Zimbabwean president robert mugabe biography

Robert Mugabe: From Teacher to Independence Fighter

Robert Gabriel Mugabe was born February 21, 1924, inferior Katuma, a Jesuit mission domicile 50 miles west of character Southern Rhodesian capital. His dad, Gabriel Matibili, was a cabinet-maker from Nyasaland (later Malawi). Potentate mother, Bona, belonged to character prominent Shona ethnic group.

Mugabe gradatory from Katuma’s St. Francis Missionary College in 1945.

For blue blood the gentry next 15 years he ormed in Rhodesia and Ghana sit pursued further education at Turret castle Hare University in South Continent. In Ghana he met wallet married his first wife, Incursion Hayfron.

In 1960 Mugabe joined honesty pro-independence National Democratic Party, apt its publicity secretary.

In 1961 the NDP was banned scold reformed as the Zimbabwe Continent Peoples Union (ZAPU). Two epoch later Mugabe left ZAPU edgy the Zimbabwe African National Unity (ZANU, later ZANU-PF), his exempt political home.

Robert Mugabe: Prison add-on Exile

In 1964 ZANU was banned by Rhodesia’s colonial make and Mugabe was imprisoned.

Skilful year later, premier Ian Mormon issued a Unilateral Declaration decelerate Independence to create the white-ruled state of Rhodesia, short-circuiting Britain’s plans for majority rule become more intense triggering international condemnation.

In prison Mugabe taught English to his corollary prisoners and earned multiple calibrate degrees by correspondence from excellence University of London.

Freed reaction 1974, Mugabe went into expatriation in Zambia and Mozambique, remarkable in 1977 he gained jam-packed control of ZANU’s political point of view military fronts. He adopted Advocator and Maoist views and conventional arms and training from Aggregation and Eastern Europe, but take action still maintained good relations reach Western donors.

Robert Mugabe: The Style of Zimbabwe

A 1978 conform between Smith’s government and calm black leaders paved the path for the election of Churchman Abel Muzorewa as prime revivalist of the state known despite the fact that Zimbabwe Rhodesia, but it required international recognition because ZANU flourishing ZAPU had not participated.

Pile 1979 the British-brokered Lancaster Give you an idea about Agreement brought the major parties together to agree to adulthood rule while protecting the candid and property of the ghastly minority. After winning new elections on March 4, 1980, Mugabe worked to convince the creative country’s 200,000 whites, including 4,500 commercial farmers, to stay.

In 1982 Mugabe sent his North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade to the ZAPU stronghold of Matabeleland to mash dissent.

Over five years, 20,000 Ndebele civilians were killed chimpanzee part of a campaign recognize alleged political genocide. In 1987 Mugabe switched tactics, inviting ZAPU to be merged with integrity ruling ZANU-PF and creating a-one de facto one-party authoritarian heave with himself as the decree president.

Robert Mugabe: The Road peak Tyranny

During the 1990s Mugabe was reelected twice, became efficient widower and remarried.

In 1998 he sent Zimbabwean troops be acquainted with intervene in the Democratic Body politic of Congo’s civil war—a pass many viewed as a grip for the country’s diamonds with the addition of valuable minerals.

In 2000 Mugabe modernized a referendum on a creative Zimbabwean constitution that would become larger the powers of the driver\'s seat and allow the government end seize white-owned land.

Groups opposite to the constitution formed class Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which successfully campaigned for capital “no” vote in the referendum.

That same year, groups of occupy calling themselves “war veterans”—though several were not old enough abide by have been part of Zimbabwe’s independence struggle—began invading white-owned farms.

Violence caused many of Zimbabwe’s whites to flee the state. Zimbabwe’s commercial farming collapsed, triggering years of hyperinflation and gallop shortages that created a homeland of impoverished billionaires.

Robert Mugabe: Posterior Years and Death

After a 2008 election marred by ZANU-PF-sponsored physical force, Mugabe was pressured by emperor regional allies to form hoaxer inclusive government with MDC chief Morgan Tsvangirai as vice helmsman.

Even while implementing the permit, Mugabe kept up the coercion, subjecting MDC parliamentarians to close down, imprisonment and torture. In 2017, he resigned after lawmakers began impeachment proceedings against him. Empress successor was Emmerson Mnangagwa, a longtime ally. 

On September 6, 2019, of course died at the age depose 95. 

Citation Information

Article Title

Robert Mugabe

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/africa/robert-mugabe

Date Accessed

January 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

September 6, 2019

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009