In the early 1890s, many explorers, hunters, and fortune hunters left their home countries in Britain, France, and Germany in search of a better future for themselves and their families. These groups landed in South Africa and decided to move north. One such group called the British South Africa Company crossed the Limpopo River and found land rich in minerals, wildlife, and open land ideal for farming. They set up a camp and using rifles and other weapons they fought against the indigenous people they found there. They wanted the land for themselves! They began to give each other land and decided to farm there using the local population as cheap labor. They were run by a man named Cecil John Rhodes. They decided to form a government and named their “new” country Rhodesia.
In 1961, a constitution favoring white supremacy was formulated. This gave all the power to a few whites and discriminated against the majority, the local blacks who had been there. They used them as cheap labor for their farms and mining operations. However, they had to trade with other countries; they were not recognized as a country by the United Kingdom and other major powers of the time. His only ally was South Africa.
In 1965, Ian Douglas Smith’s Rhodesia Front political party declared the country a sovereign and independent state. Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI). The United Kingdom and the United Nations lobbied sanctions against this new government, but due to the country’s great wealth of nature reserves, the country prospered. There were schools, hospitals, industries and many agricultural products. The country was paradise except that there was discrimination against the local blacks. There were no blacks in white schools, no blacks in white hospitals, and no blacks in white residential areas (except as domestic servants and gardeners!)
This angered the black man: their country had been stolen from them and they were mistreated in their own country! In 1961 ZAPU was formed under the leadership of Joshua Nkomo (a Ndebele man!). All blacks rallied behind it and it was banned by whites in 1962. It didn’t stop activities but went underground. Secret meetings were held in all black townships. In 1963, ZANU, a new political party, was formed under Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole, a man from the Manicaland region of the country! (Robert Gabriel Mugabe was a member of the new committee) and this party was primarily a party of the Shona people! There were struggles on 3 fronts: against the two black parties and also against the white regime! ZANU was banned in 1964. There were break-ins at the houses of the different parties: people had to resort to having membership cards from both parties, as failure to present a membership card often resulted in a beating.
The black man’s struggle intensified and many people went to Zambia or Mozambique, the leaders of the party were arrested, including Robert Mugabe (imprisoned between 1964 and 1974). The black man decided to participate in the guerrilla war against the white regime!
In 1971, the British government tried to agree with the Rhodesian government to end sanctions in exchange for a smooth transition to majority black rule! Two clerics, Bishop Abel Tendekayi Muzorewa and the Rev. Canaan Banana, led an opposition to this movement and formed a new initiative: the United African National Council and the two exiled parties (ZAPU under Joshua Nkomo and ZANU under the Rev. Sithole)! joined this council! At this stage the initiative was just a forum and not a political party. Therefore, it was legal! He opposed violence and therefore had the support of the white government. However, when Abel Muzorewa turned this into a party, the members had their doubts and infighting began.
Meanwhile, all was not well in the ZANU party: leadership disputes had started and this led to a split in the party. One faction became ZANU-PF (Patriotic Front) and the other ZANU (Ndonga – after their Knokerrie symbol)
An agreement was signed in Harare (then Salisbury) on March 3, 1978 between Muzorewa, Sithole, Jeremiah Chirau and Ian Smith which paved the way for an interim government with the signatories as Executive Council, to manage the affairs of the state in preparation for a general election with black men voting for the first time. However, he still had a racial bias, as he booked some seats along racial lines: 10 in the Senate, 28 in Parliament, and a quarter of the cabinet positions! A predominantly white referendum voted for this constitution!
There were elections and since the blacks did not have another black party to vote for, and they were the majority, the UANC won! A new nation was born: Zimbabwe Rhodesia, with Josiah Gumede as president (not executive, remember Clifford Dupont? And John Wrathall?) and Abel Muzorewa as prime minister! This was not well received by the old guard – Joshua Nkomo (and ZAPU) and Robert Mugabe (with ZANU) and guerrilla warfare escalated. International recognition also did not come as these two strong parties had not been involved in the elections! Plans to end the civil war had not worked.
A solution had to be found to end the civil war! Once again, the British government took the initiative and called for talks in London with all parties involved. ZAPU and ZANU decided to attend under a common banner: Patriotic Front! The Lancaster House talks took place from September to December 1979, marked by many disagreements and threats of a break-up. The land issue was the main bone of contention. The then British Foreign Secretary, Lord Carrington, presided. It was agreed to hold new elections in early 1980.
These elections took place in late February 1980 and there was much intimidation, violence and threats to continue the war if ZANU-PF lost. People were tired of the war and guess who won: ZANU-PF! UANC won 3 seats out of 80 – reserved for blacks. A new nation was born: the Republic of Zimbabwe! With Robert Mugabe as Prime Minister and Canaan Banana as President!