Nkomo (left) meets Mandela

ZIMSEC O Level History Notes: The Struggle for Independence in Colonial Zimbabwe 1900-1980:National Democratic Party (NDP)

  • When the ANC was banned Africans viewed this as imperialists did not want to end racial segregation
  • The bans were only temporal as other African nationalists educated in the diaspora rose, such as Edison Zvobgo, G T Silundika, A Mawema, E Nkala among others who formed the National Democratic Party (NDP)
  • The NDP was formed on January 1 1960 and was a continuation of the ANC and Nkomo was appointed president in absentia
  • It was more powerful and it forced the British to amend its constitution in the area of constitutional rights for the protection of Africans
  • The NDP called for a conference where all parties would be present and they would discuss a new constitution that would include African representation in Parliament
  • They wanted a Parliament with 50 seats with half being Africans
  • They organized strikes, rallies and riots and wanted to get rid of the colonial government
  • The National Constitutional Conference started in February 1961 and was chaired by Duncan Sandys
  • The outcome of the conference showed that peaceful negotiations were not working
  • The declaration of rights, the removal of stigma and discrimination and protection of rights were accepted by courts but no progress was made on the franchise
  • The One Man One Vote phenomenon was rejected and out of 50 seats Africans were given 15 only
  • Nkomo accepted the new constitution as an achievement about his colleagues rejected it
  • Nkomo was then viewed by other nationalists as a sell out
  • The attacks on the new constitution led to high levels of social unrest among natives and Nkomo had to go back on his support for the constitution
  • The government then organized a referendum to approve the constitution but the NDP organized its own for Africans rejecting the constitution on 26 July 1961
  • As a result of the African referendum, the colonial government banned all political activities for Africans
  • The NDP was banned on 9 December 1961 after operating for 11 months and its leaders were confined to their birth areas

To access more topics go to the History Notes page.


Quick NetOne, Econet, And Telecel Airtime Recharge