Veteran nationalist dies

Zimbabwe's veteran nationalist Joshua Nkomo died on Thursday aged 83 of prostate cancer after a long illness. In paying tribute, President Robert Mugabe described Nkomo, who since 1987 served as one of his two vice presidents, as a "giant" and a "founder of our nation", news reports said.

Nkomo had been at the forefront of Zimbabwe's nationalist struggle since the 1950s and was jailed for 10 years by the white minority regime. After his release in 1974, he led what was essentially an Ndebele party and rebel group from Zambia in lose alliance with Mugabe's Shona-dominated ZANU movement during the liberation war. Two years after independence in 1980, he was expelled from cabinet for allegedly plotting a military
takeover. A five-year armed rebellion by members of his ZAPU party was violently supressed by the government. Peace was sealed when Nkomo and key ZAPU figures joined the government in 1987 in what was regarded as a marriage of convenience.

Ndebele discontent with what they regard as Shona chauvanism has since grown. Shonas make up 80 percent of the population. In his later years Nkomo was widely considered as focused more on his business interests than politics. But who will replace Nkomo as vice president and Ndebele leader has been a subject of debate throughout his illness. Some analysts suggest that the ZANU/ZAPU alliance could be under threat unless another Ndebele is chosen.