Izibongo Ngonidzashe

Izibongo Ngonidzashe
King of Rwizikuru
Reign	1 June, 1968 - 21 February, 2019
Predecessor	himself as President
Successor	Munashe Ngonidzashe
Chairman of the National Salvation Council
Reign	18 January, 1964 - 1 June, 1968
Predecessor	Pierre-Ardachir Niyonzima (as President)
Successor	himself as King
Vice-President	Fred Ngonidzashe
Born	(1921-04-28)28 April 1921 Vongai, Riziland (present-day Rwizikuru)
Died	21 February 2019(2019-02-21) (aged 97) Morwall, Estmere
Spouse	Anatswanashe Nkala (m. 1955; died 1986) Farai Ngonidzashe (m. 1990)
Issue	7, including Joseph, Munashe, and Honore
Full name Nathaniel Izibongo Ngonidzashe
House	House of Ngonidzashe
Father	Munonzwa Ngonidzashe
Mother	Kugarakunzwana Ngonidzashe
Religion	United Amended Church
Occupation	General, politician

Izibongo Ngonidzashe (28 April, 1921 - 21 February, 2019) was a politician and military official, serving as general, as the Chairman of the National Salvation Council after a 1964 coup that overthrew Pierre-Ardachir Niyonzima, and the first King of Rwizikuru, ascending the throne in June 1968, and reigning until his death in February 2019.

Born as the eldest son from a chiefly family in Vongai, his family moved to Port Fitzhubert in 1923. In 1939, he joined the colonial militia, and ended up attending the National Military Academy in Estmere, where he completed officer training in 1943. He would rise through the ranks as a soldier, becoming the Chief of Staff by 1961 as a result of Vudzijena Nhema's nativization policies. He would subequently lead the 1963 coup that overthrew the government while Nhema was attending an AESE conference, and installed the Vice-President, Pierre-Ardachir Niyonzima.

After Niyonzima refused to have Rwizikuru leave the United Bahian Republic, Izibongo Ngonidzashe overthrew Niyonzima, and set up the National Salvation Council, of which he was the chairman. After purging his rivals within the National Salvation Council, he became King in June 1968, and would reign until his death in February 2019.

He was the longest-serving ruler of Rwizikuru, ruling over Rwizikuru for 55 years, 1 month and 3 days, of which he reigned as King for 50 years, 8 months and 20 days.

Early life

Izibongo Ngonidzashe was born on 28 April, 1921, as the second child and eldest son of Munonzwa Ngonidzashe and Kugarakunzwana Ngonidzashe in the town of Vongai in Manathea Province. His father was the youngest son of Mutupo Ngonidzashe, who was the main ruler of the area around present-day Vongai in the late nineteenth century, whose ancestors held control of the area since roughly the 1700s.

His family moved to Port Fitzhubert in 1923, as his father sought to give his children a good education. Thus, in 1926, Izibongo Ngonidzashe entered the Charles Fitzhubert School, where he was described as an excellent student by his teachers, and he was noted for his propensity to go into the library to study military history for hours at a time. However, the outbreak of the Great War and the subsequent Gaullican occupation would affect Izibongo's worldview, with Izibongo taking a stronger interest in military strategies, as well as politics.

In 1932, he finished his elementary studies, and took the exams to get into the James Parlow Grammar School (present-day Izibongo Ngonidzashe Grammar School). After passing them, he began his schooling at the James Parlow Grammar School, where they noted his "knowledge of most things," and his charisma, with one teacher noting that Izibongo Ngonidzashe "could easily be to Bahia what Balthasar Hötzendorf was to Euclea."

Military career

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Izibongo Ngonidzashe (left) at a cabinet meeting with President Vudzijena Nhema (right), 1961

After finishing sixth form in 1939, Izibongo Ngonidzashe would enlist in the colonial militia. Originally an enlisted soldier within the infantry, because of Izibongo Ngonidzashe's intelligence and interest in military strategies, Izibongo Ngonidzashe would be sent for further training at National Military Academy in Estmere, where he was the only non-Freemen in the class.

