Robert Mugabe

Robert Mugabe
File:Robert Mugabe and Zimbabwe President Canaan Banana.jpg Robert Mugabe (left) and Canaan Banana, who in 1980 were Prime Minister and President respectively
2nd President of Zimbabwe
Incumbent
Assumed office 31 December 1980
Preceded by	Canaan Banana
Personal details
Born	(1924-02-21) February 21, 1924 Kutama Mission, Harare
Nationality	Zimbabwean
Political party	Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front

Robert Gabriel Mugabe (born 21 February 1924) is a Zimbabwean politician and the current President of Zimbabwe. He has been the head of government in Zimbabwe since 1980, first as Prime Minister and later as first executive President.

In recent years, Mugabe has attracted international criticism for corruption, mishandling of land reforms, economic mismanagement, and a deteriorating human rights situation in Zimbabwe. According to most outside observers his policies have led to economic collapse and massive starvation over the course of the last ten years.

Early life

Growing up without a father, Robert Mugabe was raised at Kutama Mission, Zvimba District, north-west of Harare (then called Salisbury), and then Southern Rhodesia. He was raised as a Roman Catholic, and was educated in Marist Brothers and Jesuit schools, including the exclusive Kutama College. He qualified as a teacher but left to study at Fort Hare in South Africa, a notable university at the time, graduating in 1951 while meeting contemporaries such as Julius Nyerere, Herbert Chitepo, Robert Sobukwe and Kenneth Kaunda. He then studied at Driefontein in 1952, Salisbury (1953), Gwelo (1954), and Tanzania (1955–1957).

Robert Mugabe also holds several honorary degrees and doctorates from various international Universities, although many of them are in the process of being rescinded. Subsequently, Mugabe taught at Achimota College (now Achimota Secondary School) in Accra, Ghana (1958–1960) where he met Sally Hayfron, who later became his first wife.

Anti-colonial conflict

See also: History of Zimbabwe

Returning to Southern Rhodesia in 1960 as a Marxist, Robert Mugabe joined Joshua Nkomo and the National Democratic Party (NDP), which later became the Zimbabwe African Peoples Union (ZAPU), both immediately banned by Ian Smith's government. He left ZAPU in 1963 to join the rival Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) which had been formed in 1963 by the Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole, Edson Zvobgo, Enos Nkala and lawyer Herbert Chitepo. It would have been easy for the party to split along tribal lines between the Ndebele and Mugabe's own, the Shona tribe, but cross-tribal representation was maintained by his partners. ZANU leader Sithole nominated Robert Mugabe as his Secretary General.

ZANU was influenced by the Africanist ideas of the Pan Africanist Congress in South Africa and influenced by Maoism while ZAPU was an ally of the African National Congress and was a supporter of a more orthodox pro-Soviet line on national liberation. Similar divisions can also be seen in the liberation movement in Angola between the MPLA and UNITA.

He was detained with other nationalist leaders Joshua Nkomo and Edson Zvobgo, in 1964.On his release, he left Rhodesia for Mozambique in 1974 and led the Chinese-financed military ZANU army, the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA), in the war against Ian Smith's government.

On 18 March 1975, Mugabe allegedly plotted the assassination of Chitepo by a bomb placed in his car while in Zambia. Mugabe unilaterally assumed control of ZANU from Mozambique. Later that year, after squabbling with Ndabaningi Sithole, Mugabe formed a militant ZANU faction, leaving Sithole to lead the moderate Zanu (Ndonga) party, which renounced violent struggle.

Government of Zimbabwe

See also: Lancaster House Agreement

Persuasion from B.J. Vorster, himself under pressure from Henry Kissinger, forced Smith to accept in principle that white minority rule could not continue indefinitely. On 3 March 1978 Bishop Abel Muzorewa, Ndabaningi Sithole and other moderate leaders signed an agreement at Governor's Lodge in Salisbury, which paved the way for an interim power-sharing government, in preparation for elections. The elections were won by the United African National Council under Bishop Abel Muzorewa, but international recognition did not follow and sanctions were not lifted. The two 'Patriotic Front' groups under Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo refused to participate and continued the war.

