via Mugabe ally, Zanu co-founder Enos Nkala dies – Times LIVE
Zimbabwean politician Enos Nkala, who co-founded Robert Mugabe’s Zanu party and was defence minister during a massacre of ethnic Ndebele that killed 20 000 people, has reportedly died.
“Nkala died at the Avenues Clinic, Harare, this morning after his admission at the hospital on August 7,” the News Day newspaper reported.
He was 81 years old. The cause of death is still unclear.
Nkala co-founded the Zimbabwe African National Union (Zanu) party in 1963 to fight against British colonial rule.
Zanu came to power after independence in 1980 and later joined the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) to form Zanu-PF, which remains in power.
Nkala served various posts in Mugabe governments, including as finance minister.
As defence minister he oversaw a state-ordered crackdown by North Korea-trained forces on dissidents in the Matabeleland and Midlands provinces between 1984 and 1987.
Around 20 000 people, including women and children, were killed during the massacre named “Gukurahundi”, which means “the wind that sweeps away the chaff before the spring rains” in the local Shona language.
Nkala sought to exonerate himself, saying Mugabe directed the deployment of the troops.
In the late 1990s Mugabe described the killings as “a moment of madness” but stopped short of apologising for them.
Nkala left government following a corruption scandal in which cabinet ministers and officials bought cars for resale using special privileges.
He later became a staunch critic of Mugabe’s rule, but last year patched up his relationship with the 89-year-old ruler.
Mugabe is set to be inaugurated for a new five-year term Thursday after winning a disputed election last month to extend his more than three-decade rule.
COMMENTS
May his rest in peace my leader.
thanx fo giving us news
And that’s how our leaders will pass away. Peacefully or in some cases, mysteriously.
And if they are responsible for massacres and suffering, there is no better way of getting away with it than to die peacefully while their victims shed tears over never getting justice? If I had blood on my hands, I would delight in the idea of dying peacefully in a comfy bed too.
Guess the wind just swept away the chaff he is lucky it was peaceful on earth but doubt he is in peace now if he aided the murder of so many people.
Kuti Enos Nkala ndokuti ZANU. The party was actually founded in Nkala’s sitting room at his Highfield house on 8 August 1963. So the guy is the party. But now we have those who think they own ZANU and yet they only came to join what was already an institution. He will definitely be laid to rest next to Twoboy Tekere. May his dear departed soul rest in eternal peace.
“Enos Nkala” may your soul never rest in peace, may God show no mercy upon your soul as you languish in hell for all eternity.
One down, with a few hundred or a few thousand to go. Only then will Zimbabweans have the liberation they sort in the 70’s.
Wow! Millions of people all getting worked up over (but doing nothing to deal with) a few hundred sociopaths. Let the world laugh at us indeed.
Wow indeed!!! Perhaps Zanu-pf/mugabe did indeed win the last election, judging by the lack of joyous celebration for the passing of an evil man.
May the biggest Mthwakazi Gukurahundi of all times Rest In Pieces!!!