Dumiso Dabengwa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dumiso Dabengwa
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| President of the Zimbabwe African People's Union | |
| In office 2008 – 23 May 2019 |
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| Chairperson of the Supreme Council of the Coalition of Democrats | |
| In office 20 October 2017 – 18 April 2018 |
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| Minister of Home Affairs of Zimbabwe | |
| In office 1992–2000 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 6 December 1939 Southern Rhodesia |
| Died | 23 May 2019 (aged 79) Nairobi, Kenya |
| Political party | Zimbabwe African People's Union |
Dumiso Dabengwa (born December 6, 1939 – died May 23, 2019) was an important politician from Zimbabwe. He was known for leading the intelligence part of the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) during the war for independence in Rhodesia.
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Dumiso Dabengwa's Political Journey
During the war for independence, some people called Dumiso Dabengwa the "Black Russian." This was because he received special training in Moscow, Russia.
From 1992 to 2000, he worked in the government as the Minister of Home Affairs. This role meant he was in charge of many important internal matters for the country. In 1991, he was also chosen to lead the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project.
Between 2003 and 2010, he faced some restrictions from the United States.
Dabengwa tried to win a seat in the House of Assembly in the 2000 election. He ran as a candidate for the ZANU-PF party in Nkulumane. However, he lost to Gibson Sibanda from the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party. He even said that the MDC would have won no matter who their candidate was. He tried again in the March 2005 election but was defeated once more.
Even though he was part of the ZANU-PF party's high-level committee, he announced his support for another candidate, Simba Makoni. This happened before the March 2008 presidential election. A spokesperson for the then-President, Robert Mugabe, said that Dabengwa's change of support was not important. It was even reported that Mugabe had offered Dabengwa a high position after the election, but Dabengwa turned it down.
After the 2008 election, Dabengwa said that Makoni's campaign had achieved its goal. He believed it stopped either Mugabe or Tsvangirai from winning outright in the first round. He thought a new government should be formed with different parties working together, instead of another election round. He felt that Mugabe was too old to lead and that younger leaders were needed. However, he also had some criticisms for Tsvangirai.
Leading the Zimbabwe African People's Union
Dumiso Dabengwa became the leader of the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) when it was restarted. This party was moving away from an agreement made in 1987.
He ran as ZAPU's candidate for President of Zimbabwe in the 2013 general election. He left the ZANU-PF party along with Benny Ncube, who he had trained with during the armed struggle.
Facing Accusations
In 1982, Dumiso Dabengwa, along with Lookout Masuku and four others, faced serious accusations from the government led by Robert Mugabe. They were accused of working against the government. However, they were found not guilty in 1983 because there was not enough proof. After being released, they were held again under special rules. Dabengwa was released four years later.
See also
- In Spanish: Dumiso Dabengwa para niños
