Issue 35, April 2021 Zimbabwe: The Ethnicisation of Zanu and the Downfall of Ndabaningi Sithole (1963–2000) Owen MANGIZA Ishmael MAZAMBANI Abstract: This article is an exposition of the transformation of ZANU from being, primarily, a nationalist movement into an ethnic oriented party. Since its formation in 1963, ZANU was gripped by ethnicity, resulting in factions and contestations developing among party members. - nicity was so acute among ZANU party members to an extent that divisions were clearly drawn alongThese the contestations Shona sub-ethnic developed groups into of open Manyika conflicts (easterners), along tribal Karanga lines. The(southerners), paper argues and that Zezuru eth these ethnic groups resulted in the death of some members of the party and the expulsion of others(northerners). from the Theparty. competition It is argued forin the leadership article that positions the persecution and the offighting Ndabaningi among Sithole members and his of fallout as the ZANU president was a result of the ethnicisation of ZANU and the liberation strug- gle. The removal of Sithole as the party president Owen MANGIZA and his replacement by Robert Mugabe exhibits Department of History these contestations among the Zezuru, Karanga and International Studies, and Manyika ethnic groups. We argue that the Midlands State University, Zimbabwe deposition of Sithole from ZANU in 1975 and E-mail:
[email protected] his castigation as a “sell-out” and “tribalist” was a ploy by Robert Mugabe and other ZANU lead- Ishmael MAZAMBANI ers to get rid of him and to replace him along Department of History ethnic grounds. The ethnic card was deployed and International Studies, Midlands State University, Zimbabwe E-mail:
[email protected] to serve selfish political interests.