Robert Mugabe

Robert Gabriel Mugabe (born the February 21st 1924) is a African Politician , Prime Minister for the Zimbabwe of 1980 with 1987 and President of the Zimbabwe since 1987.

Regarded a long time as one of the “fathers of the independence” of old the Southern Rhodesia, the former chief of Guérilla plunged the old attic to Blé of the Africa in the Dictature and, since the beginning of the Années 2000, in the the food shortage most serious of the history of the country.

Origins

Wire of a Immigrant of the Nyassaland, Robert Mugabe was born in Southern Rhodesia and grew with the mission Catholique Jesuit of Kutama in the North-East of the Capitale Salisbury. His/her father having given up the family hearth whereas it is only 10 years old, Robert Mugabe is raised by his mother to which it is very close. Solitary child, it expresses a taste pronounced for the reading and the studies. He is resulting from the tribe of the majority Ethnie of the Shona S.

Education

Graduate in Teaching at the 17 years age, it joined the Université of Strong Hare in South Africa to study English and the history there. It there côtoie Julius Nyerere, Herbert Chitepo, Robert Sobukwe and Kenneth Kaunda.

It is graduate in 1951 then continues its studies with Driefontein in 1952, Salisbury (1953), Gwelo (1954) and with the Tanganyika (1955 - 1957). It obtains by correspondence a license in teaching with the Université of South Africa and a license of economy to the Université of London. He teaches during three years with Lusaka, capital of the Rhodesia of North, then with Accra with the Ghana, first colony of Africa having reached the independence, where it éprend of a colleague, Sally Heyfron, his first wife which he will marry in 1961.

In addition to its seven academic diplomas, he does not hesitate to say that he is “graduate in violence”

The chief of guerilla in Southern Rhodesia

In 1960, it returns to convert, Southern Rhodesia to the ideology Marxiste and declaring " Marxist-Leninist-maoïste". It joint with the Ndébélé Joshua Nkomo and with the democratic national party ( National Democratic Party - NDP), which becomes thereafter Zimbabwe African Peoples Union (ZAPU), immediately prohibited by the white government of Ian Smith.

In 1963, Robert Mugabe, a Shona, create its own party, the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), with the reverend Ndabaningi Sithole and the lawyer Herbert Chitepo. He becomes general secretary about it. The ZANU and the ZAPU will be separated by a long time this ethnic border between Shonas and Ndébélés.

In 1964, it is stopped with other nationalist leaders and is thrown in prison during 10 years. It benefits from it to study the Droit and to consolidate its influence on the nationalist movement. In 1966, it loses his/her son but is seen refusing a permission for the burial, which will poke its hatred of the mode of Salisbury.

Slackened in 1974, it leaves Rhodesia for the Mozambique where it takes the direction of the military branches of the ZANU, the ZANLA (Zimbabwe African National Army Release), to carry out the guerilla against the government of Ian Smith.

The March 18th 1975, Herbert Chitepo is assassinated in Zambia and Mugabe can then take the control of the ZANU while the reverend Ndabaningi Sithole gives up the armed combat.

The March 3rd 1978, the agreements of Salisbury signed by Ian Smith with black leaders moderated like Abel Muzorewa and Ndabaningi Sithole lead to the principle of multiracial elections and the end of the white domination.

The elections of April 1979 were gained by the UANC of Canaan Banana and of Abel Muzorewa the UANC was the only black party having given up violence and having thus authorized to contribute. Abel Muzorewa became the new Prime Minister for the news Zimbabwe-Rhodesia on June 1st 1979.

However, the new mode did not obtain international recognition because of the restrictions imposed on the other black political parties not having been able to take part in the elections.

In December 1979, the country becomes again the British colony of Rhodesia and the Accords of Lancaster House signed at the end of the month lead to an general agreement of which the granting of economic and political guarantees for the white minority and of the multiracial elections envisaged in February 1980.

After an electoral campaign marked by intimidations of all shares, the intrusion of the security forces and frauds, the shonas vote in mass for their Community party, in fact the ZANU of Robert Mugabe.

