n.
born June 19, 1917, Semokwe Reserve, Matabeleland, Rhodesia
died July 1, 1999, Harare, Zimb.
Zimbabwean (formerly Rhodesian) black nationalist.
Nkomo helped lead the guerrilla war against white rule in Rhodesia, but his forces played a less important role than those of Robert Mugabe . As leader of the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU), he became Mugabe's longtime rival. They participated in a coalition government in 198082, but Nkomo was removed following a breach between them. ZAPU and Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) merged in 1987 to form ZANUPatriotic Front, and Nkomo became a vice president in Mugabe's government in 1990.