tawandamusarurwa
Advocate Isaya Muriwo Sithole
THE month of August is the time when we remember our heroes and heroines.
The Sithole family also remembers, among other heroes, Dr Edson Furatidzayi Chisingaitwi Sithole, a veteran nationalist leader and barrister who was abducted together with his secretary Miriam Mhlanga at a local hotel on October 15, 1975.
Their remains have not been found to date. They remain unaccounted for.
Although a cenotaph monument has been installed at the National Heroes Acre in his memory, Dr Sithole is part of a group of sons and daughters of the soil who lie in unmarked graves and are collectively represented at the national shrine by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Dr Sithole is perhaps best remembered as one of the founding fathers and martyrs of the liberation struggle.
He is also remembered as the second black barrister and advocate to be admitted to the Rhodesian bar after the late national hero, Cde Hebert Wiltshire Hamandishe Chitepo.
Most also remember him as the first black holder of a Doctor of Laws degree in the entire Southern and Central African regions, after obtaining his PhD with the University of South Africa (UNISA) in 1974 while in political detention, a feat made even more remarkable by the fact that it happened during the dark days of the 1970s.
In Southern Rhodesia, he was the only one with that qualification, regardless of race.
But what legacy did this unsung hero of Africa leave behind?
In this contribution, I explore and discuss his legacy as one of the founding and leading nationalists, a veteran leader, barrister, academic and visionary who helped shape the course of the liberation struggle.
Dr Sithole left behind, among other things, a legacy of hard work and perseverance in personal academic advancement.
He never had an opportunity to attend a formal university; all his degrees were obtained through self-education while under political detention.
He started as a news vendor and later became the first black holder of the degree of Legum Doctor in the entire Southern and Central African regions.
In Rhodesia, he was the only one with a PhD in law and was considered the most educated black lawyer at the time.
He was a leading academic of his time and also left behind a rich legacy of ideas and knowledge in the articles that he contributed occasionally to various media houses.
His two-volume PhD thesis titled “A Comparative Study of the Republican Constitutions of Zambia and Malawi”, which was the most voluminous thesis ever submitted to the UNISA Faculty of Law at the time, also has important insights for independent Zimbabwe’s constitutional development.
In his thesis, Dr Sithole criticised various aspects of the Westminster constitutional model that was bequeathed to Zambia and Malawi.
He supported a strong executive that was capable of reversing the inequalities of colonial administration, but one that would have checks and balances which would prevent it from becoming authoritarian and autocratic and, thus, reverse the gains of independence, like what was happening in Malawi and Zambia, then under Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda and Dr Kenneth Kaunda, respectively.
The Sithole family, through the Dr Edson FC Sithole Foundation, will, in due course, facilitate the publication of this rich thesis done by the first black legal guru in Southern and Central Africa.
We will also facilitate the publication of his speeches and writings in various newspapers and academic journals.
The man left behind a reservoir of knowledge and wisdom that we ought to tap into and harness for the benefit of Zimbabwe as a people, as well as a lasting legacy of black excellence, which we ought to celebrate as a country and region.
Resistance
Dr Sithole left behind a legacy of resistance against white settlerism and its various manifestations.
At an early age, growing up in Bikita, he refused to herd cattle belonging to white settlers, which was a widespread practice, and this often got him and the family into trouble.
Mentored by his father, Cde Chisingaitwi Sithole, and mother Chioniso Dupiseni Sithole (nee Chisiiwa), Edson had strong allies in his parents. Sekuru Chisingaitwi at one point assaulted a white man over the same issue, that of being forced to herd cattle belonging to Europeans, while the number of cattle for blacks was being arbitrarily reduced.
This spirit of resistance and fighting for justice was one of the reasons that led Cde Sithole to join the nationalist struggle at a very tender age and to study law.
There being no active nationalist political party in Southern Rhodesia at the time, he started by being a member of the Nyasaland African National Congress and helped in the fight against the federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.
Cde Sithole was later to found the City Youth League (CYL) in August 1955, together with Cde James Chikerema, Cde George Nyandoro and Cde Dunduza Chisiza (a Malawian). Cde Sithole was the interim secretary-general until May 13, 1956. The involvement of Cde Sithole in the politics of Malawi and subsequent involvement of Cde Chisiza in the politics of Southern Rhodesia reflects the cross-fertilisation of politics in Rhodesia and Nyasaland.
The CYL organised a very successful bus boycott in Salisbury (now Harare) in September 1956, resulting in Cde Chisiza’s deportation from Southern Rhodesia.
Cde Sithole left behind a legacy of being a nationalist and Pan-Africanist par excellence, with unmatched clarity on the articulation of nationalist and Pan-African values and struggles.
As a member of the CYL, he lamented the absence of a national nationalist party in Southern Rhodesia.
