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EspañolABEL MUZOREWA
'Abel Tendekayi Muzorewa' (born 14 April 1925 in former Rhodesia) served as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe Rhodesia from the Internal Settlement to the Lancaster House Agreement in 1979. A Methodist bishop and nationalist leader, he held office for only a few months.[1]
In 1971 the British government struck a deal with Ian Smith that provided for a transition to majority rule in exchange for an end to sanctions against the government. Muzorewa joined with an inexperienced cleric, the Reverend Canaan Banana, to form the United African National Council (UANC) to oppose the settlement under the acronym NIBMAR, meaning No Independence Before Majority African Rule.
The proposed referendum was withdrawn and Muzorewa found himself a national leader and an international personality. The liberation movements -- the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) of Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole and the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) of Joshua Nkomo -- both placed themselves under the UANC umbrella even though they had some doubts when Muzorewa founded a national party.
After ZANU, led by Robert Mugabe after disagreements with Sithole, and ZAPU undertook guerrilla warfare, the United African National Council was the only legal Black party since it rejected violence.
On March 3, 1978, Muzorewa, Sithole and other non-exiled leaders signed an agreement at Governors Lodge, Salisbury, which paved the way for the interim government, the leadership of which was an Executive Council made up of Muzorewa, Sithole and Jeremiah Chirau, along with Ian Smith.
This Executive Council would run the affairs of state prior to elections taking place. A new constitution was drafted reserving 10 seats in the Senate and 28 seats in the lower house of parliament for the White minority, as well as a quarter of the Cabinet positions. The constitution was approved in a nearly Whites-only referendum which took place in January 1979. An overwhelming majority of 85% voted yes.
Elections were held, and the UANC won. Josiah Gumede was the first President, Muzorewa became prime minister and the country's name was changed to Zimbabwe Rhodesia. But both Mugabe and Nkomo denounced the arrangement, the war continued, and no international recognition was forthcoming because the external Marxist leaders had not been included in the elections. The civil war that Ian Smith hoped to stem when he worked out the "internal settlement" continued unabated.
The British government asked all parties to come to London for negotiations to find a lasting solution to the Bush War. Nkomo and Mugabe attended the conference under the "Patriotic Front" (PF) banner. The conference was held from September 10, 1979, until December 15, 1979, under the chairmanship of Lord Carrington, the British Foreign Minister. Muzorewa was persuaded to accept fresh elections, to be held in early 1980.
The new elections took place at the end of February 1980, after a campaign filled with much intimidation on all sides. These new elections resulted in a resounding majority for Mugabe and ZANU, with the UANC only having 3 out of 80 seats reserved for Blacks in the House of Assembly. Muzorewa stood against Mugabe in the presidential election of 1995, but was resoundingly defeated.
Muzorewa visited Israel on October 21, 1983. He urged Mugabe to establish diplomatic relations, saying his political policies hurt Zimbabwe's agriculture and technology industries. The Zimbabwean government arrested Muzorewa on charges of conspiring against Mugabe for the South African government on November 1. Two days later Mugabe warned Ndabaningi Sithole and Joshua Nkomo against 'conspiring'. He went on a hunger strike from November 3 to 11.[2]
On June 21, 2007 Muzorewa said citizens, white and black alike, came to his house and asked him to run for president. He did not, however, confirm or deny that he would stand as a candidate in the 2008 presidential election. After citizens spoke with him, describing their situation, he said Zimbabwe is:
He asked people to pray that negotiations between ZANU-PF and the MDC, mediated by South African President Thabo Mbeki, would be successful and for Zimbabwe's "salvation."
★ List of Bishops of the United Methodist Church
1. Lebo Nkatazo, "Zimbabwe: Muzorewa plots political comeback", ''New Zimbabwe'' (allAfrica.com), June 21, 2007.
2. Kalley, Jacqueline Audrey. ''Southern African Political History: A chronological of key political events from independence to'', 1999. Page 726.
