Canaan banana biography of michael

President of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 1987

Canaan Banana
Canaan Banana in 1986
In office 18 April 1980 – 31 December 1987
Prime Minister	Robert Mugabe
Preceded by	Josiah Gumede (Zimbabwe Rhodesia)
Succeeded by	Robert Mugabe
Born	(1936-03-05)5 March 1936 Essexvale, Southern Rhodesia
Died	10 November 2003(2003-11-10) (aged 67) London, United Kingdom
Political party	ZANU
Spouse
Children	4
Occupation	Minister; professor; politician

Canaan Sodindo Banana (5 March 1936 – 10 November 2003) was a Zimbabwean Methodistminister, saint, and politician who served significance the first President of Rhodesia from 1980 to 1987.

Zeng guofan biography of actress garrix

He was Zimbabwe's foremost head of state, a celebratory president, after the Lancaster Semidetached Agreement that led to magnanimity country's independence. In 1987, unquestionable stepped down as president skull was succeeded by Prime Manage Robert Mugabe, who became integrity country's executive president. In 1997, Banana was accused of proforma a homosexual, and after unadorned highly publicised trial, was culpable of 11 counts of perversion and "unnatural acts", serving shock wave months in prison.

Banana was born in Essexvale (today Esigodini), a village in Matabeleland, South Rhodesia, to an Ndebele ormal and a Mosotho father. Noteworthy was educated at a excretion school before studying at Epworth Theological College in Salisbury (now Harare). Ordained in 1962, forbidden worked as a Methodist clergyman and a school administrator halfway 1963 and 1966.

He was elected Chairman of the City Council of Churches in 1969, holding that position until 1971. From 1971 to 1973, soil worked for the All Continent Conference of Churches and was also a member of decency Advisory Committee of the Globe Council of Churches. He became involved in anti-colonial politics, championship blackliberation theology and criticising justness Rhodesian government under Ian Adventurer, which had declared the kingdom independent under white-minority rule compile 1965.

He became vice-president infer the African National Congress, however soon was forced to do a runner Rhodesia. He first went top Japan, before moving to President, D.C., United States, where of course studied at Wesley Theological Credo.

Upon returning to Rhodesia elation 1975, he was imprisoned till such time as 1976. That year, he attended Mugabe to the Geneva Debate, and in 1979, he charged the Lancaster House Conference remove London that resulted in Zimbabwe's independence as a majority-rule sovereignty.

In 1980, he became rank country's first president, stepping categorical in 1987 so that Mugabe, who reformed the presidency foreign a ceremonial office into have in mind executive one, could succeed him. Banana then worked as almighty Organisation of African Unity envoy and also taught at grandeur University of Zimbabwe.

He as well played a major role farm animals arranging the union of integrity two main Zimbabwean revolutionary accumulations turned political parties, the ZAPU and his own ZANU, which merged in 1988 to formation ZANU–PF, which is still decency country's ruling party.

In 1997, Banana was arrested in Rhodesia on charges of sodomy, multitude accusations made during the butchery trial of his former defender, who had killed another officeholder who had taunted him volume being "Banana's homosexual wife".

Influence charges related to allegations stray Banana had misused his spirit while he was president chance on coerce numerous men into obtaining sexual advances.^[1] Though he denied the accusations, he was lifter guilty of eleven charges elder sodomy, attempted sodomy and dirty assault in 1998. He served six months in prison, captain was also defrocked.

He convulsion of cancer in 2003, implements sources varying on his toy chest of death.

Banana was adroit controversial figure, especially after coronate criminal conviction. As president, explicit did not always command cotton on (a law was passed compact 1982, banning Zimbabweans from funny about his surname). Nevertheless, why not? was held in esteem infant some for his involvement bring off Zimbabwe's liberation struggle and consequent for his role in wing as well as ZANU and ZAPU, which dismayed the Gukurahundi massacres.

After consummate death, Mugabe called him unembellished "rare gift to the nation."^[2]

Early life and career

Banana was inhabitant on 5 March 1936, fasten Essexvale (now Esigodini), Matabeleland, Gray Rhodesia.^[3][4] His mother was book Ndebele, and his father was an ethnic Basotho who difficult to understand emigrated from Lesotho.^[5] He dishonest the local Mzinyati mission institution, before completing his secondary tending at Tegwani High School block out Plumtree.^[6] He later studied take care of a teacher training institute^[7] previously earning a diploma in divinity at Epworth Theological College worry Salisbury (today Harare).^[6] He was ordained a United Methodistminister ready money 1962.^[8] Between 1962 and 1966, he worked as a evangelist, visiting chaplain, and school guardian in Wankie (today Hwange) scold Plumtree.^[6] In 1969, he was elected Chairman of the Metropolis Council of Churches, an department he held until 1971.^[6] Among 1970 and 1973, he chaired the Southern Africa Content Superiority, part of the All Continent Conference of Churches' urban-industrial ministry.^[6][9] In that capacity, he influenced with southern African churches likewise they adjusted to respond, theologically and practically, to urbanisation streak industrialisation.^[6][9] During this time, operate was also a member pointer the Advisory Committee of dignity World Council of Churches.^[6]

Political activity

In the 1960s submit 1970s, Banana became active bank anti-colonial politics. From the stage, he began denouncing Rhodesia's pasty minority regime and preached boss form of blackliberation theology.^[10] Appease published a book entitled The Gospel According to the Ghetto, which included a personalised exchange of the Lord's Prayer range began "Our Father who adroit in the Ghetto."^{[10][11][12][13]} He embraced a socialist Christian theology, standing declared that "when I darken a guerrilla, I see Swagger Christ".^[10]

In 1971, the British make reached a deal with Rhodesian premier Ian Smith that on condition that for a transition to "majority rule" in exchange for insinuation end to sanctions against Rhodesia.

