Robert Mugabe the President of Zimbabwe

Robert Mugabe is the president of Zimbabwe. He served as prime minister from 1980 to 1987. Robert Mugabe was elected president in 1987, a post he has held ever since. As part of a unity deal ZAPU and ZANU formed one party known as the ZANU Patriotic Front. The leader has become a controversial figure in the perspective of the West. His reputation is regarded highly in Africa and much of the global south. Robert Mugabe is one of the few African leaders that still champions the spirit and policies of anti-colonial politics. He is demonized and vituperated for this, even though he fought against Apartheid South Africa and supports the cause of the Palestinians. Robert Mugabe is willing to criticize and challenge the US and EU, unlike other African  leaders. His defiance has made him develop foes as well as friends. Since 2003, the US has imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe. This makes no sense to a person, who does not understand the context. Zimbabwe is not compliant with US policy in Africa, and thus became a target. Zimbabwe enjoys stronger relations with China and seeks a greater role in Southern African affairs. The UK does not want to see a free Zimbabwe, considering it was once a former colony. Robert Mugabe is in many respects the type of African leader the West despises. He is not compliant with western interests, believes in African solidarity, and hopes to advance the cause of global south resistance.
      Robert Mugabe became politically active in liberation struggle in 1963. He was the original founder of  ZANU. This resistance group fought against British colonial rule and was seeking to be an independent state. All around Africa, Asia, and Latin America people were fighting for liberation against European imperialists. Before becoming involved in politics, he was a teacher. Robert Mugabe taught at Chalimbana Training College and St. Mary's Teacher Training College. Robert Mugabe became more politically aware when visiting Ghana. There he witnessed Kwame Nkrumah transformation of Ghana from a colony to an independent state. There Mugabe proclaimed he favored Marxism and socialist politics. He was determined to fight both racial and social injustice back home. The situation became worse when the laws became more oppressive to ensure white minority rule. Simultaneously, whites were stealing land that belonged to Shona and Ndebele. This was occurring around 1960 and caused much protest.

Mugabe was a speaker at the Salisbury's Harare Town Hall protest. Many leaders of opposition movements have been arrested  Mugabe later became public secretary of the National Democratic Party. Robert Mugabe joined the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU).  Mugabe after having disagreements with the leadership left the organization. He relocated to Tanzania and then joined the Zimbabwe African  National Union (ZANU). This was in 1964 and Robert Mugabe came to the conclusion that freedom could only be achieved  through armed struggle. ZANU launched a guerrilla war against white minority rule. This became known as the Rhodesian Bush War The white minority used as much violence as possible to maintain control of Zimbabwe. The Ian Smith regime had by 1965 declared the Universal Declaration of Independence. Rhodesia as it was called was no longer a British territory, but a sovereign state. This gave the regime the power to wage war against the black population. 

This was the common system of abuse and torture during the Ian Smith regime.

  

Mugabe was arrested and kept as a political prisoner. Mugabe remained in prison for a decade, being detained at Hawatha Prison, then being transferred to Simkombela Detention Center. Mugabe was released in 1974 from Salisbury Prison. Now was the time to exert more pressure on the Ian Smith regime. Sanctions were weakening the economy and white minority rule was being challenged in neighboring states such as Angola, Mozambique, South Africa, and Namibia. Ian Smith had no intent on relinquishing power, but made attempts at negotiation. The only reason he did this was to reform the image of Rhodesia and possibly get sanctions lifted. Robert Mugabe assembled a guerrilla force in Northern Rhodesia. A military victory was not possible for the white minority regime. It was inevitable that oppression could not survive. 

          Independence was granted in 1980 and black majority rule was instated. Negotiations were intense. Previously, there was a referendum that did accept black majority rule in 1979.  At firs this short lived union was referred to as Rhodesia-Zimbabwe. Bishop Muzorewa's leadership was weak, unable to address critical issues. The Common Wealth Heads of Government meeting gathered in Lusaka to address the issues of independence, constitutional reform, and the problem of white minority rule. Margret Thatcher was pressured by Julius Nyerere, Kenneth Kaunda, Micheal Manely, and Malcolm Fraser to hold a constitutional conference in London. Although Robert Mugabe was having major disagreements with Joshua Nkomo. Joshua Nkomo was the leader of the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU). Nkomo had become Mugabe's rival in the struggle for liberation. Yet, what became known as the Lancaster House Agreement was a success for both Mugabe and Nkomo. Robert Mugabe did not agree with all the conditions and terms of the agreement. One problem is that twenty seats would be reserved for whites in parliament. To have seats reserved without election was nothing more than an attempt to salvage the remains of white supremacy. Resistance fighters were already observing the cease-fire. ZANU-PF did not just that the whites would observe it and the armed wing ZANLA continued the fight. Mugabe and Nkomo would return to Zimbabwe in January of 1980 ready to be leaders of the nation. Elections were to be held. For five days after February 27,  Zimbabweans voted for the first time. Mugabe won over his rivals. ZANU-PF won 57 seats in parliament. Robert Mugabe made it clear there was no intention to seek vengeance on the white minority or political rivals. He stated " we will ensure there is a place for everyone in this country."  

