parliamentary caucus, younger party members, and a few influential parts of the Zimbabwean business community. He had been with Mugabe since Zimbabwe gained independence and was regarded by many as a successor who could maintain stability after Mugabe eventually left office. Mujuru lost

9728-421: The election on the basis of the country's ethnic divisions; Mugabe was Shona, a community that made up around 70% of the country's population, while Nkomo was Ndebele, a tribal group who made up only around 20%. For many in the white community and in the British government, this outcome was a terrifying prospect due to Mugabe's avowed Marxist beliefs and the inflammatory comments that he had made about whites during

9856-458: The election would cause economic damage as it had in Mozambique. Accordingly, during his electoral campaign, Mugabe avoided the use of Marxist and revolutionary rhetoric. Mugabe insisted that in the election, ZANU would stand as a separate party to ZAPU, and refused Nkomo's request for a meeting. He formed ZANU into a political party, known as Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF). Predictions were made that ZANU–PF would win

9984-484: The expanded 210 seats, with Sokwanele stating that this figure would have been lower had it not been for gerrymandering, electoral fraud, and widespread intimidation. At the 2008 presidential election , Morgan Tsvangirai , the MDC candidate, received the most votes, but did not gain an absolute majority; thus a runoff was necessary. Initial results led to MDC-T claiming the required majority. However, ballots were recounted at

10112-591: The first African state to gain independence from European colonial powers and under the leadership of Kwame Nkrumah underwent a range of African nationalist reforms; Mugabe reveled in this environment. In tandem with his teaching, Mugabe attended the Kwame Nkrumah Ideological Institute in Winneba . Mugabe later claimed that it was in Ghana that he finally embraced Marxism. He also began a relationship there with Hayfron who worked at

10240-641: The first NDP congress, held in October 1960, assisted by Chitepo on the procedural aspects. Mugabe was elected the party's publicity secretary. Mugabe consciously injected emotionalism into the NDP's African nationalism, hoping to broaden its support among the wider population by appealing to traditional cultural values. He helped to form the NDP Youth Wing and encouraged the incorporation of ancestral prayers, traditional costume, and female ululation into its meetings. In February 1961 he married Hayfron in

10368-523: The guerrilla armies and old Rhodesian security forces into a new Zimbabwean military . Members of both ZANLA and ZIPRA were integrated into the army; though, there remained a strong rivalry between the two groups. As Prime Minister, Mugabe retained Walls as the head of the armed forces. Mugabe's government continued to make regular pronouncements about converting Zimbabwe into a socialist society. In contrast to Mugabe's talk of socialism, his government's budgetary policies were conservative, operating within

10496-531: The guerrilla war. During the campaign, Mugabe survived two assassination attempts. In the first, which took place on 6 February, a grenade was thrown at his Mount Pleasant home, where it exploded against a garden wall. In the second, on 10 February, a roadside bomb exploded near his motorcade as he left a Fort Victoria rally. Mugabe himself was unharmed. Mugabe accused the Rhodesian security forces of being responsible for these attacks. In an attempt to quell

10624-756: The idea of a government in exile and that "victory" could only be achieved within Rhodesia. Nkomo returned to Salisbury on 2 July 1963, after which a majority of the party executive that had remained in Dar es Salaam voted to remove him as president of ZAPU. In response, Nkomo suspended the various "rebels", including Sithole and Robert Mugabe , from the party. Unable to outmaneuver Nkomo within ZAPU, his opponents decided to create their own organisation. On 8 August 1963, Sithole, Herbert Chitepo , Leopold Takawira , Edgar Tekere , Henry Hamadziripi , and Mukudzei Midzi gathered at

10752-489: The latter as having "an exceptional mind and an exceptional heart". As well as helping provide Mugabe with a Christian education, O'Hea taught him about the Irish War of Independence , in which Irish revolutionaries had overthrown the British imperial regime. After completing six years of elementary education, in 1941 Mugabe was offered a place on a teacher training course at Kutama College . Mugabe's mother could not afford

10880-526: The latter, he organised study classes for the inmates, teaching them basic literacy, maths, and English. Sympathetic black warders smuggled messages from Mugabe and other members of the ZANU executive committee to activists outside the prison. At the executive's bidding, ZANU activist Herbert Chitepo had organised a small guerrilla force in Lusaka . In April 1966 the group carried out a failed attempt to destroy power pylons at Sinoia , and shortly after attacked

