On November 14th 2017, Zimbabwe military troops drove tanks into the capital city, Harare. They patrolled the streets, blocked access to government buildings, and took over the state television station to insist…. This is not a military takeover of government.
Once praised as a war hero, Robert Mugabe helped Zimbabwe win independence from Great Britain in 1980. He became president under Zimbabwe’s new constitution with the support of the people. But soon, he digressed into a repressive dictator. He secured his power through aggression and threats, there have been reports of state-sponsored torture and killings. And even though Zimbabwe is technically a democracy, there’s evidence Mugabe rigged elections in his favor.
Now that Mugabe is 93 years old, and reportedly in poor health, the fight for political influence is more important than ever. And it’s caused a split in Mugabe’s own party, the ZANU-PF. On one side we have the old guard lead by Mugabe’s sacked vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa. Like Mugabe, he fought for Zimbabwe’s independence and has a checkered past that includes human rights abuses against political opponents and ethnic minorities.
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