Historical background

What are the "Zimbabwe ruins"?

What was Rhodesia?

When did Britain recognize Zimbabwe?

Shona people began their rule about AD 1000. They built a city called Zimbabwe /House of Stone in Chishona/. The Zimbabwe Ruins are "one of Africa's greatest mysteries". Zim­babwe was a mini-state based on gold trade with the Arabs. The city ruins lie near Masvingo. They include a tower 9-m high, part of a wall 240-m around and up to 10 m high. The struc­tures were made of huge granite slabs, fitted together without mortar.

Portuguese introduced Christianity in the 1500s. Since the 1800s Zimbabwe /then Rhodesia/ has had a troubled political history. In 1888, the Ndebele granted mineral rights in the area to Cecil Rhodes/1853-1902/, a British financier. By 1893, Rhode's Company occupied most of the region. In 1895, this company named its Territory Rhodesia; The Company crushed black African uprisings in 1896-7. The majority of black Africans was controlled by whites from 1890 to 1979.

In 1897, Britain recognized Southern and Northern Rhodesia as separate territories. In 1922, the white settlers of Southern Rhodesia /now Zimbabwe/ voted for self-government, hi 1964, Northern Rhodesia became an independent nation of Zambia.

On November 11,1965, Prime Minister /1964-5/ Ian Smith /b. 1919/ declared Rhodesia an independent republic. Rhodesia was the first colony to break with Britain without consent since the America colonies did so in 1776.

Britain banned all trade with Rhodesia and the US imposed economic sanctions. The nation's economy was crippled by international trade sanctions. Black nationalists engaged in guerilla warfare against the govern­ment. Fighting broke between government troops-and black guerrillas.

White Rhodesians finally agreed to hand over political power to the blacks. The first black majority government was elected in 1979. Abel Muzorewa became the first black Prime Minister. But many blacks re­jected the new government as unrepresentative. Fighting went on until September 1979 when Britain arranged a peace settlement.

In elections of 1980 the ZANU-PF party won. Robert Mugabe / b.1924/ became Prime Minister. On April 18, 1980, Britain recognized die country's independence. Rhodesia's name was officially changed to Zimbabwe. Many whites have left. Zimbabwe became the member of the UN. In I981, fighting broke out be­tween the National army and guerilla forces of ZAPU. In 1982, Mugabe dismissed ZAPU leader Joshua Nkomo from his Cabinet.

Clashes continued until 1984. Mugabe's party won the 1985 national elections. In 1987 Mugabe be­came executive President. ZANU and ZAPU formerly merged in 1989 under the name of ZANU - PF. In 1990, the voters reelected Mugabe executive president.

Zimbabwe is unable to pay its electricity bills to South Africa, fuel is often critically short, businessmen have stop investing here. The white farmers produce export crops, but hundreds of their farms are now occupied by squatters led by veterans of the independence war. The solution to the violent occupation of white-owned farms was to call on donor countries - notably Britain, to honour old pledges and provide the funds necessary to buy the properties and settle landless blacks on them. Southern African heads of state who met with Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe at Victoria Falls on April 21, 2000, rallied about him on land distribution, but made it clear they were deeply concerned about the stability of the entire region.