Chikerema Dies

23 March 2006

Staff Writer

Zimbabwe’s state radio reported on Thursday that Zimbabwean nationalist James Chikerema has died. He was 81 years old and died in America where he had gone for medical treatment.

Like his relative Mugabe, Chikerema was born at Kutama Mission in Zvimba. He became involved in the nationalist struggle while at college in South Africa.

He was acting chairman of the Zimbabwe African Peoples’ Union (Zapu) - a rival to Mugabe’s Zimbabwe African Nationalist Union (Zanu) - from 1964 to 1971, but he retired from active politics at independence in 1980.

Mugabe appointed Chikerema to the Constitutional Commission that began the complete downfall of Zimbabwe. The people rejected the constitution which was set to entrench Mugabe’s powers, and the serious retribution began.

Lately James Chikerema had become quite critical of Mugabe and his government.