Ndabaningi Sithole
Encyclopedia
Ndabaningi Sithole founded the Zimbabwe African National Union
, a militant organization that opposed the government of Rhodesia
, in July 1963. A member of the Ndau
ethnic group, he also worked as a Methodist minister. He spent 10 years in prison after the government banned ZANU. A rift along tribal lines split ZANU in 1975, and he lost the 1980 elections
to Robert Mugabe
.
, Southern Rhodesia
. He studied teaching in the United States from 1955 to 1958, and was ordained a Methodist minister in 1958. The publication of his book "African Nationalism" and its immediate prohibition by the minority government of Ian Smith
, motivated his entry into politics. During his studies in the USA he studied at the Andover Newton Theological School and attended the First Church in Newton, founded in 1665, both located in Newton, Massachusetts.
party in August 1963 in conjunction with Herbert Chitepo
, Robert Mugabe
, Edgar Tekere
in the Highfields House of Enos Nkala
. In 1964 there was a party Congress at Gwelo, where Sithole was elected president and appointed Robert Mugabe
to be his secretary general. ZANU was banned in 1964 by Ian Smith
's government. He spent 10 years in prison after being arrested on 22 June 1964 alongside Mugabe, Tekere, Nyagumbo and Takawira for his political activities. While in prison he specifically authorised Chitepo to continue the struggle from abroad as a representative of ZANU. Sithole was convicted on a charge of plotting to assassinate Ian Smith. The two were released from prison in 1974.
On March 18, 1975 Chitepo was assassinated in Lusaka
, Zambia
with a car bomb. Mugabe, in Mozambique at the time, unilaterally assumed control of ZANU. Later that year there was a factional split, with many Ndebele
following Joshua Nkomo into the equally militant ZAPU. Sithole eventually founded the moderate ZANU-Ndonga
party, which renounced violent struggle, while the Shona
-dominated ZANU (now called ZANU PF) followed Mugabe with a more militant agenda.
Sithole joined a transitional government of whites and blacks on 31 July 1979. Later in September 1979 he attended the Lancaster House Agreement
chaired by Lord Carrington which paved the way for fresh elections, but his small ZANU Party failed to win any seats in independent elections that swept Mugabe to power in 1980.
in 1983, returning to Zimbabwe in January 1992.
He was elected
to parliament for his tribal stronghold of Chipinge
in southeastern Zimbabwe in 1995, and was a candidate in the 1996 presidential election
(though he withdrew shortly before the election after claiming that Mugabe's ZANU-PF was undermining his campaign). In December 1997 a court tried and convicted him of conspiring to assassinate Mugabe and the government disqualified him from attending parliament. Sithole's small opposition group again won the Chipinge seat in the June 2000 elections.
He was granted the right to appeal, appeal was filed, but the case was never heard by the Supreme Court. He was allowed bail because of his deteriorating health. He died on 12 December 2000, in Philadelphia, Pa.
, USA
. The author of three books on African politics, he is survived by his wife, Vesta, and five adult children.
His farm (Porta Farm) in Epworth near Harare, that he legally purchased under willing buyer - willing seller arrangements in 1992 was later confiscated by Robert Mugabe
's Government, on the grounds of the 'undesirables' of Harare who were being left homeless after unceremoniously being evicted during the clearing Harare project of 'undesirables' before the Commonwealth Heads of State meeting in 1992. Sithole had felt compassion for them, and the breach of human rights which had been done against them, and he therefore had invited them to stay on his Porta Farm. This clearly incensed the government, which then carried out an eviction operation on Porta Farm. This was co-ordinated by the Ministry of Local Government and National Housing as well as the City of Harare. Pre-dawn raids were carried out and in the aftermath people lost property worth millions, and Porta Farm was confiscated.
Zimbabwe African National Union
The Zimbabwe African National Union was a militant organization that fought against the standing government in Rhodesia, formed as a split from the Zimbabwe African People's Union...
