Can a country be colonised twice?
The first flag of sovereignty flown over what is now Zimbabwe was the British Union Flag (Union Jack) raised at Fort Salisbury on 13 September 1890.
The flag of the BSAC was raised in the Matabele capital of Bulawayo on 04 November 1893 after the Company's forces led by Major Patrick Forbes drove the Ndebele from the town.
So Mashonaland was colonised by Britain in 1890 without a fight, Matabeleland was colonised by BSAC as a prize for mercenaries. The countries were illegally joined in 1923
Brief History
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Rhodesia Scouts, sellouts.Cross(MDC-T MP and International relations secretary), Roy Bennett(MDC-T Treasury Secretary)Captain Robert Mackenzie,Ian Kay(MDC-T MP),David Coltart(MDC MP in brown and legal secretary) & Others who are also in the national executive committee of the MDC-T. We get so surprised when these SELOUS SCOUTS stand in front of us as champions of democracy and representative of human dignity --ZIPRA
Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) was the armed wing of the Zimbabwe African People's Union, a political party in Rhodesia. It participated in the Second Chimurenga against white minority rule in the former Rhodesia. ZIPRA was formed during the 1960s by the nationalist leader Jason Moyo, the deputy of Joshua Nkomo. Because ZAPU's political strategy relied more heavily on negotiations than armed force, ZIPRA developed as elaborately training both regular soldiers and guerrilla fighters ZANLA, although by 1979 it had an estimated 20,000 combatants[citation needed], based in camps around Lusaka, Zambia and at the front. ZIPRA's crossing points into Zimbabwe were at Feira in Zambia opposite Mashonaland East and west. For example, the operational boundary was Sipolilo where ZIPRA, ZANLA and Rhodesian forces clashed. ZIPRA operated alone in Mashonaland west. There was no ZANLA in that area.[citation needed] Zipra was a non tribalist organisation[citation needed] with cadres drawn from a wide spectrum of the country's population. Beside the overall political ideologies, the main differences between ZIPRA and ZANLA were that: ZIPRA drew its recruits from the Kalanga, Sutho, Ndebele, Shona ethnic groups while ZANLA only recruited from the Shona.[citation needed] ZIPRA did not follow ZANLA's (inspired by Maoism) but followed Soviet Marxist Leninist principles and enjoyed close relationship with local peasant populations. For example, ZIPRA forces in Mashonaland west were never sold out by the population because they respected locals and their culture.[citation needed] ZIPRA controlled liberated zones from Sipolilo to Plumtree. The enemy forces could not venture out of the keep in Kazangarare for instance.[citation needed]. Zipra had some of its forces who served in the new Zimbabwe national government like Philip Valerio Sibanda, Tshinga Dube Roy Reagen Ndlovu and Eddie Sigoge who was arrested in the 1980s. ZIPRA was in formal alliance with Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) the ANC's militant wing. ZIPRA and MK mounted a celebrated (if militarily unsuccessful) mission in Southern Rhodesia in the mid-1960s. In 1978 and 1979 ZIPRA downed two civilian passenger planes of Air Rhodesia, killing a total of 102 passengers and crew Umkhonto we Sizwe - timeline1961, December 16: The formation of Umkhonto we Sizwe by the ANC, SACP and fraternal organisations is announced by a series of bomb blasts against apartheid structures in Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth and Durban.
1962, January: Nelson Mandela leaves South Africa for military training. 1963, October to June: The Rivonia trail, which results in MK high command members Nelson Mandela, Govan Mbeki, Walter Sisulu, Dennis Goldberg, Ahmed Kathrada, Raymond Mhlaba, Andrew Mlangeni and Elias Motsoaledi`s being sentenced to life imprisonment. The charge sheet at the trail lists 193 acts of sabotage. 1964, November 6: Vuyisile Mini, Wilton Khayingo and Zizakile Mkhaba, three prominent trade unionists from Port Elizabeth, are sent to the gallows for MK activities. 1967, July 30-3: The "Luthuli Detachment" comprising ANC and ZAPU guerrillas crosses the Zambezi river into the then Rhodesia and engages joint Smith-Vorster troops at the start of the Wankie and Sipolio battles which rage until late 1968. 1970-75: MK reconsolidates its underground structures. Among others, Chris Hani returns to South Africa. 1971, December 16: MK celebrates its 10th Anniversary. 1975, June 25: The People`s Republic of Mozambique is created after a protracted 10-year battle by FRELIMO troops against the Portuguese colonialists in which MK troops participated. 1975, November 11: The People`s Republic of Angola is born and within months, after the defeat of the invading South African army by the Angolan people`s armed forces, MK is invited to train its cadres on Angolan soil. 1975-76: Early MK commanders who are active in the early 1961-64 sabotage campaign are released from Robben Island. Among them are Joe Gqabi, Indres Naidoo, Ismael Ebrahim and Andrew Masondo. 1976, June 16: More than 1,000 children are killed in Soweto by South African Police. Thousand of students leave South Africa to join MK. They are henceforth called "The June 16 Detachment". 1976, December 16: The 15th anniversary of Umkhonto we Sizwe. 1976-1978: There is a dramatic increase in MK operations including sabotage of railway lines, attacks on police stations and so on. 1979: The Year of the Spear. Named in tribute to the history of unbroken resistance and to the military of our people from the Battle of Isandelwana on January 22 1879. 1979, April 6: Mk hero Solomon Mahlangu is hanged in Pretoria. (his comrade Monty Motloung suffered brain damage from his torture he received at the hands of his captors). 1980, January: The Silverton siege, in which MK combatants intercepted en route to a mission take refuge in a bank in Silverton, Pretoria. Our comrades explain the policies of the ANC to the hostages, pledge not to hurt them, demand Nelson Mandela`s release. The SAP bundle the operation, and kill some of the hostages as well as the three MK comrades.... but not before several police have been killed as well. 1980, June: Umkhonto we Sizwe hits at the massive Sasol complex, causing damage estimated at R66 million. 