Canaan Banana

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Cite This Source

Canaan Sodindo Banana (5 March, 1936-10 November, 2003) 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.

During his lifetime, Banana brought together two of the country's political parties (the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) and the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU)), became a diplomat for the Organisation of African Unity, and headed the religious department of the University of Zimbabwe. His later life is tainted by charges of sodomy, which he denied and for which he was later imprisoned.

Early life

Banana was born in 1936 in Esiphezini, Southern Rhodesia. His parents were a Ndebele-cultured mother and a Malawian father who had emigrated to Rhodesia. He was educated by missionaries in a local school and was later schooled at a teacher training institute.

He married Janet Banana (b. 1938) in 1961, and they had four children together. He took a diploma in theology at Epworth Theological College in Harare and was ordained as a United Methodist minister in 1962. Becoming involved in politics, he denounced Ian Smith's practices as a prime minister, took part in the uprising of the black liberation movement, and rose to be vice-president of the African National Council.

Presidency of Zimbabwe

When many Council members were arrested in the late 1960s, Banana and his family fled to the United States and did not return until 1975. Banana was arrested on his return but was released a year later, kept under house arrest, and then allowed to participate in Abel Muzorewa's plans for the country. However, he abandoned that effort and joined ZANU (led by Robert Mugabe), which was dedicated to overthrowing the Smith administration. Returning to Rhodesia in December 1976, Banana was arrested once more for his support of ZANU; upon the appointment of Christopher Soames', as British governor, he was released from prison.

Under the country's new constitution Banana became the first president in 1980 and first black leader of Zimbabwe. In 1982 a law was passed forbidding citizens from making jokes about his name. In 1987 his largely ceremonial post was taken over by Mugabe, who made himself executive president. Banana then became a diplomat for the Organisation of African Unity and head of the religious department at the University of Zimbabwe. He played a large role in bringing the two major groups of independence fighters, ZANU and ZAPU, together to form the Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front, a merger that took place in 1988.

Sodomy charges and imprisonment

The former president's later years were clouded by scandal. In 1997, Rev. Banana was arrested in Zimbabwe on charges of sodomy, following accusations made during the murder trial of his former bodyguard, Jefta Dube. The charges related to accusations that Banana had misused his authority while he was president to coerce numerous men in positions of service (ranging from domestic staff to security guards, and even members of sports teams for whom he had acted as referee) into accepting sexual advances. He was found guilty of 11 charges of sodomy, attempted sodomy and indecent assault in 1998. He denied all charges, saying that they were "a mortuary of pathological lies" intended to destroy his political career. He fled to South Africa while on bail before he could be imprisoned, apparently believing Mugabe was planning his death. He returned to Zimbabwe in December 1998, after a meeting with Nelson Mandela. Banana was sentenced on January 18, 1999 to ten years in jail, nine years suspended and he was also defrocked. He served two years in prison before being released in January 2001, and died of cancer in 2003 in London, according to the Zimbabwean High Commissioner. The Guardian Unlimited, however, claims that Banana had travelled to South Africa, where he eventually died, in order to receive appropriate treatment for his cancer. He was buried in Zimbabwe without the full honours expected to be accorded a former head of state. His wife, Janet Banana, sought asylum in Britain in October 2000.

References

External links