Alfred Nikita Mangena

Rodgers Alfred Nikita Mangena (16 March 1943 – 28 June 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 (ZAPU), in the Rhodesian Bush War. Lookout Masuku led ZIPRA after Mangena's death in 1978.[1]He was born of Bakae Mangena and Keorabile Ngwenya, he was a Ndebele of Swati origin(Ngwane/Hlubi clan), his roots trace to the first swati people of Nyamazane Dlamini who settled in Zimbabwe after defeating the last Mambo of the Lozwi kingdom.

In November 1975 ZAPU and the Zimbabwe African National Union formed the Zimbabwe People's Army in Mozambique. While the joint military force soon fell apart, when it successfully functioned Mangena served as the second-in-command.[2]

Mangena led a ZIPRA uprising against ZAPU moderates in 1977 with hundreds of followers in camps in Zambia attacking ZAPU's headquarters in Lusaka. While Mangena did not intend to lead a coup against Joshua Nkomo, he wished to reassert his power over the organization's militant activities. Soon after the uprising he was assassinated.[3]

References
  1. MQONDISI NYAMAZAN MOYO ZILAWE. Modern African Wars, 1986. Page 8.
  2. Sellstr̀eom, Tor. Sweden and National Liberation in Southern Africa, 2002. Page 365.
  3. Kriger, Norma J. Guerrilla Veterans in Post-war Zimbabwe: Symbolic and Violent Politics, 1980-1987, 2003. Page 28.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.