After completing officer training in 1943, Izibongo Ngonidzashe would return back to Riziland as a Lieutenant, where Izibongo Ngonidzashe would be one of the first Bahian officers in the militia. By that point, the Colony of Riziland was preparing for independence, due to Estmere's financial woes in the post-Great War period, leading to Izibongo Ngonidzashe being a valuable asset in Estmere's plans to maintain influence over Riziland post-independence. Thus, on the eve of independence, Izibongo Ngonidzashe has risen to the rank of Major. In 1946, with Riziland gaining independence as Rwizikuru, Izibongo Ngonidzashe would be promoted to Colonel. During this period, Izibongo Ngonidzashe would also serve as a military instructor at the newly established Port Fitzhubert Military Academy in Port Fitzhubert.

With the election of Vudzijena Nhema as President of Rwizikuru, succeeding pro-Estmerish Zophar Bohannon in 1954, Izibongo Ngonidzashe's position would rise significantly, as Nhema sought to nativize the military: by 1957, at only the age of 36, Izibongo Ngonidzashe had risen to the rank of General, and in 1961 would become the Chief of Staff to the President. At around this point in time, Izibongo Ngonidzashe became increasingly critical of the Rwizikuran government, particularly over its decision to join the United Bahian Republic, which he believed "needlessly endangered Rwizikuran national security."

By 1963, with Yemet joining the United Bahian Republic, and with Maucha coveting lands within Rwizikuru, Izibongo Ngonidzashe became concerned that the United Bahian Republic would "vastly undermine Rwizikuran independence and sovereignty." At this point in time, growing opposition in both Yekumavirira and in East Riziland against Vudzijena Nhema's economic policies, combined with Nhema's abuse of power led to the Rwizikuran Army planning a military coup against his government.

Coups d'etat and early leadership

File:Izibongo Ngonidzashe NSC.jpg

Official portrait of Izibongo Ngonidzashe, 1967

On 3 November, 1963, while Vudzijena Nhema was attending an AESE conference, the Rwizikuran military successfully overthrew the government, with Izibongo Ngonidzashe seizing control of the national radio station to announce that Nhema was deposed for "hindering the country's development" and threatened his arrest and trial "should he ever step foot on Rwizi soil."

Nhema's vice-president, Pierre-Ardachir Niyonzima was installed as President, pursuant to the Rwizikuran constitution. However, in practice, Izibongo Ngonidzashe and the military held the real power, with Niyonzima being told by Ngonidzashe upon becoming President that "if you don't obey us, you will meet the same fate as Nhema."

Initially, President Niyonzima seemed willing to follow the military's directives, and reverted much of Nhema's economic policy. However, on 17 January, 1964, when he refused an order from Izibongo Ngonidzashe to "withdraw immediately from the United Bahian Republic," Niyonzima was summoned to Izibongo Ngonidzashe's residence, where he was believed to have been killed in a second coup d'etat.

On 18 January, 1964, the military declared that Niyonzima resigned, and that "due to the security situation in Rwizikuru, a National Salvation Council is to govern the country to bring back stability and economic growth to the Republic," shortly after Izibongo offered the Presidency to Zophar Bohannon, who turned down the offer.

The National Salvation Council was made up of five figures, of which the initial five were Increase Barnard, Promise Kabweza, Chamunorwa Mnkandla, Izibongo Ngonidzashe, and Nehemiah Taylor. However, Izibongo Ngonidzashe was appointed Chairman of the National Salvation Council, due to Izibongo Ngonidzashe's "charisma on radio" and his ability to communicate effectively with the Rwizikuran population.

As Chairman of the National Salvation Council, Izibongo Ngonidzashe had a free hand to reverse most of Vudzijena Nhema's economic and social policies, seeking to reorient Rwizikuru's economy towards Euclea and restore Bohannon's "sensible economic policies," while cracking down on academic freedom and student protests at the University of Rwizikuru. However, one issue that always held his attention was the situation in Yekumavirira, where the Barobyi were critical of continued Rwizikuran rule over the area. This led to Izibongo Ngonidzashe cracking down on minority groups in the region, with Kirobyi being banned from public use in 1965. These policies culminated in the Port Vaugeois massacre, which killed 22 people, and led to the declaration of an armed struggle by the Yekumavirira Liberation Movement who fought against the Rwizikuran government.