The March 4th 1980, the ZANU carries 57 of the 80 seats reserved for the blacks whereas the 20 seats of the white electoral college all are gained by the Front Rhodésien of Ian Smith.

The April 18th 1980, Robert Mugabe becomes the first Prime Minister of the new state of Zimbabwe and Canaan Banana the first president.

The Prime Minister of Zimbabwe

With the capacity, Mugabe tries to build a new country on the basis of alliance between shonas and ndébélés. It tries to incorporate the ZAPU in its ZANU and offers to Nkomo of prestigious ministerial wallets. But the claims and social waitings of the shonas involve it to follow a more nationalist and ethnic policy.

In 1982, to celebrate the 2 years of independence, it makes rename all the cities of the country to begin with Salisbury from now on Harare.

In 1983, a rebellion ndébélé puts an end to union ZANU-ZAPU and a Civil war ensanglante the Province of the Matabeleland. Robert Mugabe deploys " there; sa" 5th brigade, a special force formed by instructors North-Korean. Nkomo is dislocated of its functions. The repression of the army brutal against is ndébélés. 10.000 victims will be counted.

In 1987, an peace agreement puts an end to the civil war and the ZAPU is based finally in the news ZANU-PF. It is also the year of the end of the white electoral college and their representation assured 20 deputies meaning the end of the political role the white in the country. It is also the year when Mugabe takes the president's function of the republic to the widened capacities, abolishing the post of Prime Minister.

The president of Zimbabwe

In 1988, Mugabe names Nkomo at the post of vice-president. Since the end of the white representation and fusion of the ZAPU in the ZANU, there is no more opposition to the Parliament and the country lives de facto under a mode of sole party.

In 1990, Robert Mugabe is re-elected and announced its intention to impose the ZANU like sole party institutionnellement and to transform the state into Marxist mode.

The fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Communist regimes in Europe prevent this change if not makes some at least in right.

In 1996, Mugabe is re-elected almost without real opposition.

In 1997 Laurent Désiré Kabila seizes the capacity in Zaire from now on renamed Congo, but must quickly face the rebellion of part of his troops supported by Uganda and Rwanda. Mugabe flies to the help of the capacity of Kinshasa by sending 20.000 men to Congo at the side of the Angolans and the Namibians. This help will have a price: Mugabe will obtain the right of exploitation of a cobalt mine (one of the largest layers of the world) and an access to the diamond traffic. The Congolese copper of better quality will come to feed Zimbabwean industries.

It then decides to put in building site a Land reform which will lead to the expropriation of the white farmers which ensured 80% of the national revenue. It is by violence that the process gets under way at the beginning of the year 2000 whereas a strong movement of dissatisfaction is propagated in the country due to the economic deceleration and the ostentatious corruption of controlling.

The disputed despot

Land reform and white minority

When Robert Mugabe had arrived at the capacity, 70% of the arable lands belonged to 4000 white farmers. Robert Mugabe had reassured them against any forced expropriation and a few thousands of hectares had been redistributed peacefully often with partisans of the mode. In 1999 and 2000, Mugabe starts to make carry out an expropriation forced by using the violence of the militia of pseudo war veterans directed by Chenjerai Hunzvi.

In 2000, it submits to the population a news Constitution in particular incorporating a land reform with expropriations without compensation and especially a permanent Amnistie in the soldiers and the members of the government. The February 11th 2000, against any waiting, this project of new constitution subjected to Referendum, is rejected by the population expressing for the first time the distrust of the population towards the old leader. The April 6th 2000, it passes in addition to this vote to impose its land reform. Its party misses losing the elections but guard its majority thanks to massive frauds. The majority of the white farmers are expropriés and ten are assassinated. Since then, the majority fled abroad. This exodus of the White was followed by that of approximately 3 million Blacks.

Treatment of the opposition

As of 1982, Robert Mugabe recognizes that its mode has recourse to the Torture.