, a militant organization that opposed the government of Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
, in July 1963. A member of the Ndau
Ndau
The Ndau is an ethnic group which inhabits the Zambezi valley, in central Mozambique all the way to the coast, and eastern Zimbabwe, south of Chipinge and Chimanimani....
ethnic group, he also worked as a Methodist minister. He spent 10 years in prison after the government banned ZANU. A rift along tribal lines split ZANU in 1975, and he lost the 1980 elections
Zimbabwean parliamentary election, 1980
General elections were held in Southern Rhodesia in February 1980 in order to elect a government which would govern the country after it was granted independence as Zimbabwe, in accordance with the conclusions of the Lancaster House Agreement...
to Robert Mugabe
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
.
Early life
Sithole was born in NyamandhlovuNyamandhlovu
Nyamandhlovu is a village in Matabeleland North province in Zimbabwe. Nyamandhlovu means "meat of the elephant" in the local language of Ndebele....
, Southern Rhodesia
Southern Rhodesia
Southern Rhodesia was the name of the British colony situated north of the Limpopo River and the Union of South Africa. From its independence in 1965 until its extinction in 1980, it was known as Rhodesia...
. He studied teaching in the United States from 1955 to 1958, and was ordained a Methodist minister in 1958. The publication of his book "African Nationalism" and its immediate prohibition by the minority government of Ian Smith
Ian Smith
Ian Douglas Smith GCLM ID was a politician active in the government of Southern Rhodesia, the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe Rhodesia and Zimbabwe from 1948 to 1987, most notably serving as Prime Minister of Rhodesia from 13 April 1964 to 1 June 1979...
, motivated his entry into politics. During his studies in the USA he studied at the Andover Newton Theological School and attended the First Church in Newton, founded in 1665, both located in Newton, Massachusetts.
ZANU
He founded and was chief architect of Zimbabwe African National UnionZimbabwe African National Union
The Zimbabwe African National Union was a militant organization that fought against the standing government in Rhodesia, formed as a split from the Zimbabwe African People's Union...
party in August 1963 in conjunction with Herbert Chitepo
Herbert Chitepo
Herbert Wiltshire Chitepo led the Zimbabwe African National Union until he was assassinated on March 1975. Although his murderer remains unidentified, the Rhodesian author Peter Stiff says that a former British SAS soldier, Hugh Hind was responsible.Chitepo became the first black citizen of...
, Robert Mugabe
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
, Edgar Tekere
Edgar Tekere
Edgar Zivanai Tekere was a Zimbabwean politician. He was a president of the Zimbabwe African National Union who organised the party during the Lancaster House talks and served in government before his popularity as a potential rival to Robert Mugabe caused their...
in the Highfields House of Enos Nkala
Enos Nkala
Enos Nkala is one of the founders of the Zimbabwe African National Union. During the war, he served on the ZANU high command, or Dare reChimurenga...
. In 1964 there was a party Congress at Gwelo, where Sithole was elected president and appointed Robert Mugabe
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
to be his secretary general. ZANU was banned in 1964 by Ian Smith
Ian Smith
Ian Douglas Smith GCLM ID was a politician active in the government of Southern Rhodesia, the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe Rhodesia and Zimbabwe from 1948 to 1987, most notably serving as Prime Minister of Rhodesia from 13 April 1964 to 1 June 1979...
's government. He spent 10 years in prison after being arrested on 22 June 1964 alongside Mugabe, Tekere, Nyagumbo and Takawira for his political activities. While in prison he specifically authorised Chitepo to continue the struggle from abroad as a representative of ZANU. Sithole was convicted on a charge of plotting to assassinate Ian Smith. The two were released from prison in 1974.
On March 18, 1975 Chitepo was assassinated in Lusaka
Lusaka
Lusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau, at an elevation of about 1,300 metres . It has a population of about 1.7 million . It is a commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia head...
, Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
with a car bomb. Mugabe, in Mozambique at the time, unilaterally assumed control of ZANU. Later that year there was a factional split, with many Ndebele
Ndebele people (Zimbabwe)
The Ndebele are a branch of the Zulus who split from King Shaka in the early 1820s under the leadership of Mzilikazi, a former general in Shaka's army....
following Joshua Nkomo into the equally militant ZAPU. Sithole eventually founded the moderate ZANU-Ndonga
Zimbabwe African National Union - Ndonga
Zimbabwe African National Union – Ndonga is a small political party in Zimbabwe.The Zimbabwe African National Union was a political party during the struggle for Rhodesia's independence, formed as a split from the Zimbabwe African Peoples Union...
party, which renounced violent struggle, while the Shona
Shona people
Shona is the name collectively given to two groups of people in the east and southwest of Zimbabwe, north eastern Botswana and southern Mozambique.-Shona Regional Classification:...
-dominated ZANU (now called ZANU PF) followed Mugabe with a more militant agenda.
Sithole joined a transitional government of whites and blacks on 31 July 1979. Later in September 1979 he attended the Lancaster House Agreement
Lancaster House Agreement
The negotiations which led to the Lancaster House Agreement brought independence to Rhodesia following Ian Smith’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1965. The Agreement covered the Independence Constitution, pre-independence arrangements, and a ceasefire...
chaired by Lord Carrington which paved the way for fresh elections, but his small ZANU Party failed to win any seats in independent elections that swept Mugabe to power in 1980.
Exile and return
Declaring that his life was in danger from political enemies, Sithole went into self-imposed exile in Silver Spring, MarylandSilver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...
in 1983, returning to Zimbabwe in January 1992.
He was elected
Zimbabwean parliamentary election, 1995
The Zimbabwe Parliamentary election of 1995 was held on April 8-9 to elect members to the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe. The ruling Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front won an overwhelming majority of the seats . There were 120 constituencies but 55 members were returned...
to parliament for his tribal stronghold of Chipinge
Chipinge
Chipinge is a town in southeastern Zimbabwe in the province of Manicaland near the Mozambique border. The town lies in a valley in the southern Eastern Highlands. One of Zimbabwe's most famous landmarks, the Birchenough Bridge is located on the Sabi River 62 km from Chipinge...
in southeastern Zimbabwe in 1995, and was a candidate in the 1996 presidential election
Zimbabwean presidential election, 1996
A presidential election was held in Zimbabwe on 16 and 17 March 1996. The election was contested by the incumbent Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe Rhodesia-era Prime Minister Abel Muzorewa, and ZANU-Ndonga leader Ndabaningi Sithole...
(though he withdrew shortly before the election after claiming that Mugabe's ZANU-PF was undermining his campaign). In December 1997 a court tried and convicted him of conspiring to assassinate Mugabe and the government disqualified him from attending parliament. Sithole's small opposition group again won the Chipinge seat in the June 2000 elections.
He was granted the right to appeal, appeal was filed, but the case was never heard by the Supreme Court. He was allowed bail because of his deteriorating health. He died on 12 December 2000, in Philadelphia, Pa.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The author of three books on African politics, he is survived by his wife, Vesta, and five adult children.
His farm (Porta Farm) in Epworth near Harare, that he legally purchased under willing buyer - willing seller arrangements in 1992 was later confiscated by Robert Mugabe
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
's Government, on the grounds of the 'undesirables' of Harare who were being left homeless after unceremoniously being evicted during the clearing Harare project of 'undesirables' before the Commonwealth Heads of State meeting in 1992. Sithole had felt compassion for them, and the breach of human rights which had been done against them, and he therefore had invited them to stay on his Porta Farm. This clearly incensed the government, which then carried out an eviction operation on Porta Farm. This was co-ordinated by the Ministry of Local Government and National Housing as well as the City of Harare. Pre-dawn raids were carried out and in the aftermath people lost property worth millions, and Porta Farm was confiscated.