On this day in 1937, Zimbabwe politician and educationist Dr Sikhanyiso Duke Ndlovu was born. He was the Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education in 1995 to 2000 and in 2007 he was appointed Minister of Information and Publicity. At the time of his death in 2016, he was the Chairman of the Zimbabwe National Army schools as well as ZANU-PF member.
On this day in 1940, politician Rugare Aleck Ngidi Gumbo was born in Belingwe (Mberengwa) district of Rhodesia (Zimbabwe). Gumbo became active in politics at an early age during the liberation struggle. He was appointed Minister of Economic development in 2005 and Minister of Agriculture in 2007. In 2014, he was ousted from the ZANU-PF party and together with Joice Mujuru, went on and formed another political party called Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF) which was dissolved after disagreements.
On this day in 1943, Zimbabwean Politician Charles Ndlovu aka Webster Shamhu was born. Shamhu previously served as Minister of Information and Publicity, and Minister of State for Policy Implementation. In 2004, he stepped down as editor of the ZANU-PF weekly news publication, ‘The People’s Voice’. Shamhu was one of the people denied travel to the United States. On 21 May 2021, he was fired from office by His Excellence, Emmerson Mnangagwa.
On this day in 1950, Zimbabwean politician Simbarashe Herbert Stanley Makoni was born. Makoni was born in Mutare and grew up in Rusape. He started his university studies at University of Rhodesia but was expelled after 2 years and he then moved to University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. Simba Makoni served various posts in the Zimbabwean government which include Deputy Minister of Agriculture at Zimbabwe Independence in 1980, Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture, Minister of Industry and Energy Development in 1981 and later Minister of Finance in 2000. He was later replaced by Herbet Murerwa after supporting devaluing the Zimbabwean dollar, something which Mugabe (then President of Zimbabwe) did not like. He remained a ZANU-PF member until he announced in 2008 that he was going to be a presidential candidate in the 2008 presidential elections.
On this day in 1952, politician Ignatius Morgen Chiminya Chombo was born in the Marondera District of Zimbabwe. Chombo served in the cabinet of Zimbabwe for 15 years under the late president Robert Mugabe. In October 2017, he was appointed Minister of Finance and Economic Development in a cabinet reshuffle and in November, was expelled from the ZANU-PF party by the central committee with together with other prominent Generation 40 politicians following the military take over.
On this day in 1957, Zimbabwean academic, ex-minister and politician Jonathan Moyo was born. Moyo is one of Zimbabwe’s most well known and controversial Politician. He obtained a Bachelor’s degree a a Doctor of Philosophy (PHD) degree in Public Policy and a masters degree in Public Administration. In 2019, he wrote a book, ‘Excelgate’ which talks about how Zimbabwe’s Presidental elections were stolen and how His Excellence Emmerson Mnangagwa came into power. In this book he alleges that President Mnangagwa had less than 33 per cent of the votes while Chamisa had 66 per cent but that the election was rigged to show a false outcome. On 1 April 2021 Prof Jonathan Moyo arraigned Midlands ZANU-PF chairman Daniel Mackenzie Ncube for bribing MDC members to join ZANU-PF.
On this day in 1978, Zimbabwean politician Nelson Chamisa was born in Fort Victoria. Chamisa holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and public administration and an LLB (Honours). On 30 July 2018, Chamisa lost a disputed election to ZANU PF‘s Mnangagwa, the elections which had been widely criticized for lacking credibility and being unfair.
On this day in 1981, a chain of massive explosions ripped through the roof of ZANU PF headquarters at 88 Manica Road in Harare.
On this day in 1987, the House of Assembly elected Robert Mugabe as executive president of Zimbabwe. Robert Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo signed the Unity Accord, which provided for the merge of ZANU and ZAPU into ZANU-PF on the same day. This was a turning point in Zimbabwe’s post-independence history as it marked the forging of an alliance between the countries major political players. The signing of the document ended the so called nationwide conflict that existed since 1963 between ZANU and ZAPU.