The incoming government did accept an invitation to talks at Lancaster House in September 1979. A ceasefire was negotiated for the talks, which were attended by Smith, Robert Mugabe, Nkomo, Edson Zvobgo and others. Eventually the parties to the talks agreed on a new constitution for a new Republic of Zimbabwe with elections in February 1980. Mugabe had to concede to accepting 20 seats reserved for whites in the new Parliament and to the inability of the new government to alter the constitution for ten years. His return to Zimbabwe in December 1979 was greeted with enormous supportive crowds.

Prime Minister

After a campaign marked by intimidation from all sides, mistrust from security forces and reports of full ballot boxes found on the road, the Shona majority was decisive in electing Mugabe to head the first government as prime minister on 4 March 1980. ZANU won 57 out of 80 Common Roll seats in the new parliament, with the 20 white seats all going to the Rhodesian Front.

Robert Mugabe, whose political support came from his Shona-speaking homeland in the north, attempted to build Zimbabwe on a basis of an uneasy coalition with his Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) rivals, whose support came from the Ndebele-speaking south, and with the white minority. Mugabe sought to incorporate ZAPU into his Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) led government and ZAPU's military wing into the army; and ZAPU's leader, Joshua Nkomo, was given a series of cabinet positions in Mugabe's government. However, Robert Mugabe was torn between this objective and pressures to meet the expectations of his own ZANU followers for a faster pace of social change.

An abortive ZAPU rebellion and discontent in Matabeleland spelled the end to this uneasy coalition. In 1983 Mugabe dismissed Nkomo from his cabinet, which triggered bitter fighting between ZAPU supporters in the Ndebele-speaking region of the country and the ruling ZANU. Between 1982 and 1985, the military brutally crushed armed resistance from Ndebele groups in the provinces of Matabeleland and the Midlands, leaving Robert Mugabe's rule secure (see "Gukurahundi"). Mugabe has been accused by many reputable sources of committing mass murder during this period of his rule. A peace accord was negotiated in 1987, resulting in ZAPU's merger (1988) into the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF). Mugabe brought Nkomo into the government once again as a vice-president.

More than 20 000 innocent Ndebele civilians were murdered by Mugabe's North-Korean trained 5th Brigade during the Gukurahundi ethnic massacres. This brigade was answerable only to Mugabe. Their leader was Perence Shiri who called himself 'Black Jesus'. Black Jesus has been personally implicated in the rape of surviving villagers.

President

In 1987, the position of Prime Minister was abolished, and he assumed the new office of executive President of Zimbabwe gaining additional powers in the process. He was re-elected in 1990 and 1996, and in 2002 amid claims of widespread vote-rigging and intimidation. Robert Mugabe's term of office is due to expire in 2008. There have, however, been calls from some in the ruling Zanu-PF party to extend it until 2010. Succession is a thorny issue - Mugabe would lose immunity enjoyed by heads of state, but jockeying for a replacement invites instability.

He is the Chancellor of the flagship University of Zimbabwe and has remained in power until now.

Social programmes

In 1991, amid international pressure and short on hard currency, Zimbabwe embarked on a neoliberal austerity program, but the International Monetary Fund suspended aid, claiming that the reforms were "not on track".

According to statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO), Zimbabweans have the shortest life expectancy worldwide, listed as 37 years for men, and 34 years for women . Also of note is that inflation has escalated to the point where it is now the highest rate in the world. During Zimbabwe's latest economic crisis the BBC reports that officially inflation hit 1,000% for the month of September 2006. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reports an inflation figure for 2006 of 1,216.0% and estimates an inflation of 4,278.8% for 2007 in its World Economic Outlook Database.

At the same time he pursued a "moral campaign" against homosexuals making "unnatural sex acts" illegal with a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. This included the arrest of his predecessor as President of Zimbabwe, Canaan Banana, who was convicted of gay sex offences.

