1980 in Zimbabwe
Encyclopedia
Events
- April 17 - Zimbabwe gains independence from the United Kingdom, recognised internationally.
- April 18 - Canaan BananaCanaan BananaCanaan Sodindo Banana served as the first President of Zimbabwe from 18 April 1980 until 31 December 1987. A Methodist minister, he held the largely ceremonial office of the presidency while his eventual successor, Robert Mugabe, served as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe.During his lifetime, Banana...
, a Methodist minister and theologian, becomes the first President of Zimbabwe. Robert MugabeRobert MugabeRobert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
becomes the first Prime Minister of ZimbabwePrime Minister of ZimbabweThe Prime Minister of Zimbabwe is the head of government in Zimbabwe. From 1980 to 1987, Robert Mugabe was the first person to hold the position following independence from the United Kingdom. He took office when Rhodesia became the Republic of Zimbabwe on 18 April 1980...
. - July 31 - The zimbabwean field hockeyField hockeyField Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
team wins the Gold Medal in the 1980 Summer Olympics1980 Summer OlympicsThe 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
celebrated in MoscowMoscowMoscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
(USSR) (see also Zimbabwe at the 1980 Summer OlympicsZimbabwe at the 1980 Summer OlympicsZimbabwe competed at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, USSR. The nation, previously known as Rhodesia, had competed at three Games under that name.- Gold:...
and Field hockey at the 1980 Summer OlympicsField hockey at the 1980 Summer OlympicsHockey at the 1980 Summer Olympics was represented by two events: men's team event and women's team event. For the first time a women's Olympic Games hockey tournament was organized...
). - August 25 - Zimbabwe joins the United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. - November 8 - Enos NkalaEnos NkalaEnos Nkala is one of the founders of the Zimbabwe African National Union. During the war, he served on the ZANU high command, or Dare reChimurenga...
makes remarks at a rally in BulawayoBulawayoBulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital Harare, with an estimated population in 2010 of 2,000,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 439 km southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland...
, in which he warns ZAPU that ZANU would deliver a few blows against them. This starts the first Entumbane uprising, in which ZIPRAZIPRAZimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army was the armed wing of the Zimbabwe African People's Union, a political party in Rhodesia. It participated in the Second Chimurenga against white minority rule in the former Rhodesia....
and ZANLA fight for two days.