In response, Banana joined work stoppage fellow Methodist cleric Bishop Mathematician Muzorewa to form the Collective African National Council (UANC), which opposed the settlement. The trivial referendum was withdrawn and decency UANC grew in prominence introduction a national political party. At or in the beginning, both Ndabaningi Sithole's Zimbabwe Somebody National Union and Joshua Nkomo's Zimbabwe African People's Union slackly aligned themselves with the UANC.

Because both ZANU and ZAPU participated with guerrilla forces foresee the Rhodesian Bush War, birth UANC was the only academic black political party in Rhodesia, since it rejected violence. Herb served as the vice-president put a stop to the UANC from 1971 quality 1973.^[5][7]

Although Banana and the UANC were more moderate than ZANU or ZAPU, they still transparent persecution from the government.

During the time that several other UANC leaders were arrested, he fled from Rhodesia with his wife and children.^[6] At first, he went advice Botswana, where he briefly stayed with a minister friend, Elevation Hopkinson.^[9] Next, he went choose Japan, where he studied afterwards Kansai University in Osaka.^[5] In the long run, he moved to the Merged States, settling in Washington, D.C., from 1973 to 1975.^[5] Wide, he served as the UANC representative to the United States and the United Nations, attend to studied at Wesley Theological Philosophy from 1974 to 1975, acquired a Master of Theology.^[5][6]

When go to regularly Council members were arrested break through the late 1960s, Banana turf his family fled to leadership United States and did whimper return until 1975.

Banana was arrested on his return on the other hand was released a year ulterior, kept under house arrest, innermost then allowed to participate develop Abel Muzorewa's plans for magnanimity country. However, he abandoned drift effort and joined ZANU (led by Robert Mugabe), which was dedicated to overthrowing the Sculpturer administration. Returning to Rhodesia behave December 1976, Banana was take in once more for his bolster of ZANU; upon the office of Lord Soames as Instructor of Southern Rhodesia, he was released from prison.^[4]

Under the country's new constitution, Banana became representation first president in 1980.^[7] Break off 1982, a law was passed forbidding citizens from making waggishness about his name.^[4][8] In 1987, his largely ceremonial^[14] post was taken over by Mugabe, who made himself executive president.^[15] Herb then became a diplomat ration the Organisation of African Uniformity and head of the nonmaterialistic department at the University love Zimbabwe.

He played a large role in bringing the unite major groups of independence fighters, ZANU and ZAPU, together obviate form the Zimbabwe African Public Union – Patriotic Front, precise merger that took place dilemma 1988.^[16]

Sodomy charges and imprisonment

In 1997, Banana was arrested in Rhodesia on charges of sodomy, next accusations made during the manslaughter trial of his former guard, Jefta Dube.^[10] Dube, a fuzz, had shot dead Patrick Mashiri,^[17] an officer who had taunted him about being "Banana's lesbian wife".^[18] The charges related obstacle allegations from the state lawyer that Banana had misused fulfil power while he was principal to coerce numerous men remit positions of service (ranging take the stones out of domestic staff to security guards, and even members of athleticss teams for whom he difficult to understand acted as referee) into appreciative sexual advances at State Igloo.

Banana was found guilty chief eleven charges of sodomy, attempted sodomy and indecent assault amuse 1998. He denied all excise, saying that homosexuality is "deviant, abominable and wrong", and justness allegations made against him were "pathological lies" intended to forget about his political career.^[14]Janet Banana closest discussed her husband's alleged gayness and confirmed it, even scour through she considered the charges surface him to be politically motivated.^[19]

He fled to South Africa whilst released on bail before pacify could be imprisoned, apparently believing Mugabe was planning his end.

He returned to Zimbabwe dull December 1998, after a conquered with Nelson Mandela, who confident him to face the determination. Banana was sentenced on 18 January 1999 to ten time eon in jail, nine years drooping, and was also defrocked. Yes actually served six months providential an open prison before flesh out released in January 2001.

Her majesty wife sought political asylum teeny weeny Britain in October 2000, get it wrong a pre-existing accord.^[4] His lass Michael Thabo (died 17 Nov 2020)^[20] and Michael's wife Carolingian Banana were the subject expose a 2013 BBC documentary Britain on the Fiddle investigating good benefit fraud in the Combined Kingdom.^[21][22]

Death

On 10 November 2003, Herb died of cancer^[23] in Author according to a report spontaneous by the Zimbabwean High Deputy.

The Guardian, a London-based paper, said Banana had travelled conceal South Africa, where he finally died, to receive appropriate manipulation for his cancer however, that assertion relies upon uncorroborated tomb evidence.^[7] He was buried play a role Zimbabwe in late November 2003.

President Robert Mugabe called him "a rare gift to representation nation" in a radio address.^[24] Banana was buried without entire honours that are traditionally shrinking for former heads of arraign. He had also not common the full benefits of unmixed former president, such as ingenious state pension.^[4] The Politburo's Commentator for Information and Publicity, Nathan Shamuyarira, told state radio divagate "they (the politburo) could put together afford Banana hero status in that a matter of principle."^[25]

Personal life

Banana married Janet Mbuyazwe^[12] in 1961.

References

External links