By 1967, Izibongo Ngonidzashe had replaced almost all of the National Salvation Council with his own supporters, and he began making plans to create a monarchy. These were opposed by Promise Kabweza, who feared that it would destabilize Rwizikuru too much, and would be a "violation of [Izibongo's] own promise when he overthrew Niyonzima." It culminated in an attempted coup the following year, led by Promise Kabweza, but Izibongo Ngonidzashe's loyalists were able to quell the coup. Thus, by the March of that year, Izibongo Ngonidzashe began making plans to create an absolute monarchy, convinced that republicanism was "not feasible for Bahian societies like Rwizikuru, who need the rule of a strong king to bind the nation together."

Monarch

Coronation and wars

Garamburan forces entering Ntawha after the Battle of Ntawha, 1969

On 1 June, 1968, Izibongo Ngonidzashe held a coronation ceremony. On the advice of TBD, it was held in the citadel at Old Munzwa, with "every chief and prince across the land" invited to pay homage to the new King in a traditional Rwizi ceremony. Most chiefs attended, but many chiefs from Yekumavirira refused to pay homage, in protest of Izibongo's policies. The ceremony saw him being crowned as King, his wife, Anatswanashe crowned as Queen, and his son, Joseph named as Crown Prince.

Following his coronation, he declared that he would rule as an absolute monarch, but vowed to maintain "strong relations with Estmere." At first, Izibongo Ngonidzashe's reign was marked by a continuation of his pro-Estmerish economic policy, but with the outbreak of the Mabifian-Rwizikuran War on 6 October, 1968 over Yekumavirira, Izibongo Ngonidzashe was forced to pay full attention to the war. Despite initial success at beating back the Mabifian forces, with Estmerish support, the Mabifians would begin making inroads by December 1968, and following the defeat in the Battle of Port Vaugeois on 16 March, 1969, the Rwizikuran government was forced to sign the Treaty of Snarksburgh to end the war, which led to Rwizikuru giving up Yekumavirira to Mabifia.

At the same time as the Battle of Port Vaugeois, the Rwizikuran military faced a war of independence against Rwizikuru in East Riziland. With widespread support for the cause, combined with the Rwizikuran military being "substantially demoralised" due to their defeat, by the end of April, East Riziland would gain its independence as Garambura, although Izibongo Ngonidzashe sought to reincorporate Garambura into Rwizikuru and believed that its independence was only achieved by "the complete collapse of Rwizikuran forces" in Yekumavirira.

Thus, Izibongo Ngonidzashe would spend the next several years rebuilding the Rwizikuran military. During this period, the Akortu National Salvation Army would increase their activities in the Akortu-majority areas of the Northern Territory as they sought to end Rwizikuran rule over the area, and create an independent Akortu state with their brethren in Yemet.

By 1974, Izibongo Ngonidzashe began making "grand pronouncements" of creating a "new Rwizi Empire." This would culminate on 25 December, 1974, when together with Maucha, the Royal Rwizikuran Armed Forces invaded Garambura, thereby starting the Nativity War. Izibongo Ngonidzashe sought to retake at least some of former East Riziland.

However, on the Rwizikuran front, the Royal Rwizikuran Front was met with a stalemate along the Maghedi corridor, as Garamburan forces were able to effectively hinder advances through it, while advancing through the Mabvazuva Mountains was impossible due to the geography of the region. Thus, after a nearly two year-long campaign, Izibongo Ngonidzashe was forced to accept a CN-mediated peace which exchanged some border towns between Rwizikuru and Garambura.

In the aftermath of the war, Izibongo Ngonidzashe oversaw the construction of the planned capital, Guta raMambo, to replace Port Fitzhubert as the capital, partially due to Port Fitzhubert being vulnerable to attack by land or sea, and partially to assert government control over the interior and to "unite the country." By 1978, the royal palace was completed, allowing Izibongo Ngonidzashe to move the capital from Port Fitzhubert to Guta raMambo, although many institutions remained in Port Fitzhubert until the early 1990s.

