Zimbabwe African People’s Union
Quick Summary
The Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) was a prominent political organization in Zimbabwe, founded in 1962 by Joshua Nkomo. It emerged as a significant force during the struggle for independence from white minority rule in Rhodesia. ZAPU, along with the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) led by Robert Mugabe, were the two major liberation organizations.
The organizations were banned by the Rhodesian government, forcing them to operate from exile. ZAPU's support base was primarily among the Ndebele ethnic minority, while ZANU drew support from the Shona majority. This ethnic division contributed to internal conflicts within the nationalist movement. Despite these challenges, both ZAPU and ZANU engaged in guerrilla warfare against the Rhodesian government, eventually leading to negotiations and the establishment of majority rule in Zimbabwe in 1980.1234
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
Southern AfricaZimbabwe…under Robert Mugabe, and the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU), under Joshua Nkomo. With Frelimo’s military successes in northeastern Mozambique in 1971–72 and, more important, with the transformation of the power structure in the region after the independence of the Portuguese territories, a new guerrilla strategy began to make headway.…
Read More…under Robert Mugabe, and the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU), under Joshua Nkomo. With Frelimo’s military successes in northeastern Mozambique in 1971–72 and, more important, with the transformation of the power structure in the region after the independence of the Portuguese territories, a new guerrilla strategy began to make headway.…
Read More
ZimbabweFederation…banned, and he formed the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU), which in turn was banned in 1962. In 1963 Robert Mugabe broke with ZAPU to join the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) and thereby split African support along ethnic lines—Nkomo retained the Ndebele ethnic minority (mostly in the Matabeleland region),…
Read More…banned, and he formed the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU), which in turn was banned in 1962. In 1963 Robert Mugabe broke with ZAPU to join the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) and thereby split African support along ethnic lines—Nkomo retained the Ndebele ethnic minority (mostly in the Matabeleland region),…
Read More