The two political rivals that would eventually collaborate with each other Robert Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo.

Mugabe was now prime minister, but faced a country that was divided and dealing with pressure from Apartheid South Africa. The Apartheid regime supplied $300,000,000 to the Rhodesian Army to maintain white minority rule. Even after the elections, South Africa started a campaign of destabilization against the newly independent state. Robert Mugabe wanted Joshua Nkomo to be president of the newly formed government. Nkomo refused, convinced that the position did not have real political power. This was the precursor to major internal strife in the 1980s. 

        As prime minister Robert Mugabe had some successes. Zimbabwe joined the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC). This allowed Zimbabwe to be less dependent on South Africa and challenge its Constellation of Southern African States (CONSAS). While their were successes in education and an increase in life expectancy of the population Zimbabwe almost fell into civil war. The Dissent's War (1982- 1987) was a conflict between ZANU and ZAPU for political control of Zimbabwe. Robert Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo would reconcile and Nkomo would once more join the government. What the internal disorder represented was a dive between the Shona and the Ndebele ethnic groups. This ethnic tension has been a problem that President Mugabe was unable to solve. Fearful that the country could collapse, the constitution was formulated for a one-party state structure. Zimbabwe modeled that off of Tanzania. One-party states were formed for the sake of unity and order. Multiparty politics could have lead to political factionalism, civil war, or general insurrection. There was no time for disagreement when problems such as colonialism, lack of  economic development, and war were present. As the 1990s approached the economy was in dire need of repair. Robert launched the five year plan to revitalize the Zimbabwean economy. Although a socialist, he started to adopt  free market reform policies. These had negative consequences  by the 2000s. There were some positive results in Zimbabwe with the reforms between 1989 and 1994. There was growth in farming, mining, and manufacturing industries. Schools and medical clinics were built  across the country. Free market reforms only provided temporary relief  and as a result inflation would increase.Zimbabwe was falling into economic ruin, mainly because socialist policies were abandoned. However, Mugabe was not about to surrender land reform. Properties  belonging to the white minority were seized in 1996. To Zimbabweans who were in poverty this was an opportunity to regain what was stolen from them.  

The relations between the US and Zimbabwe were never cordial. During the Reagan administration  the policy of constructive engagement protected the Aparthied regime. Through the Bush  and Clinton years there was hope for improvement, but ended in 2003 when the US imposed sanctions. 

        

Robert Mugabe had followed a policy of  reconciliation with the white minority. He never relinquished his support for anti-colonial liberation struggle. This was a policy that Mugabe continues to follow, but caused a backlash from the West. 

     Robert Mugabe had set a policy of Zimbabwe being non-aligned. He supported leaders that the West were either attempting to overthrow or isolate internationally. This element of Robert Mugabe's foreign policy became more pronounced when diplomatic relations  with the UK and the US declined. This decline in diplomatic relations was the demand for compensation from the UK in regards to land theft in the 1960s. Relations with the US became complicated, when the US objected to what it believed was not a free or fair election in 2002. The EU was the first to impose sanctions, followed by the US in 2003. Besides economic sanctions, arms embargoes were also imposed. Robert Mugabe also embraced leaders who were opposed to US foreign policy. Hugo Chavez and Muammar Qaddafi were leaders that Mugabe believed should not be demonized. Seeing as the United States was attempting to mold Mugabe into a pariah, he reached out to other nations around the world. Zimbabwe still maintains relations with Russia even during the Ukraine crisis. Mugabe has better relations with Latin American countries, who faced similar problems of imperialism. Robert Mugabe seems to be willing to make concessions and collaborate with various nations and people. The US embassy is still open in Harare, even though the US has imposed sanctions. Zimbabwe poses no military or economic threat to the United Sates, yet the country is being punished. President Mugabe has sated that the real objective is to induce regime change. This does not seem like such unusual idea, when examining the history of US military intervention. Mugabe has expressed that he opposes NATO or any other form of   military intervention by the US-EU block. Robert Mugabe supports the Palestinian cause for liberation. Besides that Mugabe also has close relations with the People's Republic of China. China has been in many was protecting Zimbabwe from the aftershock of sanctions. 