To the presidential election of March 2002, Robert Mugabe must still resort to violence and the electoral frauds to be made re-elect president of the republic with 56% of the voices against Morgan Tsvangirai, the president of the very new Movement for a democratic change (MDC).

Following these elections, the Great Britain tries to organize with the countries of the the Commonwealth of the international sanctions. Supported by the Western countries, the the United States and the Australia, the British obtain with difficulty the suspension of Zimbabwe of the the Commonwealth but the African countries make block around the Dictateur justifying his behavior by the abuses the Colonialisme. Mugabe and its close relations are also prohibited of stay in Europe and with the the United States.

Henceforth, Mugabe gives up any courtesy and puts an end to the pretense of Démocratie by limiting drastiquement freedom of the press, by muzzling the opposition, while resorting to the torture and the assassination of the members of opposition with the assistance of one as of its former opponents, Jonathan Moyo, promoted Minister for information.

Whereas the country is inserted in an unprecedented crisis and that 70% of its citizens are without employment, the formerly prosperous country must subscribe to the world food program while the elites, white like black, emigrate. The economy périclite following the violent expropriation of the white whose grounds from now on in fallow are generally distributed to close relations of the mode. The old exporting country of Céréale S must henceforth import some.

Robert Mugabe is condemned by the worldwide Western and organizations such as Amnesty International which denounces the infringements of the human rights. In Africa, it receives the support of Sam Nujoma and some other African leaders whereas some others do not hesitate to denounce the drift of the mode. Desmond Tutu, the former archbishop of the Cape, treats it of “caricature of African dictator”. The former president of the Zambia, Kenneth Kaunda and chair it Botswana Festus Mogae repudiate it.

In 2003, the Congrès of the United States imposes a multitude of financial sanctions and economic, which are denounced like " Racist s" by Robert Mugabe.

The December 8th 2003, Zimbabwe is suspended for 18 months additional of the the Commonwealth. Mugabe counteracts while withdrawing purely and simply Zimbabwe of the organization.

Characterial Homophobe it would have declared: “If the dogs and the pigs can with which couple themselves, do the human beings remain human beings if they make worse than the pigs? ”, and also “homosexuality is a white tare which does not apply to the Africans”. Mugabe is caught some continuously with the White and to the Westerners, more particularly with Tony Blair than he shows Néo-colonialisme, also treating it of “little boy out of shorts”.

In 2005, the president George W. Bush quotes Zimbabwe among the advanced post offices of the Tyrannie at the side of Cuba and of the North Korea.

Since 2005, within the framework of the Operation Murambatsvina (“to drive out dirtiness”), nearly 700.000 people were expelled of the capital without taking place other or placing themselves “to ensure the safety” in Harare. This destruction of Bidonville S aimed at striking the districts which had voted more for the opposition to Robert Mugabe.

In 2007, Robert Mugabe is the only Head of African State not to be not invited by the French diplomacy at the France-Africa top of Cannes, which was held the 15 and February 16th. Indeed, it is interdict of voyage on the ground of the European Union since 2002, because of its violations of the Human rights. Its country is then plunged in a deep crisis, beating each month of the records of Inflation, reaching + 1600% in January 2007 and even 1730% in March 2007.

In March 2007, a gathering of the opposition tries to express against prohibition of the demonstrations and the political gatherings, against the intention of president Robert Mugabe to present to a new mandate in 2008 and to denounce the social crisis, economic and policy which Zimbabwe undergoes since the year 2000. The police force arrété 50 militants (of which the leader of the MDC, Morgan Tsvangirai) and severely passed them to tobacco. Militant of the MDC was killed by balls.

Quotations

Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe affirmed the September 15th 2005 that the Zimbabweans did not die of hunger, but which they refused to change their food mode to eat potatos or rice. Robert Mugabe affirmed with the Associated Press that its people were “very, very happy”. The true problem lay in the dependence at corn, according to him, “but that does not want to say that we do not have anything else to eat: we have tons of potatos but people are not potato eaters… They have rice but that does not attract them”, deplored Robert Mugabe.

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