The leaders of the CYL eventually changed the name of the organisation to the African National Youth League (ANYL) in 1956 to give the movement a broader national appeal.
The ANYL joined with the ANC from Bulawayo to form the African National Congress (ANC) under the leadership of Cde Joshua Nkomo.
The ANC became the first national nationalist party in Southern Rhodesia after the era of the trade unionism of the likes of Cde Benjamin Burombo.
At this early stage, we see people like Cde Sithole realising the need for unity and collaboration among blacks who were fighting against colonialism, thus leaving behind a legacy of great statesmanship and visionary leadership.
Many military and political leaders who emerged later mention the names of Cde Sithole and other leaders of the CYL as an early source of inspiration.
Being the youngest among the nationalists at the time, Cde Sithole left behind a legacy.
He was an embodiment of revolutionary and radical youth activism and patriotism of his generation.
The revolutionary and radical nature of Cde Sithole was to manifest in various instances during the course of the struggle.
For example, as a protest against the initial acceptance of the 1961 constitution by the leadership of the National Democratic Party (NDP), Cde Sithole and others broke away to form the Zimbabwe National Party (ZNP). The ZNP campaigned against the 1961 constitution at the time.
He was also appointed deputy secretary of the ZNP from prison.
When the ZNP merged with the Southern Rhodesia African Trade Union Congress to form the Pan-African Socialist Union (PASU) in September 1962, he was appointed its secretary-general and served in that position until the party’s collapse in December 1962.
After these developments, the NDP changed its position on the 1961 constitution and with the demise of both PASU and the NDP, many nationalists coalesced again on the formation of ZAPU and later ZANU in August 1963, where Cde Sithole was appointed the publicity secretary in May 1964.
Advocate Sithole’s ability to articulate the African and Pan-African position saw him being appointed to various influential posts in all the political parties and organisations that he worked with.
Accordingly, he left behind a lasting legacy of clarity in articulation.
Armed struggle
As the Europeans increasingly became deaf to African demands, the nationalists started planning for an armed struggle.
Cde Sithole is one of the nationalists who signed the Sikombela Declaration. This was a declaration of an armed struggle against the Rhodesians in order to free the country from the shackles of colonialism.
This again shows how he was a staunch, committed and uncompromising, yet pragmatic nationalist.
His pragmatism, versatility and charisma were also apparent during the time of the Pearce Commission, through to the ANC talks with the Ian Smith government.
Following the ban on ZANU and ZAPU, and the detention of many nationalist leaders, the formation of the ANC itself was a pragmatic strategy to mobilise African people against the Anglo-Rhodesian constitutional proposals and to plug the nationalist vacuum that was created in the country.
Cde Sithole was instrumental in this pragmatic strategy.
He was an astute strategist and also a strong force for the unity of purpose of all black nationalist political parties, and the ANC should also be looked at in the context of the unification of black nationalist parties, as reflected in the balance of ZANU, ZAPU, ANC and FROLIZI members in its top leadership.
This was one of the roles of the ANC and that is why it earned the name “Huruyadzo (the big one)” at the time.
Both the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and the Frontline States also supported unity, never mind their undue interference in some instances in the form, structure and content of the unity.
Within the ANC, we saw a man like Cde Sithole displaying a great deal of political dexterity and pragmatism that helped shape the course of the liberation struggle, particularly in the context of détente.
Most importantly, Cde Sithole also left behind a lasting legacy of paying the ultimate price in defence of one’s country.
He foresaw his death, as is clear from his press briefing after the death of Cde Herbert Chitepo in Zambia. He told reporters that he expected the Rhodesian authorities to move swiftly against him and Cde Robert Mugabe.
Despite his strong apprehension for imminent death, Cde Sithole did not sulk but remained bold in challenging the colonial authorities, as evidenced by the fact that he was reported to be handling arms smuggled from Maputo, which eventually led to his abduction, disappearance and subsequent death, together with his secretary, Mhlanga.
This is why Cde Sithole is widely regarded as a martyr of the liberation struggle.
Additionally, Cde Sithole left behind an enduring legacy of fighting for democracy, human rights and justice, which was evident in his nationalist activities and legal practice.
His services — representing Africans arrested for political crimes — were always in demand. This was a duty that he embraced with passion.
Despite his nationalist activities, Cde Sithole would always find time for his legal practice.
In conclusion, I would like to implore the nation to also celebrate and honour unsung heroes like Dr Sithole, who are the founders of the struggle for independence.
Because of the charismatic and versatile nature of Dr Sithole, this article can never be exhaustive.
Public lectures on his legacy will be organised in due course.
* Advocate Isaya Muriwo Sithole is the founder and executive director of the Dr Edson FC Sithole Foundation. Feedback: [email protected]
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