'I do not want to be overthrown and I will try to overthrow those who
want to overthrow me,'[1] 'strike
fear in the hearts of the white man, our real enemy.'[2]
Robert Mugabe
Mugabe had come a long way from the Catholic school boy to
the revolutionary leader and finally in 1980, at the age of 56, he had ascended
to power and had help bring independence. Following his convincing election
win, Mugabe appeared the new hero of Africa, but this too was to change. Soon
the reasonable and conciliatory Mugabe became a ruthless dictator. On several
occasions Mugabe appears to have relented on some of his most principle ideals.
The most obvious of these was his desire
to become a one party state which incorporated his party's brutal destruction
of dissidents.
After being elected Mugabe spoke of being unified and how
his party, Zanu-PF, would 'ensure there is a place for everyone in this country.'[3]
Evidently a place for everyone equated to merely Zanu-PF supporters. By 1987 Mugabe
had undone the previous parliamentary system and Zimbabwe had become a one-party
state. Mugabe had transformed into a 'kleptocratic ruler, hard to control and harder
to oust'.[4] As
a 76 year old, by the year 2000, Zimbabwe was on the brink of total economic failure
(which has worsened in the last decade), Mugabe instigated a campaign of terror
against the white community and anyone who supported it, of which land distribution
was at the forefront. By June 2000, 3,270 white settlements were put up for redistribution
out of a total of 4,500.[5] Unemployment
was at an all time high of 50% with thousands of black workers unemployed and another
400,000 people's jobs jeopardised.[6] Mugabe's
dictatorship is also characterised by his complete disregard for due process and
disrespect for court orders. The Supreme Court of Zimbabwe ruled the land redistribution
to be illegal without proper compensation but Mugabe was unperturbed; 'The courts
can do whatever they want, but no judicial decision will stand in our way.'[7]
Unbeknownst to many, even within Zanu-PF, Mugabe established
a private army. The Fifth Brigade as it was called, was initiated with the
recruitment of 106 North Korean soldiers, secretly arriving in Zimbabwe. [8] This
clandestine army was to unleash horrors on the population of Matabeland. Suppressing
the Matabeleland uprisings displayed Mugabe's willingness to violently crush
opposition. His intention to create a one party state highlighted his
desire for absolute power, which is not in keeping with his apparent socialist
ideals and philosophy. His failure to deliver election promises, most notably
the land distribution; only a limited amount of land was redistributed and when
this did occur it was usually to Zanu-PF officials. As early as 1985 Mugabe
demonstrated his inclination to undermine the electoral system, including
controlling the media, vote-fixing, intimidation of opponents and inciting
violent racial behaviour. Even the establishment of an army, outside of the
official armed forces demonstrates a lack of support in the country's defence
force and even more alarming, highlights Mugabe's tendency to fulfil private
desires with his mandated power.
Conclusion
Whatever good ideals help bring Robert Mugabe to the forefront
of the revolutionary movement and the nationalist struggle were soon forgotten when
this once proud peaceful revolutionary found the attraction of power to strong and
transformed into a despot. The once flourishing nation has become a bankrupt and
impoverished state. Through close examination of Mugabe's life, one can identify
the changes Mugabe has gone through and can witness the unfortunate and extremely
damaging effects these have had on Zimbabwe.
Bibliography Blair, D, Degrees in Violence Robert Mugabe and the Struggle
for Power in Zimbabwe, Continuum, London, 2003. Martin, D, & Johnson, P,
The Sruggle for Zimbabwe: The Chimurenga War Meredith, M, Power, Plunder, and the Struggle for
Zimbabwe, PublicAffairs, New York, 2007, p. 22. New York Times, December 15, 2000, p. A8. Nkomo, J. Story
of my Life, Methuen, London, Norman, A Robert Mugabe and the betrayal of Zimbabwe,
McFarland & Company, Inc, 2004, p. 59. Ranger, T, Peasant Consciousness and Guerilla War in Zimbabwe,
James Currey, London, 1985, p.20. Russell, A Big Men Little People, New York University
Press, New York, 2000, p. 294 Schwab, P Civil Wars, Wars, and Political Collapse,
Africa: A Continent Self Destructs, (2001) p. 51.