Second Congo War

Robert Mugabe was blamed for Zimbabwe's poorly justified participation in the Second Congo War in the Democratic Republic of the Congo at a time when the Zimbabwean economy was struggling. The Democratic Republic of the Congo had been invaded by Rwanda that sought to institute a change of government, and Uganda that claimed that its civilians, and regional stability, were under constant threat of attack by various Congo-based terrorist groups . The war raised accusations of corruption, with officials alleged to be plundering the Congo's mineral reserves. His Defense Minister Moven Mahachi said, "Instead of our army in the DRC burdening the treasury for more resources, which are not available, it embarks on viable projects for the sake of generating the necessary revenue."

Land reforms

Main article: Land reform in Zimbabwe

When Robert Mugabe became prime minister, approximately 70% of the country's arable land was owned by approximately 4,000 descendants of white settlers. However, he reassured white landowners that they had nothing to fear from democracy. Mugabe accepted a "willing buyer, willing seller" plan as part of the Lancaster House Agreement of 1979, among other concessions to the White minority. As part of this agreement, land redistribution was locked up for a period of 10 years.

By 1997, the "willing buyer, willing seller" land reform program had broken down after the new British government led by Tony Blair unilaterally decided to stop funding it on the basis that the initial £44 million allocated under the Thatcher administration was used to purchase land for members of the ruling elite and not landless peasants. Furthermore, the Labour party felt themselves under no obligation to continue paying White farmers compensation, or in minister Clare Short's words, "I should make it clear that we do not accept that Britain has a special responsibility to meet the costs of land purchase in Zimbabwe. We are a new Government from diverse backgrounds without links to former colonial interests. My own origins are Irish and as you know we were colonised not colonisers."

As of September 2006, Mugabe's family owns three farms: Highfield Estate in Norton, 45 km west of Harare, Iron Mask Estate in Mazowe, about 40 km from Harare, and Foyle Farm in Mazowe, formerly owned by Ian Webster and adjacent to Iron Mask Farm, renamed to Gushungo Farm after Mugabe's own clan name. These farms were seized forcibly from their previous owners.

2000 referendum

On 12 - 13 February 2000, a referendum was held on a new constitution. The proposed change would have limited future presidents to two terms, but as it was not retroactive, Mugabe could have stood for another two terms. It also would have made his government and military officials immune from prosecution for any illegal acts committed while in office. In addition, it allowed the government to confiscate white-owned land for redistribution to black farmers without compensation. It was defeated, after a low 20% turnout, by a strong urban vote, fuelled by an effective SMS campaign. Mugabe declared that he would "abide by the will of the people". The vote was a surprise to ZANU-PF, and an embarrassment before parliamentary elections due in mid-April. Almost immediately, self-styled "war veterans", led by Chenjerai 'Hitler' Hunzvi, began invading white-owned farms. On 6 April 2000, parliament pushed through an amendment, taken word for word from the draft constitution that was rejected by voters, allowing the seizure of white-owned farmlands without due reimbursement or payment. Since then, agricultural production has plummeted and the economy is crippled. Zimbabwe now depends on food programs and support from outside to feed its population.

Elections

Robert Mugabe faced Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in presidential elections in March 2002. Amid violence and that large numbers of citizens in anti-Mugabe strongholds were prevented from voting, Mugabe defeated Tsvangirai by 56% to 42%. This was singularly viewed by the western nations as a dictatorial move. Mugabe was helped by an unprecedented turnout of 90% in his rural stronghold of Mashonaland (55% of the population voted overall), although there are credible claims that the turnout may have been rigged. When election observers from South Africa claimed at a press conference that they had found no evidence of vote rigging, the assembled press burst out with laughter.

On 3 July 2004, a report adopted by the African Union executive council, which comprises foreign ministers of the 53 member states, criticised the government for the arrests and torture of opposition members of parliament and human rights lawyers, the arrests of journalists, the stifling of freedom of expression and clampdowns on other civil liberties.

