Transnational revolutionary: Noel Mukono’s navigation of Zimbabwe’s fractious liberation struggle, 1957–77

Abstract

This article recovers the role of Noel Mukono in Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle. The defence chief of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) from 1964 to 1973, his pioneering role in instigating the armed struggle against the white settler government in Rhodesia is largely overlooked today. Mukono is a leading casualty of ‘patriotic history’, the contemporary Zimbabwean state’s manipulation of the independence struggle narrative. A journalist, Mukono left behind an unfinished memoir and personal papers which facilitate a deep examination of his political engagements. This material highlights Mukono’s status as a transnational revolutionary, instrumental in the internationalisation of Zimbabwe’s independence struggle. Through Mukono’s personal journey, this account explores transnational networks linking Zimbabwean nationalism with Zambia, the United Kingdom, Malawi, and Ghana. It provides new information regarding the extent of ZANU’s collaboration with the Mozambican nationalist movement, Frelimo. Finally, Mukono’s case illuminates an enigmatic period of ZANU infighting in exile which saw the Nhari Mutiny and assassination of Herbert Chitepo, the party’s National Chair. During this time, his globetrotting lifestyle was strategically used against him.