Particularly compelling is their account of the gradual ascendance of robert mugabe within zanus complex dual structures of military and. Mugabe was under pressure from all quarters politically for the first time, and internally from his staunchest allies, the war veterans of the second chimurenga, many of whom were landless and povertystricken. The first chimurenga war occurred in 189697, inspired by spirit mediums of. Two years later, seven china trained fighters of the zimbabwean af rican national liberation army staged a guerilla raid that was later identified as the opening battle of zimbabwes second chimurenga war, which saw the over throw of white minority rule in the coun try and the ascent of the maoinfluenced robert mugabe. The victory of a seemingly militant zanu zimbabwe african national union in zimbabwes 1980 independence elections, following a long guerrilla war the chimurenga against white colonialism, was greeted with jubilation. Nationalists saw that the use of violence and war could not be avoided. Other scholars included norma kriger who argued in the case of the second. The grabbing of fertile and productive lands by the new settlers leaving the natives in reserves such as gwai and shangani also led to the breaking out of the first chimurenga the settlers also did not have the economic base to colonize zimbabwe so they had to use dubious methods to get as much cattle as they could from the natives. Many other factors also caused the outbreak of the chimurenga. Home notes ordinary level notes o level history notes causes of the second chimurenga and the udi. The second chimurenga, also known as the rhodesian bush war or the zimbabwe. The ndebele had lost their king lobengula during 1893 war.
December 1972 to april 1980 when victory was finally won at the elections by zand. The settlers also did not have the economic base to colonize zimbabwe so they had to use dubious methods to get as much cattle as they could from the natives. The rhodesian army fought bitterly against the black nationalist guerrillas. Almost every author tends to agree thatthe first and second chimurenga are accreted to two spirit mediums nehanda and chaminuka who were charged and executed for insurgency. The first chimurenga umvukela of 18961897 was an outraged reaction by locals against white invaders. For those not acquainted with the expression, it means, the second liberation war, or from the white rhodesian point of view, the terrorist or bush war.
The book is mainly a hispart iv which deal with political action attempts to evaluate african states within the context of their achieve ments, specifically in terms of the twin but related goals of. The british colony of rhodesia had effectively ruled. Zimbabwe gained her independence from british rule after a long struggle that began with the unilateral declaration of independence by the white prime minister ian smith in 1965 and ended in 1980 after the bush war that brought robert mugabe to power. Posted in africa, democracy, governance, political freedoms.
Whether that was true or not, lobengula who was the ndebele king at the outbreak of the anglo. At age 15, i was ripe for the task cde rhodas karimakwenda, at the age of 15, took a decision not many teenagers could. Ethnic relations, history, politics and government, whites, zimbabwe chimurenga war, 19661980. The bsacs defeat of the 1896 shona and ndebele rebellion the first chimurenga secured the country for widespread european settlement. Fay chung and the legacies of the zimbabwean liberation war an introduction by preben kaarsholm 1 scholars and activists who followed the dramatic events of the nationalist liberation struggle in the 1970s, and the. The uprisings, which are examples of early african resistance movements capable of fighting with their own weapons and active methods, were a.
Kubatana archive the third chimurenga and zimbabwes. The war of liberation which was dubbed chimurenga chechipiri or the second revolution was a fulfilment of the prophesy of a great shona spirit, mbuya nehanda, sister of the great shona prophet chaminuka. The war saw the extensive operation of rhodesian regulars as well as elite units such as the selous scouts and the rhodesian sas. Chimurenga definition of chimurenga by the free dictionary.
