The following are key dates in President Robert Mugabe ’s 37 - year rule , one of the longest on the African continent.
April 18, 1980: Rhodesia gains independence after 90 years as a British colony, taking new name Zimbabwe . The 1972- 1979 war of independence between nationalist blacks and the minority white regime led by Ian Smith has left 27 , 000 dead.
Robert Mugabe , head of the Zimbabwe African National Union , takes power as prime minister . Joshua Nkomo , head of the Zimbabwe African Peoples Union , Mugabe ’s partner in the armed struggle , becomes interior minister.
February 17, 1982: Nkomo , accused of plotting a coup, is dismissed . Armed resistance in his stronghold of Matabeleland is met with bloody government repression . At least 20 , 000 die .
December 30, 1987: Mugabe becomes head of state after reforming the constitution to usher in a presidential regime. Two years later rival movements merge to become the Zimbabwe African National Union -Patriotic Front.
White farms seized
February , 2000: Start of a violent campaign of seizure of white farms by squatters and pro -Mugabe war veterans. More than 4 , 000 of the 4 , 500 white farmers are stripped of their land , with the support of the regime, with the official goal of correcting inequalities dating back to the colonial era .
Mugabe hangs on
March 2002: Mugabe is re -elected president in a poll marred by violence and widely denounced as rigged . Western sanctions are imposed.
March, 2008: ZANU- PF is defeated by tMorgan Tsvangirai ’s Movement for Democratic Change in parliamentary polls . Tsvangirai wins the first - round presidential vote , but withdraws from the second round, citing violence against his supporters .
Mugabe is inaugurated for a new term .
August 2013: Mugabe is declared re-elected in July 31 elections with 61 percent of the vote , against Tsvangirai’ s 34 percent . Tsvangirai describes the election as a “huge farce” and “ null and void ” . The EU , however , starts normalising relations with Zimbabwe , lifting most of its sanctions .
Purge
December 6 , 2014: Mugabe names his 49-year - old wife Grace as head of the ruling ZANU- PF party ’ s women’ s wing. He then seeks to quell infighting over his successor by purging his foes .
April 14, 2016: MDC gathers more than 2 , 000 demonstrators in Harare in the biggest march organised for a decade against Mugabe .
September 24, 2017: Activist pastor Evan Mawarire is arrested after he posts a video bemoaning the country ’ s worsening economic troubles.
November 6 : Mugabe fires Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa , long considered his probable successor, who has close ties to the military and the powerful independence war veterans. He flees the country .
November 13: Army chief General Constantino Chiwenga demands a “stop ” to purges and warns the military could intervene .
November 14: Several tanks are seen by witnesses moving near Harare .
November 15: Military announces that Mugabe “ and his family are safe and sound. ” Declares it is only “ targeting criminals around him who are committing crimes” and insists this is not a military takeover . Military vehicles block road outside parliament and are deployed near ZANU- PF offices .
( AFP )
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