Zimbabwe: From Ian Douglas Smith to Robert Mugabe.

The British colony of Rhodesia gained its independence in 1980 and became the Republic of Zimbabwe. This country started with great promise but has been put through major economic and political problems due to flawed policies executed by Ian Smith, the last leader of Rhodesia and most importantly, Robert Mugabe who has lead Zimbabwe since independence. Zimbabwe used to be one of the most prosperous nations in Sub-Saharan Africa with an economy based upon agriculture. Indeed, …

…issue much earlier. Both leaders share a basic misconception about power. They must realize that a government cannot survive indefinitely when it advances the political and economic desires of the few at the expense of the many. This misconception of power has led to the current tragedy of the country. My thesis is that the leadership of Ian Smith and Robert Mugabe have directly led to the tragedy and misery inside of Rhodesia and Zimbabwe.