Zimbabwe Now
After Zimbabwe was founded in 1980, many things have darkened Zimbabwe's record. After winning independence, Mugabe's Zimbabwe found itself in a good position, with a reasonable economy among other achievements. However, in 1984 members of the ZAPU front and of Ndebele descent began to resist government rule in a province of Zimbabwe called Matabeleland.
The government responded harshly to this, and wound up massacring the people of Matabeleland using specialized units the government had trained in North Korea (called Gukurahundi) for the Malayan Crisis and Rhodesian Bush War. Many people were killed, and showed the people of Zimbabwe that suicide could easily be achieved by speaking out against the government (Quite ironic, considering Matabeleland was the site where the last independent kingdom of Zimbabwe fell to Britain.) Remaining Europeans were reminded quite forcefully to leave the country or face certain consequences. Mugabe also ensured his party's control by firing Joshua Nkomo, head of ZAPU from the Zimbabwean Cabinet and winning 67% of the seats in the Zimbabwean government. Next in line to dissent were the army defectors that disagreed with the massacres in 1983-4. They, too, were taken down.
Entering the 1990's, Mugabe won elections yet again with 177/120 votes. However, voter turnout was only 54% and observers of the election cited the election as "neither free nor fair." Mugabe then attempted to try to adjust the very constitution of Zimbabwe to ensure that only he could rule for the rest of his life, but that failed. In retaliation Mugabe activated corporal and capital punishment and lowered health care spending. At that point, 25% of Zimbabwe had HIV-AIDS. Exactly what the country needed. In 1990, students protested government involvement in universities. In 1991, the police went against the students and the government decided to get involved in student's education. In 1992, trade unions were ordered that they could not go against the word of the government and could not protest against that. In 1994, the unions did and the entire economy of Zimbabwe failed because of it.
Soon after that, the doctors, nurses, and medical workers who had their jobs cut in 1990 struck against the government. And then, in 1997 a massive strike against the government was led by people of all backgrounds, including ZANLA (Zimbabwe African Liberation Army) forces who had been rejected by the government after the Rhodesian Bush War. This undid the fabric that unified Zimbabwe in 1980. Mugabe promised that he would pay the dissatisfied soldiers, but from where? His economy had failed due to the unrest of 1994. He was without a strong national identity, without any money, public services, anything. And the people affected by this soon had to live with more of a focus on subsistence. Of another issue was the fact that whites still owned much of the land in Zimbabwe, even though Mugabe had promised that he would drive them out. And so he did. The white landowners were driven out by what Mugabe called "youth armies" and "war veterans." The police and military were instructed not to stop them as they essentially burned down the farms. Unfortunately, since the white landowners were gone and the fields now not arable (they had nobody to care for them; Zimbabweans found it hard to get a job at the time,) there was no more food. As Wikipedia quotes:
At present almost no arable land is in the possession of white farmers; the country has also experienced a debilitating food shortage with the exodus of its White minority, turning the "breadbasket of Africa" into one of Africa's most food insecure states.
If Mugabe hadn't been in power and even if white landowners had fled, there would still be open job markets for black Zimbabweans to fill. But, because of the unrest in 1994, no jobs were open. Finally, in 1999, a new party arrived led by Morgan Tsvangirai. The Movement for Democratic Change established itself as an alternative to Mugabe's rule. This movement helped to fight against a bill that granted government officials immunity from prosecution and allowed Mugabe to have permanent rule for two terms. Then, the elections of 2000 granted the MDC 57 out of 120 government seats even though the elections were marred by regional violence and government dissent. Some Zimbabweans believed that this was the start of a new Zimbabwe.
They were wrong. In the presidential elections of 2002, ZANU-PF used military violence and economic cuts to silence the MDC voters. ZANU-PF won, leaving voters wondering if their country would ever change. In 2003, Tsvangirai was caught talking about shutting down the Mugabe regime, and he was sent to prison for treason. And then the supporters of him decided to invade government headquarters in the capital, Harare. As a result, Mugabe let out Operation Murambatsvina, a program that claimed to "rid urban areas of offensive content" but actually went against the MDC. Entire sections of towns were burnt down, and 700,000 people were displaced.
Worsening the situation was Zimbabwe's hyperinflation, the 2nd worst in the world at the time. One hundred trillion dollars in Zimbabwe could buy you three eggs. Three. And 300,000 people died each week of HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe at the time. The situation in Zimbabwe just got worse and worse. Eventually, in 2007 the hyperinflation got so bad that Zimbabwe resorted to using foreign currencies instead of its own. The economy of Zimbabwe fell 50 percent in 2007, and all the bakeries and supermarkets in Zimbabwe closed due to a shortage of wheat created in the 1990's. Also in 2007 was a massive cholera and dysentery outbreak in Harare due to a lack of health care and Operation Murambatsvina. Electricity was cut as well in 2007, and the US advised citizens not to travel to Zimbabwe. The teachers that lost their jobs in 1994 caused the education system to plummet, making students have little hope in a future in education. Students that actually came to school found themselves either getting no grades at all or getting excellent grades in classes they didn't take. Students were expelled from dorms at universities, in what many call the government's retaliation to the protests students did... in 1991. In 2008, it would seem obvious that the MDC would win senatorial elections.
They did.
However, they didn't win presidential elections, so Mugabe could just remove the MDC senators whenever he felt like it. Initially Tsvangirai won the presidential election with the help of a third party (47% MDC, 43% ZANU-PF, ~.1%Third Party) but Mugabe called for a second round of elections. Tsvangirai called the elections fraudulent and said that any voters who voted for him would be punished by ZANU-PF. He then fled to New York, while his supporters were beaten (emotionally and physically) in Mutare Province and others. When Tsvangirai came back, he was greeted by Mugabe in Harare and made Prime Minister.
Nothing's changed since then, but elections are this year. 2013.
Will Zimbabwe change for the better, or will it stay the way it has since 1980?
Only the voters will find out.
They did.
However, they didn't win presidential elections, so Mugabe could just remove the MDC senators whenever he felt like it. Initially Tsvangirai won the presidential election with the help of a third party (47% MDC, 43% ZANU-PF, ~.1%Third Party) but Mugabe called for a second round of elections. Tsvangirai called the elections fraudulent and said that any voters who voted for him would be punished by ZANU-PF. He then fled to New York, while his supporters were beaten (emotionally and physically) in Mutare Province and others. When Tsvangirai came back, he was greeted by Mugabe in Harare and made Prime Minister.
Nothing's changed since then, but elections are this year. 2013.
Will Zimbabwe change for the better, or will it stay the way it has since 1980?
Only the voters will find out.