One lie consistently told by ZANU is that the split was because “Nkomo was opposed to armed struggle.” The facts tell us something entirely different.
As early as 1959, Nkomo as leader of the SRANC asked the Ghanaian government of Kwame Nkrumah for assistance with military training. The first six who went were Mark Nziramasanga, Sikhwili Kohli Moyo, Edward Mzwayi Bhebhe, Mudavanhu, and two other comrades. When J.Z. Moyo went to Ghana for their passing out ceremony, he met a young Zimbabwean named Robert Mugabe, a lecturer at Ghana’s Tokaradi Teachers College who he recruited. It seemed a good idea at the time.
In 1960, under the auspices of the NDP, another group went for military training, this time in China. The group included David Mapongo, Philemon Makonese and Charles Chikerema.
By the middle of 1962, sabotage operations by ZAPU on white-owned farms and against government installations had reached such proportions that the Southern Rhodesia Ministry of Information organised an aerial tour of the country to show journalists and chiefs the massive damage done to the white-owned farms.
It was also in 1962 that Nkomo received the first batch of arms from President Nasser of Egypt; these arms were then smuggled into the country. Later that year, the car carrying many of these weapons was stopped by Rhodesian police and the driver, Bobylock Manyonga was arrested and badly tortured but refused to disclose the origin of the arms. He was then given 15 years imprisonment.
It was in 1963 that the first batch of military trainees, including Dumiso Dabengwa and Ackim Ndlovu went to the Soviet Union for military training. This was the turning point. Anti-communists within ZAPU opposed this and sought for reasons to create a split.
Now ZANU came on to the political scene.
Of the leaders of the ZANU split, Ndabaningi Sithole had been trained in the USA, Herbert Chitepo was trained in Britain and a member of the Capricorn Africa Society and the Father of Tribalism in Zimbabwe, Leopold Takawira, was a long time employee and executive officer of the Association founded by David Stirling.
It was David Stirling who formed the SAS, the British special services unit during the Second World War. After the war he organised mercenary detachments in a number of different countries including Saudi Arabia, founding WatchGuard International in the 1960s. During the 1970s Stirling formed an organisation funded by millionaire James Goldsmith to undermine the British trade union movement and another, GB75, to stage a military coup in Britain should there be civil unrest.
Many in the British establishment after the Second World War had understood the dangers of settler racism in southern Africa and were anxious to create an African assimilado class which would work in the imperialist interest. The Capricorn Africa Society was formed in 1949 and had an important conference in Salima, Nyasaland. There it was proposed that all citizens regardless of colour should be able to vote, but that better qualified people should get up to six votes depending on qualifications and property ownership. By the early 1960s to be a “Capricon” meant to be a “Sell-out”.
It was the Capricon, Takawira who, spoke disparagingly about this “huge Ndebele man”. There was no lack of militancy by ZAPU. There was no need of a split from the African side. There was the need of a split from the imperialist side.
Ethnic or religious division has been used as a tool by British imperialism throughout its history
In 1960, under the auspices of the NDP, another group went for military training, this time in China. The group included David Mapongo, Philemon Makonese and Charles Chikerema.
By the middle of 1962, sabotage operations by ZAPU on white-owned farms and against government installations had reached such proportions that the Southern Rhodesia Ministry of Information organised an aerial tour of the country to show journalists and chiefs the massive damage done to the white-owned farms.
It was also in 1962 that Nkomo received the first batch of arms from President Nasser of Egypt; these arms were then smuggled into the country. Later that year, the car carrying many of these weapons was stopped by Rhodesian police and the driver, Bobylock Manyonga was arrested and badly tortured but refused to disclose the origin of the arms. He was then given 15 years imprisonment.
It was in 1963 that the first batch of military trainees, including Dumiso Dabengwa and Ackim Ndlovu went to the Soviet Union for military training. This was the turning point. Anti-communists within ZAPU opposed this and sought for reasons to create a split.
Now ZANU came on to the political scene.
Of the leaders of the ZANU split, Ndabaningi Sithole had been trained in the USA, Herbert Chitepo was trained in Britain and a member of the Capricorn Africa Society and the Father of Tribalism in Zimbabwe, Leopold Takawira, was a long time employee and executive officer of the Association founded by David Stirling.
It was David Stirling who formed the SAS, the British special services unit during the Second World War. After the war he organised mercenary detachments in a number of different countries including Saudi Arabia, founding WatchGuard International in the 1960s. During the 1970s Stirling formed an organisation funded by millionaire James Goldsmith to undermine the British trade union movement and another, GB75, to stage a military coup in Britain should there be civil unrest.
Many in the British establishment after the Second World War had understood the dangers of settler racism in southern Africa and were anxious to create an African assimilado class which would work in the imperialist interest. The Capricorn Africa Society was formed in 1949 and had an important conference in Salima, Nyasaland. There it was proposed that all citizens regardless of colour should be able to vote, but that better qualified people should get up to six votes depending on qualifications and property ownership. By the early 1960s to be a “Capricon” meant to be a “Sell-out”.
It was the Capricon, Takawira who, spoke disparagingly about this “huge Ndebele man”. There was no lack of militancy by ZAPU. There was no need of a split from the African side. There was the need of a split from the imperialist side.
Ethnic or religious division has been used as a tool by British imperialism throughout its history
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