Zimbabwe African National Union – Ndonga

Zimbabwe African National Union – Ndonga (ZANU–Ndonga; formerly officially ZANU and unofficially ZANU Mwenje or ZANU Sithole[1]) is a minor political party in Zimbabwe. Its members were originally part of Zimbabwe African National Union, but split with what would become ZANU–PF over tribal tensions. A portion of the party reunified with ZANU-PF in 2015.

This article is about the political party led by Ndabaningi Sithole and Wilson Nkumbula. For the political formation during the period 1963-1980, see ZANU. For the political party led by Robert Mugabe, see ZANU-PF.
Zimbabwe African National Union – Ndonga
AbbreviationZANU–Ndonga
LeaderDenford Musiyarira
Founder(s)Ndabaningi Sithole
Founded1975 (1975)
Split fromZANU
Political positionCentre-left
National affiliationMDC Alliance
Colours                   
Green, yellow, red, black
Party flag

History

The Zimbabwe African National Union was a political party during the Rhodesian Bush War, formed as a split from the Zimbabwe African Peoples Union. Its founders were the Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole and Herbert Chitepo, who were dissatisfied with the militant tactics of Nkomo in ZAPU.

After Chitepo's assassination on 18 March 1975, Robert Mugabe, in Mozambique at the time, unilaterally assumed control of ZANU. Later that year there was a factional split along tribal lines caused the Ndebele to follow Sithole into the moderate ZANU–Ndonga party, who renounced violent struggle, while the Shona followed Mugabe with a more militant agenda.

Sithole joined a transitional government of whites and blacks in 1979, led by Bishop Abel Muzorewa. When sanctions remained in place, he joined Muzorewa for the Lancaster House Agreement in London, where a new constitution and elections were prepared. ZANU–Ndonga failed to win any seats in independent elections that swept Mugabe under the ZANU flag to power in 1980.

Declaring that his life was in danger from political enemies, Sithole went into self-imposed exile in the United States city of Silver Spring, Maryland, in 1983, returning to Zimbabwe nine years later to re-enter the political arena.

Sithole was elected a lawmaker for his tribal stronghold of Chipinge in southeastern Zimbabwe in 1995, as was a colleague. In December 1997 he was tried and convicted for conspiring to kill Mugabe and disqualified from attending the Harare parliament. He was granted the right to appeal, but no appeal was filed.

Sithole again won the Chipinge seat in June 2000, as ZANU–Ndonga's only representative. Sithole died on 12 December 2000, aged 80, in Philadelphia, after going there for medical treatment.

ZANU–Ndonga's candidate, Wilson Kumbula, won 1.0% in the March 2002 presidential election. After the parliamentary election held on 31 March 2005, the party remained without parliamentary representation.

Along with three other minor opposition parties, ZANU–Ndonga was a member of the Zimbabwe Organisation of Opposition Political Parties.[2]

In 2015, some leaders of ZANU–Ndonga reunified with ZANU–PF, and called for supporters to "leave the opposition" and join the newly unified party.[3]

Electoral history

Presidential elections
Election Party candidate Votes % Result
1996 Ndabaningi Sithole 36,960 2.44% Lost N
2002 Wilson Kumbula 31,368 1.0% Lost N

House of Assembly elections
Election Party leader Votes % Seats +/– Position Government
1980 53,343 2.0%
0 / 100
 5th Extra-parliamentary
1985 Ndabaningi Sithole
1 / 100
 1 5th Opposition
1990 19,448 0.93%
1 / 120
 3rd Opposition
1995 97,470 6.9%
2 / 120
 16 2nd Opposition
2000
1 / 120
 1 3rd Opposition
2005 Denford Musiyarira 6,608 0.3%
0 / 150
 1 3rd Extra-parliamentary
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References
  1. Shadur, Mark A. (1994). Labour relations in a developing country: a case study on Zimbabwe. Avebury. pp. ?? fn.2. ISBN 9781856289023. The parenthetical extension "Sithole", or "Mwenje", is often added to avoid confusion with ZANU (PF); however, the correct name is ZANU. "Mwenje" means light or torch, the symbol of ZANU.; Chung, Fay (2006). Re-living the Second Chimurenga: Memories from the Liberation Struggle in Zimbabwe. African Books Collective. p. 165. ISBN 9781779220462. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  2. Zimbabwean Parties in Alliance Against American-British Sanctions
  3. eDuzeNet. "'Zanu-PF, Ndonga re-unification real'". Bulawayo24 News. Retrieved 2017-11-20.

President: Gondai Paul Vutuza Predesecor: Wilson Kumbula

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