Zimbabwe: Life After President Robert Mugabe

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – In early November 2017, Robert Mugabe was removed from power in what was effectively a bloodless coup. My wife, children and I joined a million people on the streets of Harare in a celebration of pent up joy and elation, the likes of which I can only imagine were equalled by the fall of the Berlin Wall. People were laughing, dancing, running in circles, waving pictures of the army generals who had removed Mugabe, hugging one another and literally crying with relief. It was a wonderful moment of unity, where all races and ages came together to rejoice at liberation from the absolute circus which had become life in Zimbabwe under Mugabe. What was extraordinary, to my mind, was that no one was hurt or beaten, there were no windows broken, and even late into the night the bemused soldiers who were the recipients of much affection and quite a few beers, smilingly turned the revellers away from the streets leading to State House – the official residence of the president. It was a remarkable thing to have been part of, and showed, more than anything, the character of the people and their desire for change.

It wasn’t always that way
After fighting a brutal civil war in the 1970’s, Zimbabwe achieved its independence in 1980. At independence the Zimbabwe Dollar was stronger than the US Dollar, trading at one Zimbabwe Dollar to $1.47 US. For a while things went smoothly, at least on the surface. Mugabe buried the hatchet with his former Rhodesian adversaries, although he and his ZANU leadership were ruthless in dealing with the perceived threat posed by the largely Matabele ZAPU faction of the independence struggle. What resulted was Gurukuhundi – or the slaughter of tens of thousands of Matabeles, who live in the southern part of the country. One of Mugabe’s lieutenants was a chap named Emmerson Mnangawa – more on him later.

An extract from the INTO AFRICA September Edition: Gauging 2018 Africa’s Outlook. To read full article, please download by clicking: INTO AFRICA PUBLICATION: September  2018 EDITION.

Contributor’s Profile
Edward Galante, Executive Director, Mangwana Capital Zimbabwe. Seasoned entrepreneur with many investment interests and experience in Zimbabwe in various sectors, from property to financial services and agriculture. Ted has had multiple interviews with CNBC and has a lot of experience with the economic and political environment in Zimbabwe.