Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe, 1980 to today. Draft, not yet reviewed
In 1965, the white minority government unilaterally declared independence as Rhodesia. The state endured international isolation and a 15-year guerrilla war with black rebel forces; this culminated in a peace agreement that established de jure sovereignty as Zimbabwe in April 1980. In 2017, in the wake of over a year of protests against his government as well as Zimbabwe's rapidly declining economy, a coup d'état resulted in Mugabe's resignation. Emmerson Mnangagwa has since served as Zimbabwe's president.
Seat of power: Harare
Rulers
Canaan Banana
President of Zimbabwe, 1980–1987
He served as the first President of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 1987. He was Zimbabwe's first head of state, a ceremonial president, after the Lancaster House Agreement that led to the country's independence. In 1987, he stepped down as president and was succeeded by Prime Minister Robert Mugabe, who became the country's executive president.
Robert Mugabe
President of Zimbabwe, 1987–2017
He served as the country's first Prime Minister from 1980 to 1987 and as its second President from 1987 to 2017. Mugabe's administration expanded healthcare and education and, despite his professed desire for a socialist society, adhered largely to mainstream economic policies. In the Gukurahundi of 1982-1987, Mugabe's 5th Brigade crushed ZAPU-linked opposition in Matabeleland in a campaign that killed at least 20,000 people.
Portrait of Robert Mugabe: Government of Zimbabwe, taken by Joseph Nyadzayo as Presidential Photographer, Public domain, file
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Emmerson Mnangagwa
President of Zimbabwe, 2017 to today
He has served as the president of Zimbabwe since 2017. He was Mugabe's first vice-president from 2014 until 2017. Mnangagwa was re-elected in the 2023 Zimbabwean general election with 52.6% of the vote.
Portrait of Emmerson Mnangagwa: Mqondisi Dube / VOA, Public domain, file
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Phelekezela Mphoko
President of Zimbabwe, 2017–2017
He served as Second Vice-President of Zimbabwe from 2014 until 2017. Legally, Mphoko was the acting President of Zimbabwe from 21 to 24 November 2017, however, as he was not in the country at the time, his official standing on this is unclear.
Portrait of Phelekezela Mphoko: Voice of America, Public domain, file
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Culture
- Zimbabwe has 16 official languages, with English, Shona, and Ndebele the most common.
- Zimbabwe is a member of the United Nations, the Southern African Development Community, the African Union, and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.
- Since the mid-20th century, the site has been a major tourist destination.
Picture
Victoria Falls is a waterfall on the Zambezi River, located on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Image: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.