ZANLA or the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army was the armed wing of the Zimbabwean political movement ZANU (the Zimbabwe African National Union) and participated in the Second Chimurenga against white minority rule in Rhodesia.

ZANLA was formed in 1965 in Tanzania, although until the early 1970s ZANLA was based in camps around Lusaka, Zambia. Until 1972 ZANLA was led by the nationalist leader Herbert Chitepo, followed by Josiah Tongogara from 1973 until his death in 1979. Until about 1971, ZANLA's strategy was based on direct confrontation with Rhodesian armed forces. From 1972 onwards, ZANLA adopted the Maoist guerrilla tactics that had been used with success by FRELIMO in Mozambique: infiltrating combatants into the country, politicising the peasantry and participating in 'hit-and-run' and ambush operations.

ZANLA's close association with FRELIMO helped it after Mozambican independence in 1975. From about 1972 ZANLA had operated from Tete Province in northern Mozambique, which was FRELIMO-controlled, and after independence ZANLA was permitted to open additional training and supply camps along the Rhodesian-Mozambican border. This greatly assisted the recruitment and training of cadres.

Beside their overall political ideologies, the main differences between ZIPRA and ZANLA were that

• ZANLA drew its recruits mostly from Shona-speaking ethnic groups
• ZANLA followed a strategy of politicalisation of the peasant population (inspired by the teachings of Mao). ZIPRA cadres were usually not based in Rhodesia for any length of time and consequently did not enjoy a close relationship with local peasant populations
• After about 1972 ZANLA introduced combatants into the country for long-term campaigns of guerrilla fighting, while ZIPRA was designed to be used as a conventional armed force: entering the country, striking and pulling back to its bases in Zambia and Angola

References

Rasmussen, R. K., & Rubert, S. C., 1990. A Historical Dictionary of Zimbabwe, Scarecrow Press, Inc., Metuchen, NJ, United States of America.

History of Zimbabwe | Maoist organizations | National liberation movements | Terrorism