Assassination of Hebert Chitepo 18 March 1975

Hebert Chitepo Right

• The assassination of Chitepo saw crisis rocking ZANU as there were leadership struggles
• Chitepo was a lawyer by profession and very intelligent and was a dedicated nationalist who facilitated the supporting relationship of ZANU from Tanzania
• He moved to Zambia after the 1966 Sinoia Battle so that he would assume the coordination and organization of the liberation struggle
• He was killed by a petrol bomb which exploded at his home in Zambia
• His death was followed by massive arrests of the Karangas in Dare and those with high posts in ZANU
• The Zambian government argued that Chitepo’s death was because of tribalism as the Karanga were trying to take power from the Manyika
• The Karangas who included Tongogara were arrested and detained in Zambian prisons for 20 months over the death of Chitepo
• An inquiry was done by an International Commission as to the cause of the death but it could not find anything but managed to clear Zambia’s name
• However the Zambian involvement was not totally ruled out as had been a stumbling block to the détente (an agreement ) between settlers and nationalists across Africa
• ZANU faced a leadership crisis after the death of Chitepo and the discrediting of Sithole
• Robert Mugabe was later declared its leader at Que Que prison

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