Zimbabwe African National Union

This article is about the political formation during the period 1963–1980. For the military formation, see ZANLA. For the post-1980 history of the political party, see ZANU–PF. For the political party led by Ndabaningi Sithole and Wilson Nkumbula, see ZANU–Ndonga.

Zimbabwe African National Union
FoundersEnos Nkala,
Ndabaningi Sithole,
Edgar Tekere,
Herbert Chitepo,
Leopold Takawira,
Washington Malianga,
Herbert Ushewokunze
Founded8 August 1963
Dissolved1975
Split fromZimbabwe African People's Union
Succeeded byZANU–PF
ZANU – Ndonga
IdeologyAfrican nationalism
African socialism
Pan-Africanism
Political positionLeft-wing
ColoursGreen, yellow

The Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) was a militant socialist organisation that fought against white-minority rule in Rhodesia, formed as a split from the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) in 1963. ZANU split in 1975 into wings loyal to Robert Mugabe and Ndabaningi Sithole, later respectively called ZANU–PF and ZANU–Ndonga. These two sub-divisions ran separately at the 1980 general election, where ZANU–PF has been in power ever since, and ZANU–Ndonga a minor opposition party.