Department of religious studies and philosophy, great zimbabwe university. The words modern interpretation has been extended to describe a struggle for human rights, political dignity and social justice, 1 specifically used for the african insurrections against british colonial rule 18961897 first chimurenga and the guerrilla war against the white minority regime of rhodesia 19661980 second chimurenga. There was a basic similarity between the way in which rhodesian colonial historians looked at the central shona chimurenga rising of 1896 and t. With its wealth of documented information on the internal workings of the zimbabwean guerrilla movements, the somewhat staccato historical narrative by martin and johnson, two longtime africa correspondents, will fascinate and enlighten zimbabwewatchers. Posted on august 9, 2012 by researchandadvocacyunit. Second matabele war label from public data source wikidata. After his release, however, he continued his musical fight for freedom, fronting yet a new band, the blacks unlimited formed in 1978, which remained a standardbearer. The second chimurenga war was as a result of a collective need by the black africans to get political independence, access. Much chimurenga was censored, if not banned, and mapfumo was imprisoned for several months in 1977. The name chimurenga was given to the first wars of resistance to british rule in 18931896. State six causes of the chimurenga war of 1896 1897 solved state six causes of the chimurenga war. The second chimurenga war was as a result of a collective need by the black africans to get political independence, access to economic resources and land. This article is about guerrilla narratives of war, as told by veterans of the zimbabwe peoples revolutionary army zipra, one of two armies that fought in zimbabwes war for independence in.
Chimurenga is a shona word for revolutionary struggle. However, this was not the first war of independence but the second. Fay chung and the legacies of the zimbabwean liberation war. The second matabele war, also known as the matabeleland rebellion and in zimbabwe as, took place from 189697. It s the prophetic voice ofi chaminuka, one of the fallen heroes,my bones shall arise again that influenced the revolution and land reform. Theological reflections on the land reform programme in zimbabwe, 20002010. The second part of the article will explore the vision of the liberation struggle in post independent zimbabwe. Many other factors also caused the outbreak of the chimurenga ranging from reformist pressure politics to armed confrontation. Education, or rather the lack of it, was an area that caused bitter re sentment. The rhodesian bush waralso called the second chimurenga and the zimbabwe war of liberationwas a civil conflict from july 1964 to december 1979n 1 in the unrecognised country of rhodesia. The uprisings, which are examples of early african resistance movements capable of fighting with their own weapons and active methods, were a fight for the stolen dignity, land and heritage by blacks. Ranger reconstruction of the organization of the chimurenga.
Causes of the second chimurenga and the udi free zimsec. In march 1896, the ndebele matabele people revolted against the authority of the british south africa company in what is now celebrated in zimbabwe as the first war of independence. The shona word chimurenga meansrevolutionary struggle, and from 189697, the shona and matebele people mounted a resistance to british imperialism caused by the need to recover land and cattle lost through conquest and concessions, the introduction of the colonial economy and accompanying wage labour. What are the causes of the first chimurenga answers. The name chimurenga developed from the name murenga soro renzou, a zimbabwean chief of the munhumutapa dynasty. Known to the englishspeaking world as the rhodesian bush war or the zimbabwe war of independence, the second chimurenga the shone term for revolutionary struggle saw a threeway competition for control of the landlocked, southern african former british colony. Chimurenga resistance zimbabwe zimbabwe was colonized in the early 1890s by the british south african company.
Chimurenga war, 1964 known to the englishspeaking world as the rhodesian bush war or the zimbabwe war of independence, the second chimurenga the shone term for revolutionary struggle saw a threeway competition for control of the landlocked, southern african former british colony. Naming it chimurenga was an act of reasserting control over ideological space that had been taken by the settlers in the first chimurenga. The grabbing of fertile and productive lands by the new settlers leaving the natives in reserves such as gwai and shangani also led to the breaking out of the first chimurenga. The rhodesian army also comprised mostly black regiments such as the. The first chimurengaumvukela of 18961897 was an outraged reaction by locals against white invaders.
Beyond the third chimurenga theological reflections on. Land invasions on a small scale were beginning as early as 1997. We conclude narrating the political life of cde gilbert msebele, whose war name was cde lovemore sibanda. In what was then the british colony of southern rhodesia, the black uprising took place between 1964 and 1980. In this video mr cairo mhandu, a former freedom fighter war veteran explains the causes of the second chimurenga.
Black nationalist politicians have always regarded rhodesia as a british colony. Chimurenga songs music of the revolutionary peoples war. To the whites it was the rhodesian bush war and to the blacks it was the second chimurenga, the first having been the failed attempt at independence that happened in 18967. Second chimurenga belligerents rhodesian security forces.
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