On this day in 1996, presidential elections in Zimbabwe organized for two days began. The elections were contested by the incumbent Robert Mugabe of ZANU-PF, Abel Muzorewa of United Parties and Ndabaningi Sithole of ZANU-Ndonga.
On this day in 2001, after the MDC had won all the seats contested in Bulawayo, a group of ZANU-PF youth supporters and War Veterans attacked people and passing cars at the Renkini Bus Station. The police did not intervene to stop the attacks, in which a war veteran stabbed one man who he thought was an MDC supporter.
On this day in 2001, war veterans and ZANU-PF leaders assembled in Bulawayo and marched to City Hall under police escort and armed with axes, sticks and sjamboks. Along the way bystanders were targeted for violent attack, especially whites. One old woman had her windscreen smashed and was beaten. She later had to have glass surgically removed from her eye. School children were also attacked. The police took no action to stop the violence. At City Hall the marchers assembled to hear brief speeches against ‘terrorism’ from the march leaders. It was noted that ZANU-PF members of the City Council had not parked their cars at City Hall that morning, suggesting that the attack was premeditated.
On this day in 2002, presidential elections in Zimbabwe organized for three days began. The elections were contested by five political parties with ZANU-PF led by Robert Mugabe and MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai as the major parties.
On this day in 2002, MDC Supporter Titus Nheya was stabbed to death in Karoi at the age of 56 by ZANU-PF youth. The incident was reported to the Police officers by the Movement for Democratic Change members but no publicly known investigations were made.
On this day in 2008, ZANU-PF supporters beat 20 men for voting against their political party. A 45 year old man reported to Human Rights Watch that he was beaten with chains and iron bars and was left with a broken left leg.
On this day in 2008, ZANU-PF supporters attacked a man in Mudzi Village for voting against their political party. ZANU-PF ward chairperson told the man that it was not lawful for the entire village to vote for the opposition party, that is, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
On this day in 2008, a 26 year old man who lived in Mudzi, Mashonaland East asserted that 30 ZANU-PF youth and war veterens sorrounded his house around mid-night and beat him. The reason behind was that he was accused of being a sell-out and a member of opposition party, that is, Movement for Democratic Change.
On this day in 2005, In Harare, 40 armed police officers raided Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) headquarters. Almost 250 were arrested and some were even accused for fueling the attacks on ZANU-PF members
On this day in 2008, three MDC activists were heavily assaulted and beaten to death by ZANU-PF supporters and war veterans.
On this day in 2014, the late former President of Zimbabwe Robert Gabriel Mugabe blamed Mujuru for corruption and plotting to kill him. Misheck Sibanda asserted that RG Mugabe exercised his authority by releasing the honourable Joice Mujuru with immediate effect. Mrs Mujuru responded with denying the claim that was pondered to her by saying that her loyalty to Mr Mugabe was ‘unquestionable and ‘repugnant’ to suggest she was against Mugabe. She blames the Zimbabwe State media for publishing malevolent untruths and destruction of ZANU-PF.
On this day in 2002, Milton Chambati the late member for Movement for Democratic Change was stabbed to death at the age of 45. His head was hacked off by a group of about 50 suspected members of the ZANU PF Youth Brigade.
On this day in 1955, politician Joice Mujuru (born Runaida Mugari) was born in Mt Darwin in Zimbabwe. Mujuru joined the Rhodesian Bush War as a teenager and was nicknamed “Teurai Ropa” because of her war tactics. In 1977, she got married to the late Solomon Mujuru. Post independance she was appointed Minister of Sports, Youth and Recreation. Following the death Simon Muzenda who was then Vice-president in 2004, Mujuru became his successor. In 2014, after being accused of plotting against then President Robert Mugabe, she was dismissed as vice-president and ousted from the ZANU-PF party the following year. She went on and formed another political party called Zimbabwe People First.