In 1979, Izibongo Ngonidzashe would finally establish diplomatic relations with Garambura, abandoning Rwizikuru's claim to it, although he continued to maintain Rwizikuru's claim over Yekumavirira.

Liberalisation

Izibongo Ngonidzashe, 1983

Beginning in 1979, Izibongo Ngonidzashe sought to liberalise the Rwizikuran economy, both to rebuild the Rwizikuran economy after virtually a decade of war, and to further improve relations with Euclea. Thus, in 1979, the Rwizikuran Information Service launched its television service, and in 1980, Izibongo Ngonidzashe "greatly reduced regulations" to permit greater foreign investment.

On 22 December, 1981, Izibongo's brother, Muchazvireva Ngonidzashe, backed by his eldest son, Dunzvi Ngonidzashe, and by Tsuru Mawere, attempted to launch a coup d'etat against Izibongo Ngonidzashe because they believed that the pace of reforms were not going quick enough, with Mawere in particular wanting a constitutional monarchy. The putsch was crushed, although Dunzvi Ngonidzashe fled to Caldia, and Muchazvireva was executed by a show trial on December 30th. He and his descendants were subsequently stripped of royal status.

Following the failed coup, Izibongo engaged in purges against the Royal Rwizikuran Armed Forces, and intensified his economic reforms. Furhtermore, he sought to improve Rwizikuru's transport infrastructure, the royal capital of Guta raMambo, and Port Fitzhubert. However, these efforts were hampered by rampant misappropriation and corruption on all levels of the Rwizikuran government, with Izibongo Ngonidzashe saying in 1986 that "everyone is corrupt in some ways." That year, only 15% of the funds allocated in the national budget actually made it to the programs that were supposed to be funded in the budget.

Increasing awareness of Rwizikuru's corruption meant that aid to Rwizikuru started to decline, forcing Izibongo to sign an agreement with the Global Institute of Fiscal Affairs in 1988, with the GIFA providing Rwizikuru with a loan of 10,000,000 reichsmarks, in exchange for Rwizikuru undergoing structural adjustment, and instituting strict anti-corruption policies. Thus, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, he oversaw a crackdown of corruption and misappropriation, with around 3,000 workers found guilty of corruption and stripped of their positions between 1988 and 1994, leading to an increase of aid sent by many countries. These policies would peter out by the mid-1990s, with corruption returning to its pre-1988 level by the end of the decade.

Later reign

Izibongo Ngonidzashe, 2008

On 1 June, 1993, Izibongo Ngonidzashe celebrated his silver jubilee with a military parade in Port Fitzhubert. Reportedly, following the parade, he expressed his disappointment at the quality of the Royal Rwizikuran Armed Forces, and over the next few years secured deals with Ansan and other nations to supply Rwizikuru with new weapons and to provide better training to the Rwizikuran military.

In the 2000s, Izibongo Ngonidzashe accepted agreements with Senria and other countries to help develop the nation's infrastructure, in exchange for these countries exploiting Rwizikuru's natural resources, especially coltan and copper, with Rwizikuru joining the Council for Mutual Development in 2001. This led to an influx of wealth entering the Rwizikuran economy, although little of this wealth benefitted the Rwizikuran population due to endemic corruption. However, some urban areas, such as Guta raMambo, Munzwa, and Port Fitzhubert, saw an improvement of living standards among the general population during the decade, leading to an exodus from rural areas into the cities. Furthermore, the increased investment into Rwizikuru led to scandals involving the use of child labour and slaves in foreign-based enterprises on Rwizikuran soil.

In response to international pressure, Izibongo Ngonidzashe would strengthen some of Rwizikuru's labour laws to prohibit child labour and to institute a basic minimum wage. However, Izibongo Ngonidzashe resisted attempts at setting up a constitutional monarchy, and said in 2008 that "having two men in charge would only cause problems," and declared his intention to continue ruling over Rwizikuru as an absolute monarch "until God says come."

