Death of evil tyrant who ruled with an iron fist
ROBERT Mugabe, who violently clung to power as Zimbabwe’s dictator for four decades, has died at 95.
The former president plunged the southern African nation into political and economic chaos and was accused of killing thousands of opponents.
He died in hospital in Singapore, surrounded by his wife Grace and family, nearly two years after he was ousted in a military coup.
Mugabe had made frequent visits for medical care in recent months. He was last pictured on June 1 dressed in a tracksuit and looking extremely frail in a wheelchair with his eldest son Robert Jr.
Zimbabwe’s current president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, announced the news on Twitter yesterday, describing him as an “icon of liberation”, adding that his “contribution to the history of our nation and continent will never be forgotten”.
However in the capital Harare, people were seen dancing and cheered while car horns were honked in celebration.
Downing Street said that his death could be a “turning point” for the former British colony.
A spokesman said: “We of course express our condolences to those who mourn but know that for many he was a barrier to a better future.
“Under his rule the people of Zimbabwe suffered greatly as he impoverished their country and sanctioned the use of violence against them. His resignation in 2017 marked a turning point and we hope that today marks another which allows Zimbabwe to move on from the legacy of its past and become a democratic, prosperous nation that respects the human rights of its citizens.”
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin hailed Mugabe for his “major personal contribution” to liberating Zimbabwe, adding that he would be remembered as a “consistent advocate” for Russia’s people.
Labour MP Kate Hoey, former chairwoman of the all-party parliamentary group on Zimbabwe, tweeted: “Mugabe brought independence to Zimbabwe and then killed in the Gukurahundi – up to 80,000 of his own citizens in Matabeleland and brought his country to its knees economically. A hero to a brutal dictator.”
The Gukurahundi was a series of massacres by the Zimbabwe national army during the mid-1980s shortly after Mugabe came to power.
The son of a carpenter and devout Catholic mother, Mugabe trained as a primary school teacher before turning to political activism while at South Africa’s Fort Hare University.
He co-founded the Zimbabwe African National Union (Zanu) in 1963, a resistance movement against British rule, and was jailed for 11 years for attempting to overthrow the white-minority government.
After his release, he fled to Mozambique and became a leader of the then-exiled Zanu. The guerrilla fighter led Zimbabwe to independence in 1980 and was elected prime minister the same year, assuming the role of president seven years later.
Initially he won acclaim as he preached reconciliation, slashed the country’s infant mortality rate and boosted education.
However, his 37-year rule was stained with bloodshed, persecution of opponents and vote-rigging on a grand scale. Among the crimes Mugabe and his government were accused of – and denied – were killing and raping opposition activists.
In 2000, he led a campaign to evict white farmers and give their land to black Zimbabweans. The policy led to famine. Eight years later, after losing an election, he responded by shutting down international aid and demanding a recount.
“Only God who appointed me will remove me,” he said at the time.
The country suffered hyperinflation, an 80 per cent unemployment rate and average life expectancy of 35, the lowest in the world.
In 2009, he agreed and then ignored a deal to share power with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai – who would be the prime minister to Mugabe’s president. He finally ceded power in the army coup of November 2017. At 93, he was the world’s oldest head of state.