'Europeans must realise that unless the legitimate demands of African
nationalism are recognised, then racial conflict is inevitable.'[1]
Robert Mugabe, 1962.
By 1945, the 21 year old Mugabe had worked for several years
alongside Father O'Hea, and had successfully gained his teaching diploma. With
his teaching diploma, Mugabe left Kutama in 1945 and for the next four years
moved from school to school. Throughout these years Mugabe remained focussed on
furthering his own education and continued to spend any spare time on his
studies. In keeping with this, in 1949 Mugabe won a scholarship to Fort Hare
University College in South Africa where he got his first real taste of
political ideologies.[2]
Fort Hare was the University that had previously been home to many other
African students who had a thirst for learning; only ten years prior to
Mugabe's arrival, Nelson Mandela had studied there.[3]
The University was known for its strong political discussion and debate amongst
its young students, an environment in which Mugabe thrived. Not before long
Mugabe became familiar with the Marxist ideas and joined in discussing ideas
with South African communists. Although Mugabe was surrounded with many
political and social theories that were seen to be radical at the time, it was
the peaceful Mahatma Gandhi who first caught Mugabe's attention. Mugabe
admitted that Gandhi's approach and attitudes in India had given him:
a
new vision, a new philosophy, that if Africans were united in the same way as
the Indians were, even if they resorted to a non-violent struggle, they would
eventually emerge victorious.[4]
Interestingly Gandhi's peaceful approach was appealing to
the young revolutionary Mugabe, yet in later years this passive methodology
would be in stark contrast to Mugabe's conduct.
By 1952 Mugabe had returned to Rhodesia and, although a
staunch nationalist, continued to teach and to study. Six years later, the now
34 year old Mugabe, took up a teaching post in Ghana.[5]
His posting in Ghana proved instrumental in shaping Mugabe's later movements as
it was in Ghana that Mugabe first witnessed the possibility of independence in
Africa. 'Once there (in Ghana) I began to develop definite ideas. You could say
that it was there I accepted the general principles of Marxism'.[6]
It was not until 1957 that the nationalist movement that was
sweeping Africa hit Rhodesia. In 1957 the African Nationalist Congress (ANC)
was launched. Central to its platform were the ideas of non-racialism, economic
progress and the reforming of land allocation. Naturally, within a short time
the ANC had a large following. So large was the following that in 1959 the ANC
was formally banned for encouraging the black population to act in defiance of
the law and Government authority.[7] At
this time Mugabe was still in Ghana but he returned to his homeland in 1960. Following
the dismantlement of the ANC a new party was formed; the National Democratic
Party (NDP). It too faced strong opposition from the reigning government. After
only a few months in operation the party faced closure when three NDP officials
were arrested and charged under the Unlawful Organisations Act. Intending to
stay only a short while, Mugabe began to get caught up in the nationalist
movement. Following the arresting of the NDP leaders, 7000 Africans, Mugabe
among them, marched to Salisbury to protest at the house of the Prime Minister.
By the following day, the crowd had grown to 40,000.[8] A
platform was erected and different people began to speak to the crowd, again
Mugabe played a part, and spoke to the protesters that had gathered. The March
of the 7000, as it came to be known, cemented Mugabe's role in the Nationalist
movement and following this Mugabe resigned from his post in Ghana and wholly
dedicated himself to the national movement.
By the end of 1960, having been elected publicity secretary
of NDP, Mugabe was beginning to establish himself as a leader among the
nationalists.[9] The
year 1962 saw the nationalist movement become somewhat disorderly as Joshua
Nkomo, the NDP leader, faced criticism over his dealings with the Rhodesian and
British Governments.[10]
Mugabe was adamant more action needed to be taken and he did not approve of the
passive nature that Nkomo used in his negotiations with the both the British
and Rhodesian governments. Mugabe's
reputation spread as he spoke at more and more political rallies. Time and time
again he spoke of the need for self-sacrifice and the need to reject European
civilisation. Although the revolutionary movements' efforts were repeatedly
obstructed; the NDP was eventually outlawed and in its place ZAPU (Zimbabwe
African People's Union) was born. Even ZAPU, however, lasted only nine months
before it too was shut down. Mugabe and other revolutionaries were arrested and
confined to their home districts. Disagreements with Nkomo continued and
ultimately the party split, Mugabe and likeminded colleagues formed Zanu (Zimbabwe
African National Union) and Nkomo formed the People's Caretaker Council (still
known as ZAPU).
In March 1964 a 40 year old Mugabe was sentenced to 21
months prison for making subversive comments. Along with many other
nationalists Mugabe was imprisoned and the threat of the nationalist movement
was put on hold. In Mugabe's view, prison time should not be wasted; 'these
months, these years, however long it takes, must not be wasted.'[11]
Mugabe wasn't alone in prison and he used this time to further the education of
his fellow imprisoned revolutionaries. For
11 years they were incarcerated and in this time Mugabe gained three more
degrees by correspondence from the London University. One of Mugabe's tutors
got the impression Mugabe was 'equipping his intellect for the tasks that lay
ahead.'[12]
In 1972 after unsuccessful attempts by Ian Smith's government to reach an
agreement with the nationalist movement, guerrilla war broke out. Zanu and Zapu
were linked under the banner of Patriotic Front but their unanimity was
superficial and when both Nkomo and Mugabe journeyed to the Lancaster House
conference in London in 1979 the discord between them was highlighted.[13]
Characteristic of the revolutionary he was, Mugabe refused any sort of
negotiations with Ian Smith and saw a settlement with the whites as failure.[14] Repeatedly Mugabe called for a one party
Marxist state and was determined that Smith and his 'criminal gang'[15]
would face prosecution. Reluctantly, Mugabe signed the ceasefire agreement but
he was not happy; 'I felt we had been cheated to some extent, that we had
agreed to a deal which would to some extent rob us of victory we had hoped we
would achieve in the field.'[16]
This statement gives us insight into the man Mugabe, and it suggests the
outcome was not what he desired but rather the journey in achieving that
outcome, for he was not happy with the ceasefire, he preferred to achieve
victory in the field.
Already changes in Mugabe's demeanour can be recognised. Admittedly
the views of a young Mugabe still resonate; the desire for majority rule and the
shunning of a white minority rule are still a priority. However, Mugabe rejected
the peaceful approach of Gandhi and disapproved of the non-violent outcome sought
at Lancaster, instead preferring a guerrilla war.
[1] A,
Norman, Robert Mugabe and the betrayal of
Zimbabwe, McFarland & Company, Inc, 2004, p. 59.