Biography of Zimbabwe Late President Robert Mugabe

Nawal Sayed

Zimbabwe’s ex-President Robert Mugabe died at the age of 95 nearly two years after he had stepped down. The country's first post-independent leader remained in office for 37 years.

"It is with the utmost sadness that I announce the passing on of Zimbabwe's founding father and former President, Cde Robert Mugabe," Mnangagwa posted on Twitter early on Friday.

[caption id="attachment_76675" align="aligncenter" width="752"] Tweet of President of Zimbabwe[/caption]

Let’s take a look at his personal and career lives;

Who was Robert Mugabe?

He was born on 21 February 1924 in what was then Rhodesia - a British colony, run by its white minority.

Mugabe was described as a loner and a studious child, known to carry a book even while tending cattle in the bush.

After his carpenter father left the family when he was 10, the young Mugabe concentrated on his studies, qualifying as a schoolteacher at the age of 17.

An intellectual, he enrolled at Fort Hare University in South Africa, meeting many of Southern Africa's future nationalist leaders.

After teaching in Ghana, where he was influenced by its founder, President Kwame Nkrumah, Mugabe returned to what was then Rhodesia, where he was imprisoned for his nationalist activities in 1964 and spent the next 10 years in prison camps or jail.

In 1973, while still in prison, he was chosen as president of the Zimbabwe African National Union (Zanu), of which he was a founding member.

Following his release, he headed to Mozambique, from where he directed guerrilla raids into Rhodesia. But he was also seen as a skilled negotiator.

Political agreements to end the crisis resulted in the new independent Republic of Zimbabwe.

With his high profile in the independence movement, Mugabe secured an overwhelming victory in the republic's first election.

From Nationalist to Problem-Maker

In 2000, he faced first serious political opposition. He seized white-owned farms to resettle black farmers. Therefore, he caused economic disruption but succeeded to increase his popularity among supporters.

In 2008, he lost the first round of the presidential election.

In 2009, he was forced into sharing power amid economic collapse. Rival Morgan Tsvangirai was installed as prime minister.

[caption id="attachment_76681" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe is kissed by his wife Grace at his 80th birthday party in his home area of Zvimba, 80kms west of Harare February 21, 2004. REUTERS/Howard Burditt/File Photo[/caption]