Zimbabwe's former President Robert Mugabe has died in Singapore, aged 95. He had been ousted from power in a military coup in November 2017.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/P. Magakoe
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Mugabe: Independence icon or authoritarian ruler?
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Robert Mugabe, who served as prime minister of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 1987 and then as president from 1987 to 2017, has died at age 95, the current president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, announced on Friday.
Mugabe, who dominated Zimbabwe's politics for nearly 40 years, was a controversial figure whose supporters considered him as a hero who helped free Zimbabwe from British colonialism, but whose detractors accused him of economic mismanagement, corruption and crimes against humanity.
Among other things, he was heavily implicated in a campaign known as Gukurahundi in the 1980s in which an estimated 20,000 dissidents were killed.
His term as presidency ended amid chaos after he was first placed under house arrest by the Zimbabwean army on November 15, 2017, before being sacked as leader of the ZANU-PF party and threatened with impeachment if he did not resign. An announcement that he had resigned was released on November 21, 2017, although Mugabe himself subsequently seemed to deny the fact.
His ouster, which had been preceded by large street demonstrations for his removal, was greeted with celebrations across the country. Many in Zimbabwe were angered by the effects of a rapidly deteriorating economy, widely considered to be related to the seizures of white-owned farms from around 2000. The seizures, which led to Mugabe being shunned by the larger international community, were meant to redistribute land to poor blacks, but it often ended in the hands of Mugabe's relatives and cronies.
Mugabe himself often blamed the economic problems on Western sanctions imposed over the intimidation of his political opponents and repression of press freedom.
The human rights violations, election manipulation and restrictions on the press that were prevalent under Mugabe's rule eventually led to his being subject to travel bans from the US and the EU.
His later disgrace overshadowed the international praise heaped on him in his first years in power, during which he called for racial reconciliation and for improved education and health services for the black majority. The initial euphoria even led to his being knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994, but the honorary knighthood was withdrawn in 2008.
Among the controversies surrounding Mugabe was the often enormous cost of his birthday parties in February each year, estimated in later years at between €453,000 ($500,000) and €906,000. At one such event in 2015, there were reports of elephants, buffalo and other wild animals being slaughtered for the feast.
Robert Mugabe: From hero to despot
Mugabe led the overthrow of Rhodesia's white rulers, instituting a new era for the country. But his 37-year descent into despotism and his economic ruin of the country eventually drove a military coup against him.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/U. Baumgarten
The birth of a political force
Mugabe's political life began in the 1960s with the formation of a radical anti-colonialist movement that fought white minority rule. He joined Joshua Nkomo's National Democratic Party and its fight against white government. He was jailed for 10 years, during which he studied tirelessly. On release, the "thinking man's guerrilla" rose to the top of the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Keystone Pictures USA
Mugabe takes power
After a 15-year war and global sanctions, Mugabe forced Ian Smith's government to negotiate, winning universal suffrage, new elections and independence. He was elected prime minister, initially winning approval for policies of racial reconciliation and improving health and education for the black majority. But within two years, 20,000 people were killed fighting an insurgency from once-ally Nkomo.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/AFP
Land seizures
In 1987, Mugabe gained broad executive powers as president, with a reconciled Nkomo as deputy. He became an international pariah over the 90s for devastating the economy, rigging elections and seizing white farmers' land. His land reform policy, an attempt to placate angry war veterans, wrecked the crucial agricultural sector and foreign investors fled. By 2002, he was sanctioned internationally.
Image: AP
Human rights abuses
In the 2000s, Mugabe became increasingly flagrant with his oppression of Zimbabweans. In 2005, he notoriously started a campaign of destroying slums and "illegal dwellings," directly affecting at least 700,000 people. A huge number of urban and rural poor, who were opposed to Mugabe's rule, were made homeless. The campaign was condemnded by the United Nations.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/EPA
Lavish parties
As his people starved and his country was driven to ruin, Mugabe lived an extravagant life. For his 91st birthday in 2015, Mugabe threw a lavish party, costing a reported $1 million (€900,000), complete with elephant slaughters, called "obscene" by opposition figures. By 2015, his country had completely switched to the US dollar after inflation rates hit 89.7 sextillion percent year-on-year.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/T. Mukwazhi
Military coup
On November 14, 2017, military elements seized control of a public broadcaster and announced Mugabe would be held under house arrest. In the days that followed, people swept the streets to demand the resignation of Mugabe, cheering on the military resistance. First Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa was backed as leader, and he replaced Mugabe a week later.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/B. Khaled
Failing health
After his humiliating fall from power, Mugabe, who once claimed he would rule to the age of 100, quickly deteriorated. By September 2019, he was dying. After ruining his country's once-proud medical system, he was forced to seek treatment in Singapore.
Image: Reuters/S. Sibeko
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Unpopular spouse
The political ambitions of his second wife and former secretary, Grace, who was sometimes called "Gucci Grace" or "disGrace" for her predilection for expensive consumer goods, also played a role in Mugabe's downfall. Her faction within the ruling party eventually lost out to supporters of Mnangagwa, who enjoyed strong ties to the military.
