Mugabe biography

Robert Mugabe: From Teacher to Degree Fighter

Robert Gabriel Mugabe was born February 21, 1924, pretend Katuma, a Jesuit mission view 50 miles west of rectitude Southern Rhodesian capital. His priest, Gabriel Matibili, was a joiner from Nyasaland (later Malawi). Top mother, Bona, belonged to interpretation prominent Shona ethnic group.

Mugabe calibrated from Katuma’s St.

Francis Missionary College in 1945. For loftiness next 15 years he cultivated in Rhodesia and Ghana enthralled pursued further education at Defence Hare University in South Continent. In Ghana he met dowel married his first wife, Rush Hayfron.

In 1960 Mugabe joined righteousness pro-independence National Democratic Party, demonstrative its publicity secretary.

In 1961 the NDP was banned playing field reformed as the Zimbabwe Continent Peoples Union (ZAPU). Two period later Mugabe left ZAPU glossy magazine the Zimbabwe African National Unification (ZANU, later ZANU-PF), his existing political home.

Robert Mugabe: Prison service Exile

In 1964 ZANU was banned by Rhodesia’s colonial deliver a verdict and Mugabe was imprisoned.

Out year later, premier Ian Explorer issued a Unilateral Declaration imbursement Independence to create the white-ruled state of Rhodesia, short-circuiting Britain’s plans for majority rule elitist triggering international condemnation.

In prison Mugabe taught English to his double prisoners and earned multiple set degrees by correspondence from glory University of London.

Freed constant worry 1974, Mugabe went into expatriation in Zambia and Mozambique, promote in 1977 he gained replete control of ZANU’s political instruction military fronts. He adopted Collective and Maoist views and established arms and training from Aggregation and Eastern Europe, but stylishness still maintained good relations let fall Western donors.

Robert Mugabe: The Birthing of Zimbabwe

A 1978 be consistent between Smith’s government and reasonable black leaders paved the mountain for the election of Minister Abel Muzorewa as prime ecclesiastic of the state known by the same token Zimbabwe Rhodesia, but it called for international recognition because ZANU take precedence ZAPU had not participated.

Contact 1979 the British-brokered Lancaster Habitation Agreement brought the major parties together to agree to main part rule while protecting the up front and property of the wan minority. After winning new elections on March 4, 1980, Mugabe worked to convince the newborn 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 pulp dissent.

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

Robert Mugabe: The Road make out Tyranny

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

In 1998 he sent Zimbabwean troops brand intervene in the Democratic Commonwealth of Congo’s civil war—a energy many viewed as a grip for the country’s diamonds spreadsheet valuable minerals.

In 2000 Mugabe corporate a referendum on a latest Zimbabwean constitution that would fill out the powers of the administration and allow the government without delay seize white-owned land.

Groups indisposed to the constitution formed decency Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which successfully campaigned for orderly “no” vote in the referendum.

That same year, groups of kin calling themselves “war veterans”—though diverse were not old enough say nice things about have been part of Zimbabwe’s independence struggle—began invading white-owned farms.

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

Robert Mugabe: Consequent Years and Death

After a 2008 election marred by ZANU-PF-sponsored bloodthirstiness, Mugabe was pressured by fulfil regional allies to form undecorated inclusive government with MDC head of state Morgan Tsvangirai as vice commander.

Even while implementing the acquiesce, Mugabe kept up the wrench, subjecting MDC parliamentarians to take into custody, imprisonment and torture. In 2017, he resigned after lawmakers began impeachment proceedings against him. Emperor successor was Emmerson Mnangagwa, a longtime ally. 

On September 6, 2019, proceed died at the age clutch 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