It was compiled by the AU's African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, which sent a mission to Zimbabwe from 24 June to 28 June 2002, shortly after the presidential elections.

The report was apparently not submitted to the AU's 2003 summit because it had not been translated into French. It was adopted at the next AU summit in 2005.

Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party rorted the 2005 parliamentary elections with an increased majority. The elections were said to "reflect the free will of the people of Zimbabwe" by the South African observers, despite accusations of widespread fraud from the MDC.

Criticism of and opposition to Mugabe

In recent years, Robert Mugabe has emerged as one of Africa's most controversial leaders. His critics accuse him of being a 'corrupt dictator', and an 'extremely poor role model' for the continent. Nevertheless, Mugabe retains considerable popularity throughout Africa. For example, in 2004 the monthly magazine New African had its readers vote for the "100 greatest Africans" last year, Mugabe won a third-place finish, topped only by Nelson Mandela and Ghanaian independence hero Kwame Nkrumah. In addition, in December 2005, Kenneth Kaunda, Zambia's former long-time leader, voiced support for Robert Mugabe, stating that the Zimbabwean president "would pull through because he enjoyed the support of ordinary Zimbabweans who were punished for claiming back their land." Mugabe's supporters tend to dismiss much of the criticism as being racially motivated, and characterize it as being little more than the bitter remarks of those who have been disadvantaged by his policies.

On 9 March 2003, U.S. President George W. Bush approved measures for economic sanctions to be leveled against Mugabe and numerous other high-ranking Zimbabwe politicians, freezing their assets and barring Americans from engaging in any transactions or dealings with them. Justifying the move, Bush's spokesman stated the President and Congress believe that "the situation in Zimbabwe endangers the southern African region and threatens to undermine efforts to foster good governance and respect for the rule of law throughout the continent". The bill was known as the "Zimbabwe Democracy Act" and was deemed "racist" by Mugabe.

On 8 December 2003, in protest against a further 18 months of suspension from the Commonwealth of Nations (thereby cutting foreign aid to Zimbabwe), Mugabe withdrew his country from the Commonwealth. According to reports, Robert Mugabe informed the leaders of Jamaica, Nigeria and South Africa of his decision when they telephoned him to discuss the situation. Zimbabwe's government said the President did not accept the Commonwealth's position, and was leaving the group.

Many African nations who are Commonwealth members, led by South Africa, want Zimbabwe to be brought back into the fold to encourage dialogue between Mugabe and domestic foes, while members of what many Africans charge is the "white Commonwealth" – the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand – led the hard-line stance on the suspension of Zimbabwe.

Pius Ncube, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bulawayo, leads a consortium of Christian faiths opposed to Mugabe. Ncube has won human rights awards for opposing the alleged torture and starvation used as a political weapon by the Mugabe government. In 2005, Ncube has called for a "popular mass uprising" in the style of the Orange Revolution or Tulip Revolution to remove Mugabe from power.

On 8 April 2005, Mugabe attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II, a move which could be seen as defiance of a European Union travel ban that does not apply to Vatican City. He was granted a transit visa by the Italian authorities, as they are obliged to under the Concordat.

Twice, Peter Tatchell of the gay rights group OutRage! has tried to place Mugabe under citizen's arrest for human rights abuses during the leader's visits to the United Kingdom.

In reaction to human rights violations in Zimbabwe, students at universities from which Mugabe has honorary doctorates have sought to get the degrees revoked. So far, student bodies at Michigan State University (ASMSU) and the University of Edinburgh (EUSA) have each unanimously passed resolutions calling for this. The issue is now being considered by the respective universities.

In June 2005, Mugabe and his government attracted unprecedented international criticism, including greater church condemnation than ever before, when over 200,000 people from urban areas were left homeless due to their homes being bulldozed as part of Operation Murambatsvina that reminded people of his Gukurahundi massacres of more than 20 000 innocent civilians in Matabeleland

On 17 November 2006 the Independent Newspaper revealed that female life expectancy is now 34 as opposed to 63 ten years ago.

