Robert Mugabe

Robert Gabriel Mugabe (born February 21, 1924) has been the head of government in Zimbabwe, first as Prime Minister and later as first executive President, since 1980.

Anti-colonial struggle

See also: History of Zimbabwe

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Returning to Southern Rhodesia in 1960 as a committed Marxist, Mugabe joined Joshua Nkomo and the National Democratic Party (NDP), which later became the Zimbabwe African Peoples Union (ZAPU), both immediately banned by Ian Smith's government. He left ZAPU in 1963 to form the rival Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) with Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole and lawyer Herbert Chitepo. It would have been easy for the party to split along tribal lines between the Ndebele tribe and that of Mugabe himself, the Shona tribe, but cross-tribal representation was maintained by his partners. ZANU leader Sithole nominated Mugabe as his Secretary General.

Related Topics:
Marxist - Joshua Nkomo - Zimbabwe African Peoples Union - Ian Smith - 1963 - Zimbabwe African National Union - Ndabaningi Sithole - Herbert Chitepo - Ndebele - Shona

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ZANU was influenced by the Africanist ideas of the Pan Africanist Congress in South Africa and influenced by Maoism while ZAPU was an ally of the African National Congress and was a supporter of a more orthodox pro-Soviet line on national liberation. Similar divisions can also be seen the in liberation movement in Angola between the MPLA and UNITA.

Related Topics:
Pan Africanist Congress - Maoism - African National Congress - Soviet - National liberation - Angola - MPLA - UNITA

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He was detained with other nationalist leaders Joshua Nkomo and Edson Zvobgo in 1964 and remained in prison for ten years, where he studied law. On his release he left Rhodesia for Mozambique in 1974 and led the Chinese-financed military arm of ZANU, the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA), in the war against Ian Smith's government.

Related Topics:
Joshua Nkomo - Edson Zvobgo - 1964 - Mozambique - 1974 - Chinese - Ian Smith

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On 18 March 1975, Chitepo was killed by a bomb placed in his car while in Zambia. ZANLA commander Josiah Tongogara was subsequently blamed by Kenneth Kaunda's government. Mugabe unilaterally assumed control of ZANU from Mozambique. Later that year, after squabbling with Ndabaningi Sithole, Mugabe formed a militant ZANU faction, leaving Sithole to lead the moderate Zanu (Ndonga) party, which renounced violent struggle.

Related Topics:
18 March - 1975 - Zambia - Josiah Tongogara - Kenneth Kaunda - Ndabaningi Sithole - Zanu (Ndonga)

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