11008-482: The leadership of Ian Smith —banned ZANU and ZAPU and arrested all remaining leaders of the country's African nationalist movement. Smith's government made a unilateral declaration of independence from the United Kingdom in November 1965, renaming Southern Rhodesia as Rhodesia; the UK refused to recognize the legitimacy of this and imposed economic sanctions on the country. In 1972, the African nationalists launched

11136-510: The main cause of the ZAPU–ZANU split in his autobiography. ZANU held its inaugural party congress in the Mkoba suburb of Gwelo from 21–23 May 1964. There, Ndabaningi Sithole was elected as the party's first president, Leopold Takawira as vice-president, Robert Mugabe as secretary-general, Herbert Chitepo as national chairman, and Enos Nkala as treasurer. In his presidential address, Sithole told

11264-409: The majority in the legislature also controls the executive branch of government, thus leaving no possibility of opposing parties concurrently occupying the executive and legislative branches of government. In other systems, such as in an American style presidential system , the party of the president does not necessarily also have a legislative majority. A ruling party is also used to describe

11392-546: The masses, replacing ZAPU's existing centralised structure with a larger number of new, smaller branches. In the ZAPU–ZANU split, most of Nkomo's longtime allies who had been with him since the SRANC's formation in 1957—including Jason Moyo and George Nyandoro —stayed with ZAPU, while many nationalist leaders who had come to prominence in 1960 or later—like Sithole and Mugabe—joined the new party. On 22 August 1963, Sithole held ZANU's first press conference, telling reporters, "When

11520-453: The name ZANU–PF, until 2017, when he was removed as leader. At the 2008 parliamentary election , the ZANU–PF lost sole control of parliament for the first time in party history and brokered a difficult power-sharing deal with the Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai (MDC). ZANU-PF then won the 2013 election , gaining a two-thirds majority. The party narrowly held their super-majority in

11648-431: The need for a democratic black majority government, Carington was able to convince Mugabe to compromise on the other main issue of the conference, that of land ownership. Mugabe agreed to the protection of the white community's privately owned property on the condition that the UK and U.S. governments provide financial assistance allowing the Zimbabwean government to purchase much land for redistribution among blacks. Mugabe

11776-483: The negotiations, Mugabe did not trust the British and believed that they were manipulating events to their own advantage. The ensuing Lancaster House Agreement called for all participants in the Rhodesian Bush War to agree to a ceasefire, with a British governor, Christopher Soames , arriving in Rhodesia to oversee an election in which the various factions could compete as political parties. It outlined

11904-491: The owner. This meant that Mugabe's government was largely restricted to purchasing land which was of poor quality. Its target was to resettle 18,000 black families on 2.5 million acres of white-owned land over three years. This would cost £30 million (US$ 60 million), half of which was to be provided by the UK government as per the Lancaster House Agreement. In 1986, Mugabe became chair of

12032-565: The party came to power it would repeal the Land Apportionment Act . It would also repeal the Land Husbandry Act and replace both by a new land redistribution law." In addition to land reform, Sithole pledged that "A bill of rights would be entrenched in the constitution guaranteeing the rights and freedom of every citizen." Sithole told the reporters that ZANU was "nonracial" and would accommodate "people who share

12160-522: The party leadership met Tanganyika's president, Julius Nyerere , who also dismissed the idea of a government-in-exile and urged ZAPU to organise their resistance to white minority rule within Southern Rhodesia itself. In August, Hayfron gave birth to Mugabe's son, whom they named Nhamodzenyika, a Shona term meaning "suffering country". Mugabe insisted that she take their son back to Ghana, while he decided to return to Southern Rhodesia. There, African nationalists opposed to Nkomo's leadership had established

12288-533: The party of one-party states , such as the Chinese Communist Party in the People's Republic of China . This article about a political party is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . role of majority party in democracy Robert Mugabe Robert Gabriel Mugabe ( / m ʊ ˈ ɡ ɑː b i / ; Shona: [muɡaɓe] ; 21 February 1924 – 6 September 2019)

12416-547: The party's elective congress on 28 October 2022, is President Emmerson Mnangagwa . The other three members of the party's presidium, appointed by Mnangagwa on 29 October 2022, are Second Secretaries Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi , and National Chairperson Oppah Muchinguri . The party maintains a Women's League and Youth League . A third wing, the War Veterans' League, was established in 2022 and held its inaugural conference on 9 September of that year. ZANU–PF

