Former Zimbabwe President Mugabe Dies At 95

The death has been announced of Zimbabwe’s founding President, Robert Mugabe. The announcement was made by Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa this morning.
Mugabe who ruled Zimbabwe from its independence in 1980 until he was ousted in 2017, died in Singapore as contained in President Mnangagwa’s statement on Twitter.
He wrote on Twitter: “It is with the utmost sadness that I announce the passing on of Zimbabwe’s founding father and former President, Cde Robert Mugabe.

“Cde Mugabe was an icon of liberation, a pan-Africanist who dedicated his life to the emancipation and empowerment of his people. His contribution to the history of our nation and continent will never be forgotten. May his soul rest in eternal peace.”

Mr Mugabe, born 21 February 1924, was a communist and nationalist revolutionary.
In the 1970s he led a guerrilla campaign against the minority white government in what was then known as Rhodesia. That was the beginning of his political career.
In 1979, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher announced that the UK would officially recognize Rhodesia’s independence if it moved to democratic majority rule.

The Young Robert Mugabe

Mugabe was elected Prime Minister the following year when his ZANU-PF secured 63 per cent of the national vote.
He clung to power by crushing opposition through constitutional changes and cracking down on dissent with state force. He presided over forces that carried out a string of massacres in opposition strongholds, and the country’s Fifth Brigade is believed to have killed up to 20,000 people, mostly supporters of Mugabe’s main political rival.
To further solidify his hold on power, Mugabe abolished the Office of Prime Minister to appoint himself President of Zimbabwe in 1987.
During his lifetime, Mugabe married Grace, his former secretary who he began an affair with in 1987 while he was still with his first wife Sally (nee Hayfron).
Despite the 41 year age gap between the couple, they had a daughter Bona, born in 1988, son Robert, born in 1990, and youngest son Bellarmine, born in 1997.
In 1992, Mugabe’s wife Sally died. Four years later, Mugabe and Grace were officially married.
The Mugabe family are known for displaying their lavish lifestyle on social media, with Grace and her children often seen wearing designer clothes. This drew the ire of the public because they did this even while the country was in economic ruins.
The former Zimbabwe strongman repeatedly rebuffed calls on him to step down in spite of the numerous sanctions placed on him by foreign powers. He however succumbed to a coup in 2017. He has remained largely private ever since.
According to CNN, rumors had swirled around the health of the ex-president, who spent months in a hospital in Singapore earlier this year. Details of what ailed him were a closely guarded secret.

Source: NAN

2 thoughts on “Former Zimbabwe President Mugabe Dies At 95

  • September 6, 2019 at 8:20 am
    Permalink

    He was a Lion. RIP

    Reply
  • September 6, 2019 at 8:20 am
    Permalink

    Mugabe was a Lion. RIP

    Reply

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