Mr Joshua Mgabuko Nyongolo Nkomo

Former Vice-President (1987-1999); Founder of the Zimbabwe Africa People's Union

Date of Birth: 19/06/1917
Place of Birth: Semokwe
Died: 01/07/1999

Career: Social Worker, Rhodesia Railways (later National Railways of Zimbabwe), 1947;  Secretary-General, Railway African Workers Union, 1951; President, African National Congress, 1952 and 1957; President of National Democratic Party, 1960; President of the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU), 1961-87; Formed Patriotic Front with Robert Mugabe, 1976; Commander of both military and political wings of ZAPU, 1977; Member of Parliament for the Midlands, 1980-1985; Minister of Home Affairs, 1980; Minister without Portfolio,1981;  Member of Parliament for Magwegwe, 1985-1990; Senior Minister for development ministries,1988; Vice-President of Zimbabwe, 1990-1999.

Commentary:  Joshua Nkomo died in 1999 but he is still a force to be reckoned with in Zimbabwean politics. Nkomo is regarded as the founder of African nationalism in Zimbabwe and led all the political parties formed between1952 and 1962, only losing favour with his lieutenants in 1963 when they broke away from ZAPU to form the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU). Though ZANU became more popular than ZAPU, largely because of its support from the majority Shona, who constitute more than 80 percent of the population, Nkomo remained a paternal figure in the country and was popularly known as Father Zimbabwe. He was detained at Gonakudzingwa, Gweru and Buffalo Range  between 1964-74.

Nkomo went into business quite early in the 1950s and he was initally more interested in the economy than just politics. This led him to seek solutions with Ian Smith, resulting in some of his colleagues in the liberation struggle to accuse him of being a sell-out. It was only after 1977, when he concentrated on the liberation struggle, that be regained his political weight. Though he had formed the Patriotic Front with Mugabe, Mugabe decided to go it alone in the 1980 independence elections. The results spelt doom for Nkomo. Mugabe walked away with 57 of the 80 blackseats. Nkomo won 20. Mugabe tried to make Nkomo the ceremonial President of the country but he turned this down because he felt he would sink into political oblivion. He opted instead to become Minister of Home Affairs.

However, Mugabe did not want any opposition. Trouble started within two years, after the discovery of arms caches at farms owned by Nkomo’s party, ZAPU. Mugabe embarked on a five-year purge using his special Five Brigade which left thousands of innocent civilians dead as they hunted down“dissidents” who were allegedly loyal to Nkomo.  The persecution of ZAPU leaders and Ndebele speaking people in Matabeleland and the Midlands forced Nkomo to the negotiating table culminating in the unity accord between ZAPU and ZANU-PF in 1987. Most people regarded the agreement as the capitulation of Nkomo but he remained in government for another 12 years. Though he was accused by some Ndebele people and hardliners from ZAPU as having sold out, Nkomo, like Tsvangirai 11 years later, signed the unity agreement to save his own people and end the bloodshed.

Today, some people argue that Zimbabweans grossly under-estimated the influence Nkomo had over Mugabe. They argue that Zimbabwe would not have collapsed the way it did, just one year after Nkomo’s death, had he been alive because he would have told Mugabe to stop farm invasions and other human rights abuses. That might all be speculation now, but the fact remains that Nkomo’s name will remain etched in the country’s history. He will forever be remembered as Father Zimbabwe, Umdhala Wethu (the Nation’s grand old man).