Who is Mugabe?
After the administration of the Rhodesian Prime Minister Edgar Whitehead banned the National Democratic Party (NDP) in September 1961, it almost immediately reformed as the Zimbabwe African Peoples Union (ZAPU), led by Joshua Nkomo. Originally a member of ZAPU, Mugabe left in 1963 to join the breakaway Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), the latter maintaining a more Pan Afrikanist stance, while the former had a more "integrationist" position. Mugabe rose to prominence in the 1960s as the Secretary General of ZANU during the heightening conflict between the conservative white minority government of Rhodesia and the more moderate Black groups. Mugabe's growing dissatisfaction with the political climate in Rhodesia and his growing "militancy" landed him in prison--he was a political prisoner for more than 10 years between 1964 and 1974.
The Road to Independence
In prison Mugabe earned numerous degrees by correspondence courses, including three from the University of London: degrees in Law, Economics and a Bachelor of Administration. In 1974, while still imprisoned, Mugabe was elected as the head of ZANU. Following a South African détente initiative, Mugabe was released from prison in December 1974 along with other Nationalist leaders. Upon release, Mugabe, along with Edgar Tekere, left Rhodesia in 1975 to re-join the fight during the Rhodesian Bush War from bases in Mozambique. Mugabe unilaterally assumed control of ZANU after the death of Herbert Chitepo on 18 March 1975. Later that year, after internal disagreements within ZANU, Mugabe formed a militant faction, leaving Sithole to lead the moderate ZANU wing. When Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith was pressured by the US and South Africa to accept in principle that white minority rule could not continue indefinitely, on March 3, 1978, he signed an agreement with moderate leaders Bishop Muzorewa, Sithole and other at the Governor's Lodge in Salisbury, that paved the way for an interim power-sharing government, in preparation for elections. The elections were won by the United African National Council under Bishop Abel Muzorewa, but all were not satisfied and Mugabe and Nkomo of ZANU and ZAPU formed a 'Patriotic Front' groups called ZANU-PF and continued the war.
With the fighting continuing, the incoming government accepted an invitation to talks at Lancaster House in September 1979. A ceasefire was negotiated for the talks, which were attended by Smith, Mugabe, Nkomo, Zvobgo and others. Mugabe had emerged from the war as a hero and devoted Pan Afrikanist. His permanent return to Zimbabwe in December 1979, following the completion of the Lancaster House Agreement, was greeted by huge and supportive crowds. The Lancaster House talks had agreed on a new constitution for a new Republic of Zimbabwe with elections in February 1980. Mugabe won the general elections of 1980 after calling for reconciliation between the former belligerents, including white Zimbabweans and rival political parties. Mugabe became Prime Minister on Zimbabwe's independence in April 1980.
From the beginning Mugabe's task was to balance the interest of his political supporters who came from his Shona-speaking homeland in the north, and his ZAPU rivals, whose support came from the Ndebele-speaking south, and the white minority. Mugabe sought to incorporate ZAPU into his ZANU led government and ZAPU's military wing into the army. ZAPU's leader, Joshua Nkomo, was given a series of cabinet positions in Mugabe's government. Between 1982 and 1985 at least 20,000 people died in internal power struggles between ZANU and ZAPU. As an outcome of the political machinations, Mugabe consolidated his power in December 1987, when he was declared executive president by parliament, combining the roles of head of state, head of government, and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, with powers to dissolve parliament and declare martial law. After more political infighting, and overcoming Western interference, ZAPU reunited into ZANU-PF on 22 December 1988, and Mugabe brought Nkomo into the government once again as a vice-president.