Alfred Nikita Mangena
| Alfred Nikita Mangena | |
|---|---|
| Born | Rogers Alfred Mangena March 16, 1943 Maranda |
| Died | June 28, 1978 |
| Nationality | Zimbabwean |
| Known for | Commander of the Zimbabwe Peoples Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) |
| Predecessor | Lookout Masuku |
| Political party | ZAPU |
| Parents |
|
Alfred Nikita Mangena (real name Rogers Mangena) was a Second Chimurenga commander of the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA), an army under Zimbabwe African People's Union. After his death in 1978, Mangena was succeeded by Lookout Masuku.
Background
He was born Rodgers Alfred Mangena on 16 March 1943 in the Maranda area. He was born of Bakae Mangena and Keorabile Ngwenya, he was a Ndebele of Swati origin(Ngwane/Hlubi clan), his roots trace to the first swati people of Nyamazane Dlamini who settled in Zimbabwe after defeating the last Mambo of the Lozwi kingdom.
Political and Military Career
In 1965 Mangena was one of the Zapu members sent for training in Algeria. Later, Nikita Mangena himself, along with Lookout Masuku, trained fighters in Morogoro in Tanzania."[1]
In November 1975 ZAPU and the Zimbabwe African National Union formed the Zimbabwe People's Army in Mozambique. While the joint military force soon fell apart, when it successfully functioned Mangena served as the second-in-command.
Mangena led a ZIPRA uprising against ZAPU moderates in 1977 with hundreds of followers in camps in Zambia attacking ZAPU's headquarters in Lusaka. While Mangena did not intend to lead a coup against Joshua Nkomo, he wished to reassert his power over the organization's militant activities. Soon after the uprising he was assassinated.
References
- ↑ Dumiso Dabengwa, Alfred Nikita Mangena: Unique ZAPU Soldier, Bulawayo24, Published: 3 Oct 2016, Retrieved:13 Nov 2017
