Dumiso Dabengwa

Dumiso Dabengwa (6 December 1939 – 23 May 2019) was a Zimbabwean politician. He served as the head of Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) intelligence during the Rhodesian Bush War.

Political career

During the Rhodesian Bush War the white minority nicknamed him the "Black Russian" because he trained in Moscow, Russia.

Dabengwa ran as a ZANU-PF candidate for a seat in the House of Assembly from Nkulumane in the 2000 election, but was defeated by Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) candidate Gibson Sibanda. Dabengwa said that the MDC would have won even if its candidate was a donkey. He was again defeated in the March 2005 parliamentary election. He served as a member of the ZANU-PF Politburo, but he announced his support for the opposition candidacy of Simba Makoni in the March 2008 presidential election at a press conference in Bulawayo on 1 March 2008. A spokesman for Mugabe said that Dabengwa's defection to Makoni was unimportant, claiming that Dabengwa did not command any support.

Zimbabwe African People's Union Dabengwa was the leader of the revived Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU), which is currently separating from the unity accord of 1987.

He was a candidate of ZAPU for President of Zimbabwe during the 2013 general election. He moved out of ZANU-PF together with Benny Ncube, whom they had trained together during the armed struggle.

Treason charges In 1982 Dabengwa was charged, with Lookout Masuku and four others, of treason by the Mugabe administration. They were acquitted due to lack of evidence in 1983. On release they were redetained under emergency regulations. At this time the Gukurahundi began.

Dabengwa was released four years later.

Post script During the launch of his childhood friend Jill Baker's Book, The Horns, Dabengwa admitted that not only had he encouraged her to write this historical novel, but he was also the alter ego of her character Jabu.