Masotsha Ndlovu (1890-1982) was a black

labour union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

leader in

Southern Rhodesia Southern Rhodesia was a landlocked self-governing British Crown colony in southern Africa, established in 1923 and consisting of British South Africa Company (BSAC) territories lying south of the Zambezi River. The region was informally kn ...

, now

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

. He was active in that country's section of the Industrial and Commercial Workers' Union (ICU).

Early life

He was born at Saba village in

Matabeleland Matabeleland is a region located in southwestern Zimbabwe that is divided into three provinces: Matabeleland North, Bulawayo, and Matabeleland South. These provinces are in the west and south-west of Zimbabwe, between the Limpopo and Zambezi r ...

. He worked in

Bulawayo Bulawayo (, ; Ndebele: ''Bulawayo'') is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, and the largest city in the country's Matabeleland region. The city's population is disputed; the 2022 census listed it at 665,940, while the Bulawayo City Council cl ...

from 1910 as a messenger, before moving to

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

to improve his education. In South Africa he was exposed to the

African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a Social democracy, social-democratic political party in Republic of South Africa, South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when ...

, the

South African Communist Party The South African Communist Party (SACP) is a communist party in South Africa. It was founded in 1921 as the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA), tactically dissolved itself in 1950 in the face of being declared illegal by the governing Na ...

and the ICU, as well as the ideas of

Marcus Garvey Marcus Mosiah Garvey Sr. (17 August 188710 June 1940) was a Jamaican political activist, publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and orator. He was the founder and first President-General of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African ...

Career

In 1927, the ICU was founded in

, and in 1928, Ndlovu became one of its leaders in

, serving as its secretary-general. The union faced repression, and Ndlovu was jailed in 1933. Following his release, he cut all ties to the union. In the 1940s, he again was involved with unions, working with Benjamin Burombo of the African Workers Voice Association, and the nationalist

Southern Rhodesia African National Congress The Southern Rhodesia African National Congress (SRANC) was a political party active between 1957–1959 in Southern Rhodesia (now modern-day Zimbabwe). Committed to the promotion of indigenous African welfare, it was the first fully fledged ...

. He was repeatedly jailed/interned from 1959-1971. His family was supported by the

Zimbabwe African People's Union The Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) is a Zimbabwean political party. It is a militant organization and political party that campaigned for majority rule in Rhodesia, from its founding in 1961 until 1980. In 1987, it merged with the Zimba ...

(ZAPU) in the 1970s. He identified with ZAPU in the transition to

and the first all-race national elections.Pathisa Nyathi, 1998, ''In Search of Freedom: Masotsha Ndlovu'', Harare: Longman He died in 1982, was named a national hero. He was buried at

National Heroes Acre (Zimbabwe) National Heroes Acre or simply Heroes Acre is a burial ground and national monument in Harare, Zimbabwe. The site is situated on a ridge seven kilometres from Harare, towards Norton. Its stated purpose is to commemorate Patriotic Front guerrillas ...

in Harare, and has several roads named in his honour.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ndlovu, Masotsha Zimbabwean activists 1890 births 1982 deaths People from Matabeleland North Province Industrial and Commercial Workers' Union members Zimbabwean socialists