The Sunday Mail
Joshua Nkomo did well at Adams College. By the time he left, his reputation was solid. A teacher there, a Mrs Hoskins, admired him so much that she asked him to drive her around in her car, and she paid him for these services.
Rayban Sengwayo
She knew that after Adams College he wanted to further his education in Johannesburg, South Africa as he always talked about it and she offered to pay for his education.
While researching this piece, I met two of Dr Nkomo’s classmates: Messrs John Mwanakatwe and Mangosuthu Buthelezi. These two and Desmond Makhaya are the late Vice-President’s only surviving classmates. Mr Mwanakatwe told me of Dr Nkomo’s humour, towering stature and kindness, and how most students respected him. He recalled how, as a diminutive scholar, he would polish “Bra Josh’s” shoes.
“John, John . . . bring my shoes,” Dr Nkomo would shout, to which Mr Mwanakatwe would respond, “Yes, Bra Josh, your shoes are on the way, sir.”
Mr Mwanakatwe went on to become Zambia’s first post-independence finance minister, and also held various other posts in Dr Kenneth Kaunda’s government.
Mr Buthelezi was installed Chief of South Africa’s KwaZulu Kingdom in 1957. He was also Chief Minister of KwaZulu and Inkatha Freedom Party leader. His relationship with Dr Nkomo blossomed during their time at Adams College. In those days, the politics in Natal were influenced by Mahatma Gandhi who was domiciled there. Mr Buthelezi – a prince in the Zulu royal household – introduced Dr Nkomo to the Royal Family.
Dr Nkomo’s popularity grew and he encouraged Mr Buthelezi to take him into town every weekend. And the moniker “Bra Josh” also caught on, on account of his physique and love for hats and styled suits.
Even when he went to study Social Welfare in Johannesburg he was known as Bra Josh!
Home-coming
His welcome ceremony was one of the biggest events in Salisbury. After returning to Rhodesia, he went to Bulawayo immediately. He would also visit other parts of the country, telling Zapu members about the good news from the United Nations. Nationalism was at its best, or so it seemed.
Dr Samuel Parirenyatwa and Jason Ziyaphapha Moyo followed to Bulawayo. JZ jumped off at Gwelo (Gweru) while the Doctor, chauffeured by Mr Edward “Danger” Sibanda, proceeded to Bulawayo. In Shangani, Dr Parirenyatwa offered to assist him. He never reached his destination: They had an accident at Heany Junction. The correct analysis of the accident has never been told, even to this day.
Mr Sibanda survived the accident and held a different view. Dr Parirenyatwa’s death changed the tide within the nationalist movement. Great mistrust was directed at the Rhodesians and this was evident at his funeral in Murehwa.
The pall-bearers were Cdes Joshua Nkomo, Robert Gabriel Mugabe, Leopold Takawira, Professor Stanlake Samukange, Samuel Munodawafa and others.
Dr Nkomo said: “Dr Pari died for his country; he was on our country’s mission. A highly qualified professional man, he had forsaken all comfort to answer his country’s call and on that mission he died. He is an inspiration, a torchlight in the struggle for emancipation.
“He believed in and died for the freedom of mankind and if we don’t fulfil that for which he died. We shall have betrayed him.”
Cde Mugabe added, “He was a dynamic personality, wanting things to get done on time and properly. He was admired by us all and harboured no ill-feelings, malice or hatred towards anybody. He was forthright and straightforward and commanded the respect of us all. He left a gap difficult to fill.”
Condolences also came from Sir Edgar Whitehead, Zapu’s biggest and most powerful political opponent and then Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia. Zapu’s existence was always a threat to Sir Edgar. As in the case of the National Democratic Party and Southern Rhodesia African National Congress, he was determined to bury it. He needed an excuse, a new formulae. Zapu was blamed for creating chaos, petrol bombings and arson in European suburbs, and the Prime Minister proclaimed its banning in September 1962.
The Rhodesian Police made over 1 000 arrests, and 190 senior Zapu members were arrested and restricted to their local villages – President Mugabe to Zvimba and Dr Nkomo to Kezi.
All restrictees were banished for three months. On arresting Dr Nkomo, the Rhodesians proclaimed, “Nkomo, thou art banished into the furthest corner of the land and into the wilderness and there shalt thou spend ninety (90) days.”
In Kezi, Dr Nkomo lived with his cousin, Sihle Nkomo. The homestead was small, but the biggest hut was reserved for Bra Josh.
Hordes of enchanted Zapu supporters visited their leader, who vowed: “I’m going to try and help the people here. I’ll put up fencing and do as many odd jobs as I can find. There is no room for me here. I cannot stay. I am taking the bread out of these poor people.”
Commenting on his banishment, Cde Mugabe said, “Life is what you make it. I keep busy. I plough with oxen and work in the fields during the morning. I read, study and write in the afternoon. I’m currently writing a Shona language novel. I’m also reading economics.
“. . .We have a definitive plan to pursue immediately, but I’m not going to elaborate any further. It would be foolish for me to reveal what we are going to do and what we have arranged.”
Zapu splits
In February 1963, Dr Nkomo travelled to Salisbury where he was welcomed by Leopold Takawira, Cde Mugabe, JZ Moyo and Josiah Chinamano. They were all excited to have him back. At that time, Southern Rhodesia had a new prime minister, Mr Winston Joseph Field, a farmer and also the leader of the Rhodesian Front. His vision was non-negotiable, and he was totally against racial integration and African rule.
It was surprising, though, that his government lifted the ban on all restrictees. In his famous words “detention without trial was wrong. People must be brought to trial and either jailed or released.”
Dr Nkomo was skeptical.
He always had reservations about the Rhodesian Front; they were new and still a mystery. What were they up to?
In the meantime, cracks had begun to show in the nationalist movement. A lot of members were unhappy about Dr Nkomo’s executive decisions and choices. One of them had always been Leopold Takawira, the “Lion of Chirumanzu”, the secretary for external affairs. Life continued, though Dr Nkomo had heard the rumours of a revolt. These had begun in earnest when most of the leaders had skipped to Tanzania. Some like Cde Mugabe and his wife, Sally, had skipped bail, so had Leopold Takawira. Joshua Nkomo had proceeded to Addis Ababa for the Africa Summit where the Organisation of African Unity was born. In August 1963, Dr Nkomo announced the names of the “rebels”: Leopold Takawira, Moton Malianga, Enos Nkala, Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole, Washington Malianga, Nathan Shamuyarira, Simon Muzenda, Advocate Herbert Chitepo, Edgar Tekere, Eddison Zvobgo and Robert Mugabe.
It is interesting that Cde Mugabe was the last person to leave Zapu, and this perhaps shows his great respect for Dr Nkomo.
The split had happened, nationalism had cracked, but that was not the end. The “rebels” immediately formed a party called the Zimbabwe African National Union (Zanu) at Cde Nkala’s house in Highfield township. A new wind of change blew through the heart and pillar of nationalism. Rev Ndabaningi Sithole became Zanu’s president, with Cde Mugabe as secretary-general and Advocate Chitepo as chair. Both Zapu and Zanu had the same ideologies; only the approach differed. Zapu never evolved into a new party after it was banned in 1962. They settled under a new banner – the People’s Caretaker Council. Dr Nkomo outwitted the Southern Rhodesian regime, slipping in and out of the country undetected. This earned him the unique title “Chibwe Chitedza” (The Slippery Rock).
