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Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe passes on
Former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s former President has died in Singapore at the age of 95. Reports indicate that he died of Ill health after more than 4 months of being hospitalised in Singapore.
Mugabe’s 30 year hold onto power made him one of Africa’s longest serving leaders. He led Zimbabwe first as Prime Minister in 1980 to 1987 and thereafter as President between 1987 to November 2017 when he was deposed by Parliament thorough impeachment with assistance from the army.
Mugabe leaves behind a mixed legacy as a Pan-Africanist, freedom fighter who fought white rule and domination in Zimbabwe but also as a despot and corrupt leader whose government committed widespread human rights violations amid self enrichment as his family amassed wealth.
His death in a foreign country adds to the enduring legacy of misrule and state collapse that deprived millions of Zimbabweans access to good health care and other social services.
One of his memorable legacies is the controversial land redistribution policies through which he disposed white farmers of land they had grabbed during colonial days. Although the policy initially caused widespread hunger and general economic collapse, recent reports indicate that land redistribution is beginning to bear fruit.
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