The diplomatic missions of Zimbabwe 

Zimbabwe has been struggling economically since 2008. There were signs of stabilization happening in 2009. To counter this Robert Mugabe set out to build a stronger alliance with China. The ZIMASSET plan  not only called for economic cooperation, but political support. Economic support will cover railways, telecommunications, energy, water, mining, agriculture, and tourism. This has made Zimbabwe a target, due to the fact the US wants to stop Chinese investment in the African continent. While Mugabe moved his country closer to China, he still continued to pursue land reform. He authorized land seizures from white farmers. These farms were not purchased legitimately, but were stolen from Zimbabweans in the 1960s. Robert Mugabe demanded that Britain pay compensation for these losses of property. Relations been the UK and Zimbabwe reached a nadir. Zimbabwe even made it clear that British land would be taken, if reparations were not paid. Ever since 2000, Zimbabwe has been taking back land that was once stolen. 

      Robert Mugabe has worked with political rivals. The 2008 election was close and a run off election followed. Observers claimed there was electoral fraud. The issue was resolved by a power sharing dealing. Morgan Tsvangirai  of the Movement for Democracy Party was Mugabe's challenger. Violence broke out between ZANU-PF and MDC supporters. This almost seem to parallel the Dissent's War. The unity government failed to confront national debt, unemployment, and public health issues such as AIDS. The US and UK wanted Tsvangirai  to win, because it was believed that he would be compliant with their policies in Africa. The unity government did not provide stability or contribute to people's needs. The 2013 elections resulted in Mugabe getting 61% of the vote. Morgan Tsvangirai claimed that there was widespread electoral fraud. However, African Union observers declared the election free and fair. Mugabe received congratulations on his presidential victory from numerous African leaders. 

The power sharing deal kept temporary calm in Zimbabwe. 

It appears that a majority of the population favor ZANU-PF and Mugabe. He still has much respect on the African continent, because of his contributions to anti-colonial struggle. Robert Mugabe comes from a generation of African leaders, who wanted to see their nations gain full sovereignty. These liberation fighters wanted to see their countries free and not be in a subordinate position. Western observers criticize Mugabe's government as being corrupt and authoritarian. While there are cases of abuses, other African leaders are worse. Omar Al-Bashir, Idris Deby, and Yoweri Museveni are stern autocrats and the suggestion of unity governments would not happen in their countries. Mugabe was willing to experiment with a power sharing deal. Robert Mugabe has even stated that Zimbabwe has a corruption problem and compared it to Nigeria. A large bureaucracy contaminated with a system of patronage makes corruption grow. The unity government with the MDC demonstrates that Robert Mugabe is not as authoritarian as he is thought to be.  

      Robert Mugabe is now 91 years of age and has no clear successor. The removal of Joyce Mujuru represents a clear development of political factionalism within ZANU-PF. It has been theorized by analysts that a post-Mugabe Zimbabwe could fall victim to a military coup, civil war, or a return to Western domination. The targeting of Joyce Mujuru could be a plot by Grace Mugabe, who probably has her eyes set on the presidency. Mugabe's wife is concerned about her future when President Mugabe no longer holds office. The possibility of being imprisoned, exiled, or executed could happen to Grace Mugabe. That is why she turned against Mujuru. For now, the country faces threats from the West with sanctions and a desire for regime change. The economic situation could worsen, seeing as China is currently facing a downturn. This will effect countries in Africa who are economically close to China. Robert Mugabe realized he made a mistake by embracing free market reforms. There is an attempt to revive some of the socialist policies of ZANU-PF. At first Robert Mugabe was pursuing a policy of reconciliation with the white minority in Zimbabwe. This was a major error and many still want to maintain white supremacy and all the resources. Land seizures were a way to rectify injustices of the past and initiate a policy of land reform. This only created hostility from the US and UK who want to gain access to Zimbabwe's natural resources and internal market. Robert Mugabe is now serving as head of the African Union  and the political situation has changed. The US-UK block is more unpopular now than ever and a skilled politician is challenging their geopolitical designs. President Mugabe is one of the few leaders on the continent that still believes in Pan-Africanism. This is a terrifying though for the West, because a united Africa could challenge neo-colonial domination. Mugabe's legacy will certainly be remembered as one that confronted Western belligerence.    

   

References 

Arnold, Guy. Africa A Modern History. London :Atlantic Books,2005. 

Appiah, Anthony, and Henry Louis Gates. "Robert Mugabe." Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience. New York: Basic Civitas, 1999. 1357-58.

DZIRUTWE, MACDONALD. "Mugabe Banks on China for Zimbabwe's Economic Revival." Reuters UK. N.p., 25 Aug. 2015. Web. 26 Oct. 2015. <http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/08/25/uk-zimbabwe-politics-mugabe-idUKKCN0QU23H20150825>.

Biography.com Editors. "Robert Mugabe." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, 6 Oct. 2011. Web. 28 Oct. 2015. <http://www.biography.com/people/robert-mugabe-9417391>.