On 6 February 2007, Mugabe orchestrated a cabinet reshuffle, ousting ministers including five-year veteran finance minister Herbert Murerwa.

On 11 March 2007, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was arrested and beaten following a prayer meeting in the Harare suburb of Highfields. Another member of the Movement for Democratic Change was killed while other protesters were injured.

Succession

As one of Africa's longest-lasting leaders, speculation has built over the years as to the future of Zimbabwe after Mugabe leaves office. His age and recurring rumors of failing health have focused more attention on possible successors within his party as well as the opposition. Also, the 11 March crackdown against a religious gathering sponsored by the opposition attracted scrutiny. [1]

In June 2005, a report that Mugabe had entered a hospital for tests on his heart fueled rumors that he had died of a heart attack; these reports were dismissed by a Mugabe spokesman. This coincided with Operation Murambatsvina (or "Drive Out Trash"), a police campaign to demolish houses and businesses that had been built without permission on land previously taken from white landholders and intended for redistribution. Opponents called this an attempt to disperse urban centers of dissent into rural areas where the government had more control. Former information minister Jonathan Moyo attributed the events to a power struggle within the party over who would succeed Mugabe.

Joyce Mujuru, recently elevated to vice-president of ZANU-PF during the December 2004 party congress and considerably younger than Joseph Msika, the other vice-president, has been mentioned as a likely successor to Mugabe. Joyce Mujuru's candidacy for the presidency is strengthened by her husband Solomon Mujuru's backing who is the former head of the Zimbabwean army.

In October 2006, a report prepared by Zimbabwe's Ministry of Economic Development acknowledged the lack of co-ordination among critical government departments in Zimbabwe and the overall lack of commitment to end the crisis. The report implied that the infighting in Zanu-PF over Mugabe's successor was also hurting policy formulation and consistency in implementation.

A plan is under consideration to postpone the next presidential election until 2010, at the same time as the next parliamentary election, thereby extending Mugabe's term by two years. It is said that holding the two elections together would be a cost-saving measure. Thus far the plan has not been approved, and there are reportedly objections from some in ZANU-PF to the idea. In March, Mugabe said that he thought the feeling was in favor of holding the two elections together in 2008 instead of 2010. He also said that he would be willing to run for re-election again if the party wanted him to run. Other leaders in Southern Africa are rumoured to be less warm on the idea, recently, at the independence celebrations in Ghana, South African President Thabo Mbeki was rumoured to have met with Mugabe in private and told him that "he was determined that South Africa's hosting of the Football World Cup in 2010 should not be disrupted by controversial presidential elections in Zimbabwe."

Honours

Robert Mugabe was created an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1994 by Queen Elizabeth II. This entitles him to use the postnominal letters KCB, but not to use the title "Sir".

Personal

His well-respected Ghanaian first wife, the former Sally Hayfron (1933-1992), died from a chronic kidney ailment (their only son Nhamodzenyika, born 27 September 1963 died on December 26 1966 from cerebral malaria, while Mugabe was in prison). Sally Mugabe was a trained teacher who asserted her position as an independent political activist and campaigner. This she clearly demonstrated from as early as 1962 when she was active in mobilising African women to challenge Ian Smith's Rhodesian constitution which resulted in her own imprisonment. When she became Zimbabwe's first lady in 1980, she served as Deputy Secretary and later as Secretary of the ZANU Women's League. She also founded the Zimbabwe Child Survival Movement. Sally Mugabe launched the Zimbabwe Women's Cooperative in the UK in 1986 and supported Akina Mama wa Africa, a London-based African women's organisation focusing on development and women's issues in Africa and the UK. Upon her death she was laid to rest at the National Heroes Acre in Harare, Zimbabwe.

About two years before Sally's death, Mugabe married his former secretary, Grace Marufu, 40 years his junior and with whom he already had two children, in a tribal ceremony. Abandoning his previous claim of a Christian background, Mugabe justified the marriage under a traditional African law which allows him to take a junior wife.