1981, June: As part of nationwide defiance against the regime`s racist Republic celebrations, MK strikes at several strategic targets, blows up railway lines, power plants, military bases and recruiting offices. Altogether there are more than 90 armed actions against the regime and its installations this year. 1981, August 9: The SADF`s major military installation, Voortekkerhoogte, is attacked by MK combatants using 122mm rocket launchers. 1981, November 3: The "Indian Affairs" building in Durban is blasted, the day before the fraudulent South African Indian Council elections. 1981, December 16: MK celebrates its 20th anniversary. 1982, January 8:On the 70th anniversary of the formation of the ANC, MK attacks Koeberg nuclear power plant in Cape Town. 1983, May: Pretoria car bomb explodes outside South African Air Force HQ and SADF Military Intelligence HQ killing SADF and SAP personnel. MK claims responsibility. 1983, June 9: Jerry Mosolodi, Terry Mogerani and Thjabo Montaung are executed for their part in an attack on Wonderboom police station. 1984, September: MK operatives increase dramatically in response to the Vaal Uprisings. Actions include engaging SADF and SAP personnel, sabotaging economic and military installations. 1985: The Amamzimtoti bomb attack takes place. 1985, October 18: Malesela Benjamin Moloise is executed in defiance of international calls for clemency. 1986: The second state of emergency is declared and Andrew Zondo is hanged by the regime for his part in the Amamzimtoti bomb blasts. 1987, May: A car bomb explodes outside the Johannesburg Magistrates Court killing four policemen. 1987 July: The SADF`s Witatwersrand Command complex in Johannesburg is severely damaged by a massive car bomb. The SADF refuses to disclose casualties. 1989: A large contingent of MK combatants attack a South African Air Force secret radar installation at Klippan in the Western Transvaal causing extensive damage and undisclosed casualties. 1990, August 1: ANC/MK suspends armed actions after 29 years ZANLA
Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) was the military wing of the Zimbabwe African National Union, a militant African nationalist organisation and participated in the Rhodesian Bush War against white minority rule.
ZANLA was formed in 1965 in Tanzania, although until the early 1970s ZANLA was based in camps around Lusaka, Zambia. Until 1972 ZANLA was led by the nationalist leader Herbert Chitepo, followed by Josiah Tongogara from 1973 until his death in 1979. With the war drawing to a close, command fell to Robert Mugabe, previously ZANU's number two leader after Tongogara and head of the movement's political wing. Until about 1971, ZANLA's strategy was based on direct confrontation with Rhodesian armed forces. From 1972 onwards, ZANLA adopted the Maoist guerrilla tactics that had been used with success by FRELIMO in Mozambique: infiltrating combatants into the country, politicising the peasantry and participating in 'hit-and-run' ambush operations. ZANLA's close association with Mozambique's FRELIMO helped it after Mozambican independence in 1975. From about 1972, ZANLA had operated from Tete Province in northern Mozambique, which was FRELIMO-controlled, and, after Mozambican independence, ZANLA was permitted to open additional training and supply camps along the Rhodesian-Mozambican border. This greatly assisted the recruitment and training of cadres. Beside their overall political ideologies, the main differences between ZIPRA, the armed wing of the pro-Soviet ZAPU party, and ZANLA were that: ZANLA drew its recruits mostly from Shona-speaking ethnic groups ZANLA followed a strategy of politicisation of the peasant population (inspired by the Maoist teachings of "protracted people's war"), most often by intimidation and outright terrorism. ZIPRA cadres were usually not based in Rhodesia for any length of time and consequently did not enjoy a close relationship with local peasant populations After about 1972, ZANLA introduced combatants into the country for long-term campaigns of guerrilla fighting, while ZIPRA was designed to be used as a conventional armed force: entering the country, striking and pulling back to its bases in Zambia and Angola During the late 1970s, some ZANLA fighters were deployed in the Matabeleland and midlands provinces, areas where Zipra mainly operated. There were a lot of clashes between the two forces. ZANLA fighters were well known for their savagery when it came to dealing with Ndebele civilians who were usually taken into what were called overnight bases and forced to sing songs in Shona denouncing ZAPU and its leader Joshua Nkomo. These ZANLA cadres had a strange love for chicken and a local staple food known as Sadza. Each time they came to a Ndebele homestead given their lack of the Ndebele language, they would simply demand "ndipe sadza nehuku" hence the local Ndebele nickname for them "Osadza nehuku". They were known as well for saying "Down with Nkomo" most of the time, hence another Matebele name for them became "OPASI" Aside from these tribal issues, in Mashonaland their home ground, the ZANLA fighter gave a different account of himself. Like their more polished and better organised fellow fighters in ZIPRA, in Mashonaland they helped inflict many casualties on the Rhodesian Security Forces. In fact, until today, the then ZANLA command still maintains that it was their forces, not ZIPRA, that attacked the Salisbury fuel depot in December 1978, resulting in a massive shortage of fuel in RhodesiaWhilst there was undoubtedly intense rivalry between the two fellow movements, the Rhodesian government treated both the same. As much as the Rhodesian security forces attacked and killed hundreds of ZAPU recruits across the borders in Zambia and Angola at Mkushi and Freedom Camps, ZANU also recorded many losses in Chimoio and Nyadzonia in Mozambique. Following the 1980 elections large portions of ZANLA were integrated into the new Zimbabwe National Army. Chief Khayisa Ndiweni
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