Zimbabwean politician Enos Nkala, who co-founded Robert Mugabe's ZANU party and was defence minister during a massacre of ethnic Ndebele that killed 20,000 people, has reportedly died.
‘Nkala died at the Avenues Clinic, Harare, this morning after his admission at the hospital on 7 August ,’ the News Day newspaper reported.
He was 81 years old. The cause of death is still unclear.
Nkala co-founded the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) party in 1963 to fight against British colonial rule.
ZANU came to power after independence in 1980 and later joined the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) to form ZANU-PF, which remains in power.
Nkala served various posts in Mugabe governments, including as finance minister.
As defence minister he oversaw a state-ordered crackdown by North Korea-trained forces on dissidents in the Matabeleland and Midlands provinces between 1984 and 1987.
Nkala sought to exonerate himself, saying Mugabe directed the deployment of the troops.
‘Nkala died at the Avenues Clinic, Harare, this morning after his admission at the hospital on 7 August ,’ the News Day newspaper reported.
He was 81 years old. The cause of death is still unclear.
Nkala co-founded the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) party in 1963 to fight against British colonial rule.
ZANU came to power after independence in 1980 and later joined the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) to form ZANU-PF, which remains in power.
Nkala served various posts in Mugabe governments, including as finance minister.
As defence minister he oversaw a state-ordered crackdown by North Korea-trained forces on dissidents in the Matabeleland and Midlands provinces between 1984 and 1987.
Nkala sought to exonerate himself, saying Mugabe directed the deployment of the troops.