Zimbabwe African People's Union

The Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU), known from 1980 to 1987 as the Patriotic Front (PF), is a Zimbabwean political party. It is a militant communist organisation and political party that campaigned for majority rule in Rhodesia, from its founding in 1961 until 1980. In 1987, the PF merged into the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU – PF).

The party was formed on 17 December 1961, 10 days after the Rhodesian government banned the National Democratic Party (NDP). It was founded by Joshua Nkomo as president, Samuel Parirenyatwa as vice-president, Ndabaningi Sithole as chairman, Jason Moyo as treasurer, Robert Mugabe as information and publicity secretary, and Leopold Takawira as external secretary. ZAPU was banned in 1962 by the Rhodesian white minority government, and later engaged in a guerrilla war against it. The armed wing of ZAPU, known as the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA), was founded by Moyo and commanded by General Lookout Masuku.

ZAPU was separate from ZANU as its armed wing, ZIPRA, was aligned with the Soviet Union, which prioritised mobilising urban workers, whereas ZANU had a pro-People's Republic of China orientation, which prioritised mobilising the rural peasantry.

It was relaunched in 2008 by Joshua Nkomo's son, Michael Nkomo.