The ruling Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU PF) was formed on 8 Aug 1963 as a splinter party from the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) which was led by the late Joshua Nkomo.
It was formed in Enos Nkala‘s house in Highfield.
The party’s first members include Henry Hamadziripi, Herbert Chitepo, Ndabaningi Sithole (who subsequently became the party’s first leader), Edgar Tekere and Leopold Takawira.
The party favoured confrontational politics as compared to ZAPU’s politics of compromise.
Zimbabwe’s founding leader, Robert Mugabe became the leader of the party in 1977, three years before independence.
The Patriotic Front (PF) was formed as a political and military alliance between ZAPU and ZANU during the war against white minority rule in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).
The party has been in power since independence in 1980.
In 1987, ZANU and ZAPU signed a Unit Accord which merged the two parties led by Joshua Nkomo and Robert Mugabe after which the name ZANU PF was adopted.
