Joshua Nkomo born - June 19, 1917

On this day in 1917, revolutionary and politician Joshua Nkomo was born in Matebeleland in modern-day Zimbabwe.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This Day in History Class is a production of I
Heart Radio. Hey y'all, I'm Eves and welcome to This
Day and History Class, a podcast that brings you a
new slice of history every day. Today is June. The

(00:23):
day was June nineteenth. Nineteen seventeen. Revolutionary and politician Joshua
and Como was born in Model Bili Land in modern
day Zimbabwe. And Como led the Zimbabwe African Pupils Union
and served as second Vice President of Zimbabwe from nineteen
to nine. In September of eighteen ninety, the Pioneer column

(00:45):
of the British South African Company raised the British flag
at Fort Salisbury or present day Harari. British columnists called
the area Southern Rhodesia after imperialists and politician Cecil Rhodes.
Over the next decade, white people arrived in large numbers
and began seizing farmland and overseeing the mining of resources

(01:07):
like gold, chrome, ore, and platinum. The Biley and Shona
people's who lived in the area were displaced by the Europeans.
They had made efforts to resist British rule, but Southern
Rhodesia was annexed by the United Kingdom in nineteen twenty three.
Como grew up in colonial era Southern Rhodesia as part
of an Indo Biley family. As a young adult and

(01:29):
Como took a job as a social welfare worker with
the Rhodesia Railways. He began to advocate for railway workers
and helped build up the Rhodesian Railways African Employees Association,
and when the British government proposed uniting some of his
African colonies, including Southern Rhodesia, into a federation, he was
vocal about his opposition to federation. Though the anti federation

(01:53):
movement had many supporters, the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyassa
Land was formed in nineteen fifty three, and Como gained
a reputation as a committed African nationalist when the African
National Youth League and the Boulawio branch of the African
National Congress merged in nineteen fifty seven, when Como was
elected president of the new a n C. Through his

(02:16):
work as president of the a n C, he met
other people who were involved in anti colonial movements. In
nineteen fifty nine, the government banned the a n C
and hundreds of his members were arrested as in Como
traveled through Europe and the United States to raise money
in support for the independence movement. Members of the a
n C formed the National Democratic Party and Como was

(02:39):
declared president of the n d P, which was later
banned as well. Another party, the Zimbabwe African People's Union
or z a p U, soon formed and was also banned.
Como continued to press for international support, but some people
perceived in Como as a moderate and doubted his commitment
to the nationalist movement. It some people in the z

(03:01):
a p U broke away from the group informed the
Zimbabwe African National Union. All the while white Rhodesian prime
ministers targeted black nationalists. Prime Minister Ian Smith banished in
Como to a detention center in a remote part of
southern Rhodesia. Como was incarcerated for ten years, but his

(03:22):
incarceration garnered him more support and increased opposition to the
Smith administration. By the time in Coma was freed in
nineteen seventy four, nationalist groups had gained ground, and Como
directed the z a p U s military, political and
diplomatic activities from Zambia. Robert Mugabi, another nationalist leader, had

(03:44):
been at odds with Uncomo before, but the z A
p U and Mugabe's z A n YOU linked to
form the Patriotic Front and bring down white minority rule.
Smith agreed to a new constitution and Zimbabwe gained its
independent in nineteen eighty. Mugabi became Prime Minister and Minister
for Defense, but in Como continued to be in conflict

(04:07):
with Mugabi and fighting between z A p U and
z A n U supporters escalated. After years of violence
and massacres carried out against the Dabilee by the Zimbabwe
National Army, and Como and Mugabi agreed to merge their
parties into a unified one called z A n UPS.
The agreement said that the party was committed to a

(04:29):
one party state. It also provided for in Como to
become the second of two vice presidents of Zimbabwe in nine,
a role that was largely symbolic. He served as second
Vice president until his death in nine In his later
years and Como dealt with health issues. Many people disapproved

(04:50):
of how he handled political challenges, and he lost a
lot of influence. Still, Como has been called the father
of Zimbabwe Nationalism for his eating role in the fight
for independence from white colonial rule. I'm Eve Steff Coote
and hopefully you know a little more about history today
that you did yesterday. And if you have any comments

(05:11):
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(05:36):
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