LUSAKA — 1975 · Unsolved Case
The Assassination of Herbert Chitepo
Herbert Chitepo, exiled leader of ZANU, the movement fighting white-minority rule in Rhodesia, and Rhodesia's first black barrister, was killed in Lusaka, Zambia, on 18 March 1975 when a bomb planted in his Volkswagen Beetle the night before exploded. His bodyguard was killed and another bodyguard was injured; a neighbour hurt in the blast died hours later. A commission set up by Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda attributed the assassination to factional fighting within ZANU. Former Rhodesian officers and authors later claimed, however, that Rhodesian intelligence organised the killing and planted false evidence pointing to the movement itself. No one has ever been formally held responsible.
- Date
- 1975
- Place
- Zambia, Lusaka, ZM
- Category
- Unsolved Case
- Case Status
- Unsolved
- Coordinates
- -15.4100, 28.2900 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 17 March 1975The bomb was planted in Chitepo's car overnight.
- 18 March 1975The blast killed Chitepo and his bodyguard.
- 1975Kaunda set up a commission of inquiry into the killing.
- October 2001The commission's documents were made public.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Herbert Chitepo en.wikipedia.org ↗
- TIME — Milestones, Mar. 31, 1975 content.time.com ↗
- Wikipedia
- TIME
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.