12544-564: The pensions of white civil servants would be guaranteed and that private property would be protected. Southern Rhodesia gained internationally recognized independence on 18 April 1980. Mugabe took the oath of office as the newly minted country's first Prime Minister shortly after midnight. He gave a speech at Salisbury's Rufaro Stadium announcing that Rhodesia would be renamed "Zimbabwe" and pledged racial reconciliation. Soames aided Mugabe in bringing about an orderly transition of power ; for this Mugabe remained grateful, describing Soames as

12672-469: The popularly elected government I lead". Increasingly he criticised not only the militants but the entire white community for holding a monopoly on "Zimbabwe's economic power". This was a view echoed by many government ministers and the government-controlled media. One of these ministers, Tekere, was involved in an incident in which he and seven armed men stormed a white-owned farmhouse, killing an elderly farmer; they alleged that in doing so they were foiling

12800-569: The population to 92%. A new leadership elite were formed, who often expressed their newfound status through purchasing large houses and expensive cars, sending their children to private schools, and obtaining farms and businesses. To contain their excesses, in 1984 Mugabe drew up a "leadership code" which prohibited any senior figures from obtaining more than one salary or owning over 50-acres of agricultural land. There were exceptions, with Mugabe giving permission to General Solomon Mujuru to expand his business empire, resulting in his becoming one of

12928-554: The possibility that Rhodesia's security forces would launch a coup to prevent the election, Mugabe met with Peter Walls , the commander of Rhodesia's armed forces, and asked him to remain in his position in the event of a ZANU–PF victory. At the time Walls refused. The electoral campaign was marred by widespread voter intimidation , perpetrated by Nkomo's ZAPU, Abel Muzorewa 's United African National Council (UANC), and Mugabe's ZANU–PF. Commenting on ZANU–PF's activities in eastern Rhodesia, Nkomo complained that "the word intimidation

13056-581: The presidency on 21 November 2017. Mnangagwa was sworn in as the new President of the Republic of Zimbabwe on 24 November 2017. On 6 September 2019, Robert Mugabe died of cancer (according to Mnangagwa) at the age of 95. He was succeeded as President by Emmerson Mnangagwa . In the March 2022 by-elections , ZANU–PF had a poor performance compared to the Citizens Coalition for Change . ZANU–PF won

13184-496: The prison commanding ZANU activists to assassinate Smith. His plan was discovered, and he was put on trial in January 1969; desperate to avoid a death sentence, he declared that he renounced violence and his previous ideological commitments. Mugabe denounced Sithole's "treachery" in rejecting ZANU's cause, and the executive removed him as ZANU President in a vote of no confidence , selecting Mugabe as his successor. In November 1974,

13312-457: The rival parties in urban areas across the country. At one ZANU meeting in August 1963 in Highfield, 200 supporters required the protection of Rhodesian police to hold their event, while a "milling pro-Nkomo mob of [a] thousand threatening death to the 'sellouts'" waited outside and stoned the cars of ZANU leaders Sithole and Nathan Shamuyarira as they left. Nkomo's support was even stronger in

13440-417: The struggle against minority rule. Zimbabwe also received much aid from Western countries, whose governments hoped that a stable and prosperous Zimbabwe would aid the transition of South Africa away from apartheid and minority rule. The United States provided Zimbabwe with a $ 25 million three-year aid package. The UK financed a land reform program, and provided military advisers to aid the integration of

13568-447: The succession battle with Mnangagwa after being expelled from the party in 2015 a new power struggle began between Mnangagwa's faction (known as Team Lacoste ) and Grace Mugabe's faction (known as Generation 40  or G40) which had become violent by 2017. Emmerson Mnangagwa was demoted from Minister of Justice following a cabinet reshuffle, soon after he publicly claimed that he was poisoned, in early-October 2017. On 15 November 2017,

13696-431: The thousands. By 1979, ZANLA were in a position to attack a number of Rhodesian cities. Over the course of the war, at least 30,000 people were killed. As a proportion of their wider population, the whites had higher number of fatalities, and by the latter part of the decade the guerrillas were winning. Mugabe focused on the propaganda war, making regular speeches and radio broadcasts. In these, he presented himself as

