Robert Mugabe

About Robert Mugabe

The Zimbabwean leader who fought for independence but then destroyed his countrys economy. Mugabe was a hero of the liberation war against white minority rule. As president, he initially pursued reconciliation but became increasingly authoritarian. His seizure of white owned farms from 2000 destroyed the agricultural economy, causing hyperinflation reaching 79.6 billion percent. Mugabe ruled for 37 years before being ousted in a 2017 military coup. He died in 2019 in Singapore. Mugabes transformation from liberation hero to economic destroyer is one of Africas great tragedies.