Herbert Chitepo

Herbert Wiltshire Pfumaindini Chitepo
Leader of Zimbabwe African National Union
In office
July 1963 – 18 March 1975
PresidentNdabaningi Sithole
Vice PresidentLeopold Takawira
LieutenantJosiah Tongogara
Preceded byPost established
Succeeded byRobert Mugabe
Personal details
Born15 June 1923
Watsomba, Nyanga District, Southern Rhodesia
(now Zimbabwe)
Died18 March 1975 (aged 51)
Lusaka, Zambia
Resting placeNational Heroes' Acre, Harare, Zimbabwe
Political partyZANU
SpouseVictoria Fikile Chitepo
RelationsEdgar Tekere
Alma materUniversity of Fort Hare
OccupationBarrister; Nationalist politician
AwardsZimbabwe National Hero
Military service
AllegianceZANLA
Years of service1962–1975
CommandsZANLA

Herbert Wiltshire Pfumaindini Chitepo (15 June 1923 – 18 March 1975) was a Zimbabwean politician and nationalist leader who led the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) until he was assassinated in March 1975. Although his murderer remains unidentified, the Rhodesian author Peter Stiff says that a former soldier of the British Special Air Service (SAS), Hugh Hind, was responsible.[1]

Chitepo became the first black citizen of Rhodesia to become a barrister.[2]

  1. ^ Mugabe still fears Chitepo's legacy Archived 31 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine Institute for War and Peace Reporting
  2. ^ Preston, Matthew. Ending Civil War: Rhodesia and Lebanon in Perspective, 2004. Page 98.