(Baonghean.vn) - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was a straightforward, highly educated politician, but he also caused considerable controversy during his record-breaking term in power.
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| Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was born on February 21, 1924, in Kutama, Zimbabwe. He was a highly educated man, having attended several universities, including Fort Hare University, the University of London, and the University of South Africa. |
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| Robert Mugabe rose to prominence in the 1960s as the leader of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) in the guerrilla war against the ruling white minority in Rhodesia (1964–1979). |
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| He served as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 1987 and as the first President of the Executive Branch from 1987. On December 31, 1987, Robert Mugabe officially became President of Zimbabwe and was hailed by Africans as a hero of the independence struggle. |
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| Undeniably, Mugabe was a straightforward and highly educated politician, but he also generated considerable controversy during his 37-year reign. |
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| During his leadership, Zimbabwe was one of the poorest countries in the world, with record-high inflation reaching 500% in 2008. Specifically, under Mugabe, Zimbabwe's inflation reached 11 million percent, and its AIDS rate was among the highest in Africa, while its life expectancy was among the lowest in the world. |
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| Mugabe's policies, including the seizure and redistribution of farms formerly owned by white people, dragged one of Africa's most promising economies into a deep recession that lasted nearly a decade. |
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| Zimbabwe was once one of Africa's most coveted destinations, boasting abundant resources, a thriving agricultural sector, and a large workforce. However, Mugabe nearly depleted all of this after 37 years of rule. |
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| Nevertheless, in 2016, Mugabe still planned to run for another term in the 2018 election, despite being 94 years old. |
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| But that intention may not be realized as today (November 15), the Zimbabwean army seized control of the capital Harare and placed the president under house arrest, putting Mugabe at risk of having to resign. |
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