Beginning in the early 2010s, Izibongo Ngonidzashe began to give more responsibilities to his eldest surviving son, Munashe Ngonidzashe, due to Izibongo's old age and deteriorating health. However, Izibongo Ngonidzashe continued to maintain significant amounts of power, with Izibongo Ngonidzashe establishing a new national park in the Northern Territory in 2011, ostensibly to protect the Ambakaran Mountains, although critics noted that it would permit the Rwizikuran government to evict Akortu-inhabited villages from the region and crack down on the Akortu National Salvation Army.

On June 1, 2016, Izibongo Ngonidzashe officially named Munashe Ngonidzashe as regent, and delegated virtually all of his power to him. Despite this, Izibongo Ngonidzashe continued making public appearances, with his final appearance being in June 2018 to celebrate his golden jubilee.

Illness and death

From the mid-2010s onward, Izibongo Ngonidzashe's health began to deteriorate: in November 2016, Izibongo Ngonidzashe suffered a fall, and was hospitalised in Morwall. When he returned to Guta raMambo in January 2017, it was reported that he was no longer able to walk. Throughout 2017 and 2018, Izibongo Ngonidzashe would be in and out of Morwall for medical treatment, with Izibongo Ngonidzashe being hospitalised for the last time in September 2018.

On 21 February, 2019, Izibongo Ngonidzashe died at the age of 97 from old age in Morwall at 08:16 EST (11:01 RST). At 19:00 RST (15:15 EST), the Rwizikuran Information Service officially announced his death on all of its raido and television services, and proclaimed the accession of Munashe Ngonidzashe as his successor.

His body was returned to Guta raMambo on 23 February, and would lie in state at Saint Edward's Cathedral until his state funeral on 1 March, conducted with the rites of the United Amended Church, before being buried at the Royal Cemetery in Guta raMambo beside his first wife.

Legacy

A profile of him on a Rwizikuran shilling banknote, c. 1980

Izibongo Ngonidzashe's legacy is divided in Rwizikuru, although most foreigners saw Izibongo Ngonidzashe in a negative light. Many Rwizikurans see Izibongo Ngonidzashe negatively, due to his involvement in the 1963 and 1964 coups d'etat that ousted Vudzijena Nhema's democratic government in 1963 and its replacement by the National Salvation Council, the creation of the Rwizikuran monarchy, and his involvement in corruption, while leftists also condemned his close ties with the Euclean Community and the Council for Mutual Development. Ethnic minorities viewed him negatively due to him prioritising the interests of the Rwizi majority over the interests of the minority populations.

However, supporters of Izibongo Ngonidzashe, such as professor Rupert Chikerema at the University of Rwizikuru, have praised Izibongo Ngonidzashe's conservatism, his efforts to restore traditional Rwizikuran values, and his efforts to improve ties with the Euclean Community after Nhema "burnt bridges" with Euclean nations. Many supporters also praised Izibongo Ngonidzashe for bringing stability to Rwizikuru, with Rwizikuru being relatively stable compared to most of its neighbours in southern Bahia. However, opponents have argued that Rwizikuru's lèse-majesté laws that existed prior to the promulgation of the current Rwizikuran constitution made it impossible for people to properly assess Izibongo Ngonidzashe's reign.

Many places in Rwizikuru are named after him, such as the King Izibongo School in Guta raMambo, and the Izibongo Memorial Hospital in Port Fitzhubert.

Personal life

Izibongo Ngonidzashe and Farai Ngonidzashe, 2013

He was a member of the United Amended Church, and was known to be extraordinarily devout, with a priest in Port Fitzhubert saying that Izibongo was "an extraordinary member of the church: he made sure to attend every service, and sought to expound these principles in everyone."

He was fluent in Rwizi, Estmerish, and Gaullican, and could carry a basic conversation in the Kirobyi, Molisa, and Randa.

Marriage and issue

Izibongo Ngonidzashe's first wife was Anatswanashe Nkala, who he was married to from 1955 until her death in 1986 from ovarian cancer. He first met Anatswanashe Nkala in 1952 while stationed in Rusere, and the two started having a relationship. Following permission from her parents, they married in 1955 in Port Fitzhubert.

