History of Mthwakazi / Matabeleland independence advocacy

Sources for this page

Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.

1. 1.

   Claim: The Ndebele Kingdom, known to the Ndebele as Mthwakazi and to others historically as Matabeleland, was an African state existing from 1838 to 1897 covering parts of what is now southern Zimbabwe and northern South Africa; it was defeated and dissolved by the British South Africa Company on 3 November 1893, after which the territory was administered under British colonial rule.

   • Matabeleland (Kingdom): The Ndebele Empire in Southern Africa (World History Encyclopedia) link, Kingdom overview and 1893 defeat section. Source record
2. 2.

   Claim: The Mthwakazi Liberation Front (MLF), a secessionist movement seeking independence for the Ndebele people of Matabeleland, was founded in 2010 by Fidelis Ncube, a former commander of the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) during the 1970s Rhodesian liberation war; the movement cites perceived socio-economic discrimination against the Ndebele minority by Zimbabwe's Shona-majority government, including the historical context of the 1980s Gukurahundi conflict, which this bundle does not narrate in detail. Ncube resigned as the group's founder in March 2016, and David Mpofu was named MLF chairman by April 2018.

   • Ndebele Nationalists Launch Mthwakazi Liberation Front in Zimbabwe (VOA Zimbabwe) link, Founding and leadership section. Source record