13824-497: The time that Mugabe was subjected to both physical and mental torture during his imprisonment. According to Father Emmanuel Ribeiro, who was Mugabe's priest during his imprisonment, Mugabe got through the experience "partly through the strength of his spirituality" but also because his "real strength was study and helping others to learn". While Mugabe was imprisoned, in August 1964, the Rhodesian Front government—now under

13952-466: The time the rest of ZAPU's leadership arrived in Dar es Salaam, he had changed his mind and was opposed the idea. Other accounts describe a split between Nkomo, who preferred an externally-based movement, and others—including Enoch Dumbutshena and Ndabaningi Sithole —who favoured an internal struggle and pressured Nkomo to return to Rhodesia. President Julius Nyerere told the assembled ZAPU leaders that neither he nor other African heads of state supported

14080-418: The tuition fees, which were paid in part by his grandfather and in part by O'Hea. As part of this education, Mugabe began teaching at his old school, earning £2 per month, which he used to support his family. In 1944, Gabriel returned to Kutama with his three new children, but died shortly after, leaving Robert to take financial responsibility for both his three siblings and three half-siblings. Having attained

14208-430: The violence on ZANU supporters, arguing that his followers were using "self-defence against a group of power-hungry people who have failed to gain public support." Sithole likewise claimed that his supporters were not the instigators, stating that he had "a group of well-disciplined officials who can control the youngsters." Despite facing initial backlash, ZANU did gain a following, and found particularly strong support in

14336-554: The war. In the 1980 general election , Mugabe led ZANU-PF to victory, becoming Prime Minister when the country, now renamed Zimbabwe, gained internationally recognized independence later that year. Mugabe's administration expanded healthcare and education and—despite his professed desire for a socialist society —adhered largely to mainstream economic policies. Mugabe's calls for racial reconciliation failed to stem growing white emigration, while relations with Joshua Nkomo 's Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) also deteriorated. In

14464-467: Was a Zimbabwean revolutionary and politician who served as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 1987 and then as President from 1987 to 2017. He served as Leader of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) from 1975 to 1980 and led its successor political party, the ZANU – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF), from 1980 to 2017. Ideologically an African nationalist , during the 1970s and 1980s he identified as

14592-582: Was a growing exodus to South Africa, and in 1980, 17,000 whites—approximately a tenth of the white Zimbabwean population—emigrated. Mugabe's government had pledged support for the African National Congress and other anti-apartheid forces within South Africa but did not allow them to use Zimbabwe as a base for their military operations. To protest apartheid and white minority rule in South Africa, Mugabe's government banned Zimbabwe from engaging South Africa in any sporting competitions. In turn, South Africa tried to destabilise Zimbabwe by blocking trade routes into

14720-477: Was absorbed through the Unity Accord with ZANU to form an official ZANU–PF. From 1999 to 2017, Mugabe faced a major political challenge from the opposition Movement for Democratic Change . Mugabe won 56% at the presidential elections of 9–11 March 2002. At the December 2004 five-year conference, Joice Mujuru , a Zezuru Shona like Mugabe, and whose late-husband Solomon Mujuru was the retired head of

14848-602: Was arrested on his return to Southern Rhodesia in December 1963. His trial lasted from January to March 1964, during which he refused to retract the subversive statements that he had publicly made. In March 1964 he was sentenced to 21 months' imprisonment. Mugabe was first imprisoned at Salisbury Maximum Security Prison, before being moved to the Wha Wha detention centre and then the Sikombela detention centre in Que Que . At

14976-420: Was arrested, he feared the same fate but was hidden from the authorities by Ribeiro. Ribeiro and a sympathetic nun then assisted him and Edgar Tekere in smuggling themselves into Mozambique. Mugabe remained in exile there for two years. Mozambique's Marxist President Samora Machel was sceptical of Mugabe's leadership abilities and was unsure whether to recognise him as ZANU's legitimate leader. Machel gave him

15104-509: Was banned and many of its leaders detained. The colony's Unlawful Organisations Act was also amended in an attempt to prevent ZAPU from being reconstituted with a different name. African nationalist politics in Rhodesia in the 1960s were characterised by internal rivalries and disputes over strategy. Divisions within ZAPU came to a head in April 1963 when Nkomo called a meeting of the party's executive in Dar es Salaam , where he had gone after ZAPU