Izibongo Ngonidzashe's second wife was Farai Mombeshora, who he was married to from 1990 until his death in 2019. Izibongo Ngonidzashe arranged a marriage with the daughter of the then-Prince of Makomborero, Rukodzi Mombeshora, who ruled over a Rwizi chiefdom around Makomborero in 1989 to help increase his own legitimacy, with the marriage taking place the following year.

From his first marriage, Izibongo Ngonidzashe had three daughters: Sophia Makwarimba, born in 1956, Marianne Ngonidzashe, who was born in 1958 and died of malaria in 1960, and Claudia Thabiso, born in 1963, and one son, Joseph Ngonidzashe, who was born in 1961, and who was Crown Prince from the monarchy's establishment in 1968 until his death in 2002.

From his second marriage, he had two sons: Munashe Ngonidzashe, born in 1991, and Honore Ngonidzashe, born in 1996, and a daughter: Martha Lesebo, born in 1993.

Political views

Izibongo Ngonidzashe was a social conservative, with Ngonidzashe saying in 1986 that "as the King of Rwizikuru, I have a duty to protect and preserve the traditions that we Rwizis cherish." During his rule, he maintained the colonial-era penal code which criminalised homosexuality, only permitted abortions if the mother's life is in danger, with only a single hospital in Port Fitzhubert being allowed to provide abortions, maintained the United Amended Church as the country's state religion, strictly forbade women from ever being in the line of succession to the throne, and promoted Rwizi music and other Rwizi arts to help "revitalize Rwizi culture."

His social conservatism is believed by some academics, such as Professor Tinaye Chitepo at the University of Rwizikuru, to influence his decision to rule as an absolute monarch because, according to Chitepo, he was "under the impression that prior to colonization, the Mambos governed as absolute monarchs with absolute power over life and death." However, other academics, such as Petronilla Minichiello at the Università di San Pietro, argued that Izibongo Ngonidzashe's decision to rule as an absolute monarch was motivated by a desire to maintain power, with Minichiello saying that being an absolute monarch would "allow him to maintain as much power as he could while still presenting legitimacy," and observed that "power for Izibongo was not a means to an end, but the end itself." Chitepo also points out that his conservative views were rooted both in "Izibongo being an Estmerophile" and "his personal Rwizi chauvinism," leading to Izibongo's determination to "keep things as they were."

Economically, Izibongo Ngonidzashe was an economic liberal, with Izibongo Ngonidzashe overseeing the reconstruction of the Rwizikuran economy following Vudzijena Nhema's rule and a subsequent decade of war against many of its neighbours, and believing that foreign investment would "enrich the country." However, Minichiello argued that Ngonidzashe was "largely uninterested in economics," only viewing it as a way to "enrich himself and his family," and to allow him to "stay in power for longer." She notes that under his rule, significant levels of misappropriation and corruption have taken place, with much of the wealth "flowing to the Rwizikuran royal family."

Titles and honors

• 28 April, 1921 - 1943 - Izibongo Ngonidzashe
• 1943 - 1954 - Lieutenant Izibongo Ngonidzashe
• 1957 - 1961 - General Izibongo Ngonidzashe
• 1961 - 18 January, 1964 - General Izibongo Ngonidzashe, Chief of Staff
• 18 January, 1964 - 1 June, 1968 - His Excellency Izibongo Ngonidzashe, Chairman of the National Salvation Council
• 1 June, 1968 - 21 February, 2019 - His Most Faithful Majesty Izibongo Ngonidzashe, King of Rwizikuru
• Full regnal title - His Most Faithful Majesty Ngonidzashe I, by the Grace of God, and by the will of the Rwizikuran people and the National Salvation Council, King and N'anga of the Rwizikuran nation and of the Rwizi people

Domestic honors

• - Order of Merit, 1950
• - Sovereign of the Nation, 1968
• - Commander of the Order of the Elephant, 1968
• - Mabifian-Rwizikuran War Medal, 1969
• - Nativity War Medal, 1976
• - Silver Jubilee Medal, 1993
• - Ruby Jubilee Medal, 2008
• - Golden Jubilee Medal, 2018

Foreign honors

• Template:Country data Estmere - Grand Cross with Special Class of the Order of Estmere (1981)