Leopold Takawira (1916–1970) served as the vice-president of the

Zimbabwe African National Union The Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) was a militant socialist organisation that fought against white-minority rule in Rhodesia, formed as a split from the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) in 1963. ZANU split in 1975 into wings l ...

after supporting the National Democratic Party (NDP) and later the

Zimbabwe African People's Union The Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) is a Zimbabwean political party. It is a militant communist organization and political party that campaigned for majority rule in Rhodesia, from its founding in 1961 until 1980. In 1987, it merged with ...

. Takawira was also known by his totem as 'Shumba yeChirumanzi' Takawira was born at Chirumanzi, Victoria district in 1916. He obtained his education locally and at Mariannhill in Natal, South Africa. He qualified as a teacher, and after several years as an assistant teacher, was appointed headmaster of Chipembere Government School in Highfield. He gave up teaching to join Colonel David Stirling's Capricorn Africa Society, of which he became executive officer.

National Democratic Party

In late 1959, upon hearing that a new nationalist party was being planned to replace the banned Rhodesian African National Congress, he applied to join the new party, the National Democratic Party. In 1960 he was elected as chairman of the

Salisbury Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...

branch and member of the Central Executive. On 19 July 1960, Takawira was amongst a number of leading activists that were arrested on suspicion of belonging to the ANC. These arrests sparked unrest that became known as the March of the 7000. At a meeting on 21 September 1960, he was elected interim president in place of Michael Mawema. At the party congress in November of that year, he stood for the post of president, but lost the contest

Joshua Nkomo Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo (19 June 1917 – 1 July 1999) was a Zimbabwean revolutionary and politician who served as Vice-President of Zimbabwe from 1990 until his death in 1999. He founded and led the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) ...

. One of Nkomo's first acts was to appoint Takawira as his replacement as director of international relations (based in London). In 1961 Takawira sent a strongly worded cable to Joshua Nkomo condemning the acceptance by the NDP delegation of the proposals for constitutional change. This led to an emergency trip to London and to a reversal of the NDP's stance.

ZAPU and ZANU

Takawira joined the

(ZAPU) on its founding in 1961 was appointed secretary for external affairs. During the following year, however, he became disenchanted with Nkomo's leadership in April 1963. Nkomo suspended him in July 1963. He joined Ndabaningi Sithole's breakaway movement, the

(ZANU), in August and was appointed vice-president.

Detention and death

He was detained in late 1964 and confined at first to Sikombele alongside

, Ndabaningi Sithole,

Robert Mugabe Robert Gabriel Mugabe (; ; 21 February 1924 – 6 September 2019) was a Zimbabwean revolutionary and politician who served as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 1987 and then as President from 1987 to 2017. He served as Leader of th ...

and Edgar Tekere. After Rhodesia's

Unilateral Declaration of Independence A unilateral declaration of independence (UDI) or "unilateral secession" is a formal process leading to the establishment of a new state by a subnational entity which declares itself independent and sovereign without a formal agreement with the ...

from the United Kingdom, he was moved to Salisbury Prison, where he remained until his death in 1970. His death is believed to have been caused by neglect of his diabetes by the prison authorities. In 1982, Takawira was reburied with full military honours in Harare at the national memorial monument called Heroes' Acre.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Takawira, Leopold 1916 births 1970 deaths Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army personnel Zimbabwean politicians Prisoners who died in Rhodesian detention Zimbabwean people who died in prison custody Diabetes-related deaths