Mugabe had been undergoing treatment in Singapore for an undisclosed illness since April. Mnangagwa said in August that Mugabe had been hospitalized but was recovering. Read more:Activists say 'new Zimbabwe' resembles Robert Mugabe's
Mugabe's wife Grace has been a divisive figureImage: DW/C. S. Mavhunga
International reactions
Leaderships of several countries have sent condolences. to Zimbabwe on the death of Mugabe.
The South African government called Mugabe "a fearless pan-Africanist liberation fighter," while Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta spoke of the deceased former president's "commitment and dedication" to his nation.
"Words cannot the magnitude of the loss as former President Mugabe was an elder statesman, a freedom fighter and a pan-Africanist who played a major role in shaping the interests of the African continent," Kenyatta said in a statement.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry called Mugabe an "outstanding national liberation movement leader and politician" who had promoted "China-Zimbabwe and China-Africa friendship and cooperation."
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa described Mugabe as a "champion of Africa's cause against colonialism" and said Zimbabwe under his rule was an inspiration that "built in us the hope that one day South Africa, too, would be free."
But the United Kingdom, Zimbabwe's former colonial leader, was anything but fulsome in its condolences.
"We express our condolences to those who mourn Robert Mugabe's death. However, Zimbabweans suffered for too long as a result of Mugabe's autocratic rule," the Foreign Office said in a statement, expressing the hope that the country could "continue to be set on a more democratic and prosperous path."
The week that changed Zimbabwe
President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe was removed as the ZANU-PF party's leader after holding the post for 37 years. The party’s youth league, the military and his supporters also withdrew from backing Mugabe.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/B.Curtis
Mnangagwa, Grace Mugabe go head to head
In November 2018, Robert Mugabe dismissed his vice president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, after accusing him of "plotting a coup against the government." Some Zimbabweans feared Mugabe was grooming his wife, Grace Mugabe, to take over in the event of his death.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Njikizana
Chiwenga's warning
On November 13, 2017, General Constantino Chiwenga, commander of Zimbabwe's Defense Force, warned that the army could "step in" to save the country from political tension and economic crisis.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Njikizana
Tanks in Harare
Military and armored vehicles were seen at the outskirts of Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, on November 14, 2017. On the same day, the military also took over the state-run broadcaster ZBC.
Image: Reuters/P. Bulawayo
Mugabe safe in army hands
On November 15, 2017, Major General SB Moyo, the military spokesman, announced on the ZBC that Mugabe and his family were "safe and sound and their security was guaranteed." He said the military was targeting "criminals around" Mugabe who were "committing crimes that are causing social and economic suffering."
Image: Reuters/ZBC
A 'smiling' Mugabe meets Chiwenga
On November 16, 2017, General Constantino Chiwenga, along with other officials, was seen in military uniform meeting President Robert Mugabe (C) at the State House. It was reported that Mugabe was smiling as they both shook hands. However, the leaders of ZANU-PF announced that there was "no going back."
Image: Reuters/Zimpapers/J. Nyadzayo
Mugabe puts in a public appearance
After being placed under house arrest, Mugabe appeared publicly at a university graduation ceremony on November 17, 2017. Here, a military officer adjusts a chair for Mugabe, who is dressed in a blue-and-yellow academic gown, to sit on after arriving to preside over the ceremony. Mugabe, who was reportedly tired, was then caught falling asleep.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/B. Curtis
Zimbabweans call on Mugabe to go
On November 18, 2017, residents of the capital, Harare, held a protest with anti-Mugabe placards demanding the president's resignation. Veterans of the independence war, activists and ruling party leaders called publicly for Mugabe to be forced from office.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/Z. Auntony
Mugabe ousted from ZANU-PF leadership
Zimbabwean War Veterans leader Chris Mutsvangwa (R) arrived at a meeting of the ruling ZANU-PF party in Harare November 19, 2017. After hours of deliberation, the party announced that it had decided to fire Mugabe as leader of the party.
Image: Reuters/P. Bulawayo
Mugabe does not step down
Many expected that after being recalled as ZANU-PF party leader, President Mugabe would use his address to the nation resign with dignity. Zimbabweans were left shocked after the rambling speech made no reference to him stepping down. Mugabe now faces impeachment, with proceedings believed to be starting on Tuesday.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/Str
End of an era
Rather than face impeachment proceedings, Robert Mugabe prompted dancing in the streets of Harare when he resigned on November 22. "My decision to resign is voluntary on my part and arises from my concern for the welfare of the people of Zimbabwe and my desire for a smooth, non-violent transfer of power," the 93-year-old said in a letter.
Image: picture-alliance/AP/T. Mukwazhi
Euphoria in Harare
Supporters of Emmerson Mnangagwa celebrate the end of four decades under Mugabe. Mnangagwa was joined by cheering crowds after he returned to Zimbabwe from exile in neighboring South Africa. He is expected to be sworn in on November 24.
