Robert Mugabe: From hero to despot
Mugabe led the overthrow of Rhodesia's white rulers, instituting a new era for the country. But his 37-year descent into despotism and his economic ruin of the country eventually drove a military coup against him.
The birth of a political force
Mugabe's political life began in the 1960s with the formation of a radical anti-colonialist movement that fought white minority rule. He joined Joshua Nkomo's National Democratic Party and its fight against white government. He was jailed for 10 years, during which he studied tirelessly. On release, the "thinking man's guerrilla" rose to the top of the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army.
Mugabe takes power
After a 15-year war and global sanctions, Mugabe forced Ian Smith's government to negotiate, winning universal suffrage, new elections and independence. He was elected prime minister, initially winning approval for policies of racial reconciliation and improving health and education for the black majority. But within two years, 20,000 people were killed fighting an insurgency from once-ally Nkomo.
Land seizures
In 1987, Mugabe gained broad executive powers as president, with a reconciled Nkomo as deputy. He became an international pariah over the 90s for devastating the economy, rigging elections and seizing white farmers' land. His land reform policy, an attempt to placate angry war veterans, wrecked the crucial agricultural sector and foreign investors fled. By 2002, he was sanctioned internationally.
Human rights abuses
In the 2000s, Mugabe became increasingly flagrant with his oppression of Zimbabweans. In 2005, he notoriously started a campaign of destroying slums and "illegal dwellings," directly affecting at least 700,000 people. A huge number of urban and rural poor, who were opposed to Mugabe's rule, were made homeless. The campaign was condemnded by the United Nations.
Lavish parties
As his people starved and his country was driven to ruin, Mugabe lived an extravagant life. For his 91st birthday in 2015, Mugabe threw a lavish party, costing a reported $1 million (€900,000), complete with elephant slaughters, called "obscene" by opposition figures. By 2015, his country had completely switched to the US dollar after inflation rates hit 89.7 sextillion percent year-on-year.
Military coup
On November 14, 2017, military elements seized control of a public broadcaster and announced Mugabe would be held under house arrest. In the days that followed, people swept the streets to demand the resignation of Mugabe, cheering on the military resistance. First Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa was backed as leader, and he replaced Mugabe a week later.
Failing health
After his humiliating fall from power, Mugabe, who once claimed he would rule to the age of 100, quickly deteriorated. By September 2019, he was dying. After ruining his country's once-proud medical system, he was forced to seek treatment in Singapore.