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Zimbabwe regained its independence from the United Kingdom on 17 April 1980.^[1]Canaan Banana, aMethodist minister and theologian, became the firstPresident of Zimbabwe on 18 April.

On 17 February 1982 the government ofZimbabwe accusedJoshua Nkomo, leader and founder of theZimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU), of plotting a coup d'état, and dismissed him from the cabinet.

TheGukurahundi (also known as the "Matabeleland genocide") began in 1983. More than 300,000 youths signed up for service in the Youth Brigade.

Prime MinisterRobert Mugabe (ZANU) andJoshua Nkomo (ZAPU) signed a Unity Accord on 22 December 1987, giving the ZAPU leader a place in the government, freeing dissidents, and bringing a formal end to violence of theGukurahundi. Mugabe became the newPresident of Zimbabwe after reforming the constitution on 31 December 1987, abolishing the position of Prime Minister.

Morgan Tsvangirai was elected Secretary General of theZimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions in 1988.

The Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) merged with theZimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) under the nameZimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) on 19 December 1989.

Part ofa series on the
History ofZimbabwe
Ancient history Leopard's Kopje c. 650 – c. 1075 Mapungubwe Kingdom c. 1220 – c. 1300 Zimbabwe Kingdom c. 1300 – c. 1450 Mutapa Kingdom c. 1430–1760 Butua Kingdom c. 1450–1683
White settlement pre-1923 Rozvi Empire c. 1660–1866 Mthwakazi 1840–1893 Rudd Concession 1888 BSA Company rule 1890–1923 First Matabele War 1893–1894 Second Matabele War 1896–1897 World War I involvement 1914–1918 Colony of Southern Rhodesia 1923–1965 World War II involvement 1939–1945 Malayan Emergency involvement 1948–1960 Federation with Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland 1953–1963 Rhodesian Bush War 1964–1979 Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) 1965 Rhodesia 1965–1979 Zimbabwe-Rhodesia June–December 1979 Lancaster House Agreement December 1979 British Dependency 1979–1980 Zimbabwe 1980–present Gukurahundi 1982–1987 Second Congo War 1998–2003 Coup d'état 2017
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