Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole was a well-respected statesman, Pan-Africanist, educationalist, theologian, political leader, and prolific author. Reverend Sithole published numerous books, including his first book in his mother tongue Umvukela wamaNdebele (1956), Roots of a Revolution (1970), The Polygamist (1972), Letters from Salisbury Prison (1976, written while he was incarcerated), Obed Mutezo, The Mudzimu Christian Nationalist (1977), The Frelimo Militant (1978), In Defence of the Rhodesian Constitutional Agreement (1978), Secret of America's Success: Africa's Great Hope (1990), and Hammer and Sickle over Africa (1991). His revolutionary masterpiece, African Nationalism (1959), crystallized the thoughts of modern Africa's founding fathers who successfully fought to end colonialism. The book was borne during his time as a student at Andover Newton Theological Seminary (now a part of Yale Divinity School) where he constantly found himself explaining to his fellow students what was happening in Africa, and why Africans objected to domination by Europe. Born in 1920, Reverend Sithole's captivating life began in abject poverty. On the day of his birth, he was made to inhale the smoke from a burning goat's horn so that no evil should befall him. At age 7, dressed in two skin aprons, he was herding cattle when he and his friends saw what they took to be a fast-moving hut bearing down upon them. They ran for their lives, finding out later that the monster was a car. After spending three and a half years in the United States, where he studied theology and did deputation work for the American by Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions across numerous states Reverend Sithole returned to Rhodesia (present-day Zimbabwe) in 1957 as an ordained Reverend. He became headmaster of Chikore Mission in Chipinge and was elected President of the Rhodesia African Teacher's Association in 1959. The position lasted a year as Reverend Sithole was banned from teaching. Reverend Sithole would go on to play a major role as a nationalist in Zimbabwe's independence struggle. Reverend Sithole was elected Treasurer of the National Democratic Party (NDP) in 1960, Chairman of the Zimbabwe African People's Union in 1961, and founding President of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) in 1964. Shortly, following his election as President of ZANU he was imprisoned for the next 11 years. Post-independence in 1980 and up until his death, Reverend Sithole was a leading political figure opposing the repressive state led by Robert Mugabe's ZANU PF. Reverend Sithole died in Philadelphia, USA on December 12, 2000. His remains are interred at Freedom Farm, his homestead in Chipinge, Zimbabwe.
