On this day in 1994, former minister of industry and commerce Christopher Ushewokunze died in a car accident near Chegutu at the age of 49. In 1965, he was enrolled as a Law student at the then University of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (now Zimbabwe) and he immediately became active in nationalist politics. Between 1966 and 1967 he organised anti-government protests that was aimed to oppose attempts which were made by Rhodesian Prime Minister by the time who was Ian Smith in order to declare Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) based on white minority rule.
On this day in 1941, the late Zimbabwean Politician Stan Mudenge was born. In 1965 ater excelling with flying colours at Goromonzi mission, he enrolled for honours degree in History at the then University of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. During the course of the studies, he was involved in student activism. He joined with other students in demonstrating for economic malaise seeking for stability in political, social and economic spheres of Rhodesia. In 1966, Mudenge protested against Ian Douglas Smith’s Declaration of Independence (UDI). He wrote the famous book of the Munhumutapa Empire titled, ‘a political history of Munhumutapa’, C1400-1902.
Ian Smith, then Prime Minister of Rhodesia anounced the Unilateral Declaration of Independence on this day. This basically was independence of Rhodesians from Britain. Britain was facing pressure from the United Nations to promote rights of Africans.