Mugabe’s brutal rise and fall

37-year reign of Zimbabwe’s tyrant

1980

Robert Mugabe wins British-supervised elections for his Zanu party following independence. He includes Joshua Nkomo, leader of the opposition party, Zapu, in his cabinet.

1982

Mugabe crushes rebellion by pro-zapu, ex-guerrilla militants using the North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade. Government forces are accused of killing thousands of civilians in the crackdown.

1987

Nkomo surrenders and the two parties integrate, forming Zanu-pf. Mugabe changes the constitution, abolishing the position of prime minister and making himself executive president of Zimbabwe.

1996

Mugabe marries his secretary Grace Marufu after an eight-year affair. She is his second wife and 41 years his junior.

1998

Economic crisis bites, marked by soaring interest rates and inflation prompting widespread riots and strikes.

1999

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is formed. The economic crisis deepens coinciding with Zimbabwe’s military involvement in the Congo’s civil war.

2000

Mugabe’s government loses a referendum on a new constitution giving him more power. He authorises the seizure of white-owned farms and a terror campaign against the MDC

2002

Mugabe and Zanu-pf win elections amid reports of murder. He is suspended from the Commonwealth and EU sanctions imposed. HIV is rife and the country is on the brink of famine.

2008

The opposition MDC wins a majority in elections, triggering a run-off against Mugabe. He wins the second round after intimidating MDC opponents. More sanctions are imposed by EU and US.

2009

The leader of MDC, Morgan Tsvangirai, is made prime minister as part of a coalition between Zanu-pf and MDC.

2013

In the year running up to the election, MDC claim that violence is being used against them and that rallies are shut down. Mugabe wins a seventh term in office. The MDC dismiss the election as rigged.

2014

Grace Mugabe is appointed the new head of the Zanu-pf women’s league, taking a seat on the party’s politburo and fuelling speculation that she intends to succeed her husband.

2017

Opposition leaders form an alliance. In November, Mugabe sacks deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa. The army, thought to be aligned with Mnangagwa, seizes control and arrests the president.