About Zim’s liberation war heroes
FROM S8
in conjunction with Herbert Chitepo, Robert Mugabe and Edgar Tekere in the Highfields House of Enos Nkala.
He spent 10 years in prison after being arrested on June 22 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.
Edgar Zivanai Tekere
Edgar Zivanai Tekere (April 1 1937 – June 7 2011), nicknamed “2 Boy”. He was the second and last secretary-general of the Zimbabwe African National Union (Zanu), who organised the party during the Lancaster House talks and served in government before his popularity as a potential rival to Mugabe caused their estrangement.
During the war, Tekere served on the Zanu high command or Dare reChimurenga. He was detained by the Rhodesian government at Gonakudzingwa.
Enos Mzombi Nkala
Enos Mzombi Nkala (August 23 1932–August 21 2013) was one of the founders of the Zimbabwe African National Union.
During the Rhodesian war, he served on the Zanu high command, or Dare reChimurenga as treasurer (dura remusangano).
Nkala was detained by the Rhodesian government at Gonakudzingwa for 12 years with the rest of the Zanu PF (formed in Nkala’s house in Highfield) leadership, consisting of Ndabaningi Sithole, Takawira, Mugabe, Tekere and Morris Nyagumbo.
Simon Vengai Muzenda
Simon Vengai Muzenda (October 28 1922 – September 20 2003) served as Deputy Prime Minister from 1980 to 1987 and as Vice-President of Zimbabwe from 1987 until his death in 2003 under President Robert Mugabe.
Muzenda was born in the Gutu district of the Victoria province of southern Rhodesia as a son of a peasant farmer and brought up by his grandmother Mbuya Maweni, who ensured his regular attendance for his primary education at Nyamandi Primary School.
A relatively bright child, he was sent for teacher training after spending his teenage years herding the family cattle with his close friend and advisor Edward “Jaben” Mushandu in Makonese Village under Chief Nyamandi and following the advice of his tutor, travelled to the Marianhill mission in Natal, South Africa, where he showed proficiency in carpentry.
Rekayi Tangwena
Rekayi Tangwena (c. 1910 – 11 June 1984) was a traditional chief from Zimbabwe’s eastern province of Manicaland.
He is well known as the man who helped Mugabe and Tekere cross into Mozambique to join the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (Zanla) guerillas who were waging a fierce bush war against Ian Smith’s Rhodesian government.
However, Chief Tangwena was also well known for his fierce resistance to having his people evicted from their ancestral lands to make way for white settlers.
He continued to resist even after the people’s homesteads had been destroyed by settler forces. Rodgers Alfred Nikita Mangena
Rodgers Alfred Nikita Mangena (March 16 1943 —June 28 1978), born Rodgers Alfred Mangena in the Maranda area, commanded the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (Zipra), the militant branch of the Zimbabwe African People’s Union, in the Rhodesian Bush War. Mangena led a Zipra uprising against Zapu moderates in 1977 with hundreds of followers in camps in Zambia attacking Zapu’s headquarters in Lusaka. Solomon Mujuru
Solomon Mujuru (born Solomon Mutusva; May 5 1945 – August 15 2011), also known by his nomde-guerre, Rex Nhongo, was a military officer and politician who led Mugabe’s guerrilla forces during the Rhodesian War.
In post-independence Zimbabwe, he went on to become army chief before leaving government service in 1995.
After leaving his post in the Zimbabwe National Army, he got into politics becoming Member of Parliament for Chikomba on a Zanu PF ticket. He was generally regarded as one of the most feared men in Zimbabwe.
It was generally thought that Mujuru had a tremendous amount of influence on who would lead Zanu PF and the country.
He was the only person believed to have had the stature to challenge Mugabe during party meetings.