Robert mugabes biography
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Obituary: Robert Mugabe – 1924-2019, a liberator turned oppressor
Robert Mugabe, who led Zimbabwe for almost four decades, has died aged 95, leaving behind an indelible stain on his country’s human rights record, said Amnesty International.
While casting himself as the saviour of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe inflicted lasting damage upon its people and its reputation
Muleya Mwananyanda, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Southern Africa
His early years as leader of Zimbabwe, following the transition from British colonial rule, saw some notable achievements through his heavy investment in social services. Areas including health and education saw dramatic improvements, with the country still enjoying one of the highest literacy rates in Africa. However, he later eroded his own track record.
During his 37 years in power, he presided over the brutal repression of political opponents and established a culture of impunity for himself and his cronies, while his gover
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Robert Gabriel Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe was born on 21 February 1924, in Katama, a Jesuit mission station in the Zimbambe district, about 60km from Harare. He was the son of Gabriel Matibili, a migrant worker from Nyasaland (Malawi) who had been trained as a carpenter by the Jesuits. His mother, Bona, belonged to the Shona ethnic group and taught Christian catechism to village children at the Jesuit mission. Mugabe had five siblings namely: Raphael, Michael (Miteri), Donald (Dhonadhe), Sabina and Bridgette. Around 1930, after the expulsion from the mission by the Jesuits, Mugabe’s family settled in a village about seven miles away, but Robert and siblings were allowed to continue with their education. Around the same time, Robert’s oldest brother, Raphael died of suspected diarrhoea. A few years later in 1934, Robert’s much-loved older brother, Michael, died at the age of 15. It is suspected that he died after using an insecticide container to drink water. The death greatly a
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Robert Mugabe
(1924-2019)
Who Was Robert Mugabe?
Robert Mugabe was born on February 21, 1924, in Kutama, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). In 1963, he founded ZANU, a resistance movement against British colonial rule. Mugabe became prime minister of the new Republic of Zimbabwe after British rule ended in 1980, and he assumed the role of president seven years later. Mugabe retained a strong grip on power, through controversial elections, until he was forced to resign in November 2017, at age 93.
Early Years and Education
Robert Gabriel Mugabe was born on February 21, 1924, in Kutama, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), just months after Southern Rhodesia had become a British Crown colony. As a result, the people of his village were oppressed bygd new laws and faced limitations to their education and job opportunities.
Mugabe's father was a carpenter. He went to work at a Jesuit mission in South Africa when Mugabe was just a boy, and mysteriously never came home. Mugabe's mothe