On 17 August 1996, Mugabe and Marufu were married in a Roman Catholic wedding Mass at Kutama College, a Catholic Mission School he previously attended. Nelson Mandela was among the guests. A spokesman for Catholic Archbishop Patrick Chakaipa, who presided over the ceremony, said the diocese saw "no impediment" to the nuptials.

Grace Marufu Mugabe has three children: Bona, Robert Peter Jr. (although Robert Mugabe's middle name is Gabriel) and Bellarmine Chatunga. As first lady, she has been the subject of much criticism for her lifestyle. When she was included in the 2002 EU travel sanctions on her husband, one EU parliamentarian was quoted as saying that the ban "will stop Grace Mugabe going on her shopping trips in the face of catastrophic poverty blighting the people of Zimbabwe." The London Telegraph called her "notorious at home for her profligacy" in 2003 coverage of a trip to Paris. Their children however are not included to the EU travel sanctions.

In March 2007, Mugabe was to have reported to say that he would run as president for another 7 years , and then would give power to his two sons.

Movies

Mugabe's office forbade the screening of the 2005 movie The Interpreter claiming that it was propaganda by the CIA and fearing that it could incite hostility towards him.

Relevant contemporaries

• Ian Smith – leader of White minority government of Rhodesia
• Rev Ndabaningi Sithole – ZANU founder with Mugabe and Chitepo
• Herbert Chitepo – torch-bearer for ZANU while Mugabe was interned
• Josiah Tongogara – Zanla military general for Mugabe's ZANU political wing. Robert Mugabe ordered his death having become jealous of the fact he was the most respected politician in the ZANU PF camp.
• Canaan Banana – President in Mugabe's first government
• Joshua Nkomo – Leader of ZAPU, often rivals
• Bishop Abel Muzorewa – Leader of government before Mugabe
• Kenneth Kaunda – Zambian leader who supported African nationalists
• Edgar Tekere – one-time colleague who opposed Mugabe in the 1990 Presidential election
• Morgan Tsvangirai – Leader of the current opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
• Samora Machel – Leader of FRELIMO; political friend and influence

Events

• Unilateral Declaration of Independence – Ian Smith's break away from Britain
• Lancaster House Agreement – paved the way for elections that brought Mugabe into power
• Gukurahundi – War between Mugabe's Fifth Brigade and the Ndebele people of Matabeleland after the failed merger between ZANU and ZAPU political parties.
• Operation Murambatsvina (or Operation "Drive Out Trash"), a controversial 2005 government campaign to forcibly clear many slum areas across the country

Parties

See also: Politics of Zimbabwe

• Zimbabwe African Peoples Union (ZAPU) – founded by Nkomo, mostly Ndebele, often rivals to ZANU
• Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) – founded by Sithole, Chitepo and Mugabe, mostly Shona
• Patriotic Front – Umbrella group formed by Nkomo and Mugabe as rebel representation at the Lancaster House Agreement
• Zanu-PF – party merged from ZANU and ZAPU after Nkomo's fall from grace
• Movement for Democratic Change – current opposition led by Morgan Tsvangirai

External links

• "GROM-X" (The campaign to Get Rid of Mugabe)
• "Mugging Mugabe" (a commentary in defence of Mugabe)
• "The truth about Mugabe" (an anti-Mugabe commentary)
• "Zimbabwe election – a defeat for imperialism"
• "Zimbabwe's silent selective starvation"
• "Robert Mugabe's War to Crush Press Freedom in Zimbabwe"
• Reporters Without Borders profile on Mugabe
• Freedom House report on Zimbabwe
• IFEX - Media Coverage Favours Mugabe
• "Robert Mugabe at UMass" from the WGBH series, Ten O'clock News
• Indict Zimbabwe's demagogue before the International Criminal Court
• "Zimbabwe and the Politics of Torture"
• Human Rights Watch on Zimbabwe

Further reading

• Chan, Stephen (2003). Robert Mugabe: A life of power and violence. IB Taurus, London. ISBN 1-86064-873-8.

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