★ Dictionary of African Christian Biography: Biography
★ American Committee on Africa: Election report
| Contents |
| United African National Council |
| Internal Settlement |
| Lancaster House Agreement |
| Visit to Israel |
| 2008 presidential election |
| See also |
| References |
| External links |
United African National Council
Muzorewa pictured on a UANC campaign T-shirt, 1979.
In 1971 the British government struck a deal with Ian Smith that provided for a transition to majority rule in exchange for an end to sanctions against the government. Muzorewa joined with an inexperienced cleric, the Reverend Canaan Banana, to form the United African National Council (UANC) to oppose the settlement under the acronym NIBMAR, meaning No Independence Before Majority African Rule.
The proposed referendum was withdrawn and Muzorewa found himself a national leader and an international personality. The liberation movements -- the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) of Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole and the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) of Joshua Nkomo -- both placed themselves under the UANC umbrella even though they had some doubts when Muzorewa founded a national party.
After ZANU, led by Robert Mugabe after disagreements with Sithole, and ZAPU undertook guerrilla warfare, the United African National Council was the only legal Black party since it rejected violence.
Internal Settlement
On March 3, 1978, Muzorewa, Sithole and other non-exiled leaders signed an agreement at Governors Lodge, Salisbury, which paved the way for the interim government, the leadership of which was an Executive Council made up of Muzorewa, Sithole and Jeremiah Chirau, along with Ian Smith.
This Executive Council would run the affairs of state prior to elections taking place. A new constitution was drafted reserving 10 seats in the Senate and 28 seats in the lower house of parliament for the White minority, as well as a quarter of the Cabinet positions. The constitution was approved in a nearly Whites-only referendum which took place in January 1979. An overwhelming majority of 85% voted yes.
Elections were held, and the UANC won. Josiah Gumede was the first President, Muzorewa became prime minister and the country's name was changed to Zimbabwe Rhodesia. But both Mugabe and Nkomo denounced the arrangement, the war continued, and no international recognition was forthcoming because the external Marxist leaders had not been included in the elections. The civil war that Ian Smith hoped to stem when he worked out the "internal settlement" continued unabated.
Lancaster House Agreement
The British government asked all parties to come to London for negotiations to find a lasting solution to the Bush War. Nkomo and Mugabe attended the conference under the "Patriotic Front" (PF) banner. The conference was held from September 10, 1979, until December 15, 1979, under the chairmanship of Lord Carrington, the British Foreign Minister. Muzorewa was persuaded to accept fresh elections, to be held in early 1980.
The new elections took place at the end of February 1980, after a campaign filled with much intimidation on all sides. These new elections resulted in a resounding majority for Mugabe and ZANU, with the UANC only having 3 out of 80 seats reserved for Blacks in the House of Assembly. Muzorewa stood against Mugabe in the presidential election of 1995, but was resoundingly defeated.
Visit to Israel
Muzorewa visited Israel on October 21, 1983. He urged Mugabe to establish diplomatic relations, saying his political policies hurt Zimbabwe's agriculture and technology industries. The Zimbabwean government arrested Muzorewa on charges of conspiring against Mugabe for the South African government on November 1. Two days later Mugabe warned Ndabaningi Sithole and Joshua Nkomo against 'conspiring'. He went on a hunger strike from November 3 to 11.[2]
2008 presidential election
On June 21, 2007 Muzorewa said citizens, white and black alike, came to his house and asked him to run for president. He did not, however, confirm or deny that he would stand as a candidate in the 2008 presidential election. After citizens spoke with him, describing their situation, he said Zimbabwe is:
He asked people to pray that negotiations between ZANU-PF and the MDC, mediated by South African President Thabo Mbeki, would be successful and for Zimbabwe's "salvation."
See also
★ List of Bishops of the United Methodist Church
References
1. Lebo Nkatazo, "Zimbabwe: Muzorewa plots political comeback", ''New Zimbabwe'' (allAfrica.com), June 21, 2007.
2. Kalley, Jacqueline Audrey. ''Southern African Political History: A chronological of key political events from independence to'', 1999. Page 726.
External links
★ Dictionary of African Christian Biography: Biography
★ American Committee on Africa: Election report
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