15232-606: Was banned by the Southern Rhodesian government in February 1959. In turn, on 1 January 1960, the National Democratic Party (NDP) was formed. The NDP advocated a similarly militant platform, and was similarly banned in December 1961. In the same month, Nkomo formed the Zimbabwe African People's Union , which shared the same aims and tactics of its predecessor organisations. In September 1962, amid growing unrest in Southern Rhodesia's major towns, ZAPU

15360-474: Was banned in late 1962. The main criticisms of Nkomo were directed against his initial support of Southern Rhodesia's 1961 constitution (a position he later reversed), his extensive foreign travel in pursuit of international support for the movement, and his handling of the formation of a government in exile in Tanganyika . According to Nkomo, he had received permission to form a government in exile, but by

15488-673: Was born on 21 February 1924 at the Kutama Mission village in Southern Rhodesia's Zvimba District . His father, Gabriel Matibiri, was a carpenter while his mother Bona was a Christian catechist for the village children. They had been trained in their professions by the Jesuits , the Roman Catholic religious order which had established the mission. Bona and Gabriel had six children: Miteri (Michael), Raphael, Robert, Dhonandhe (Donald), Sabina , and Bridgette. They belonged to

15616-440: Was disputed as being unfair. The leader of the opposition MDC party said, "We are deeply disturbed by the fraudulent activities we have unearthed", and various human rights groups reported that hundreds of thousands of "ghost voters" had appeared on the electoral roll of 5.8 million people. At the 2008 parliamentary election , the ZANU–PF lost its majority in parliament for the first time since independence, and held 94 seats out of

15744-685: Was not active in any political movement. He joined a number of inter-racial groups, such as the Capricorn Africa Society , through which he mixed with both black and white Rhodesians. Guy Clutton-Brock , who knew Mugabe through this group, later noted that he was "an extraordinary young man" who could be "a bit of a cold fish at times" but "could talk about Elvis Presley or Bing Crosby as easily as politics". From 1955 to 1958, Mugabe lived in neighbouring Northern Rhodesia , where he worked at Chalimbana Teacher Training College in Lusaka . There he continued his education by working on

15872-576: Was officially declared ZANU President at a meeting of the party's central committee held in Chimoio . During the war, Mugabe remained suspicious of many of ZANLA's commanders and had a number of them imprisoned. In 1977 he imprisoned his former second-in-command, Wilfred Mhanda , for suspected disloyalty. After Josiah Tongogara was killed in a car accident in 1979, there were suggestions made that Mugabe may have had some involvement in it; these rumours were never substantiated. Mugabe remained aloof from

16000-573: Was opposed to the idea of a ceasefire, but under pressure from Machel he agreed to it. Mugabe signed the agreement, but felt cheated, remaining disappointed that he had never achieved a military victory over the Rhodesian forces. Returning to Salisbury in January 1980, Mugabe was greeted by a supportive crowd. He settled into a house in Mount Pleasant , a wealthy, white-dominated suburb. Machel had cautioned Mugabe not to alienate Rhodesia's white minority, warning him that any white flight after

16128-468: Was owned by black small-scale commercial farmers, and 41% was 'communal land' where 4 million people lived, often in overcrowded conditions. The Lancaster House agreement ensured that until 1990, the sale of land could only take place on a "willing seller-willing buyer" basis. The only permitted exceptions were if the land was "underutilized" or needed for a public purpose, in which case the government could compulsorily purchase it while fully compensating

16256-633: Was released in November 1974. He moved in with his sister Sabina at her home in Highfield township. He was intent on joining the ZANU forces and taking part in the guerrilla war, recognizing that to secure dominance of ZANU he would have to take command of ZANLA. This was complicated by internal violence within the paramilitary group, predominately between members of the Manyika and Karange groups of Shona. In March 1975, Mugabe resolved to leave Rhodesia for Mozambique, ambitious to take control of ZANU's guerrilla campaign. After his friend Maurice Nyagumbo

16384-405: Was won by Mugabe and ZANU–PF, with Nkomo and his PF–ZAPU retaining a stronghold in the provinces of Matabeleland . In December 1981, agents of South Africa 's apartheid government bombed party headquarters, nearly killing many senior ZANU–PF leaders, including Robert Mugabe. In December 1987, after five years of the low-level civil war known as Gukurahundi , the opposition ZAPU, led by Nkomo,

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