Zimbabwe: The Fall of a Country After It Gains Independence

Zimbabwe: The Fall of A Country After It Gains Independence

Tina Hartman

11/6/2011

Zimbabwe is a country that took some time to gain independence. When it did it was known as the “breadbasket” of Africa until political discord and disease, as well as natural disasters have affected the prosperity and future of this nation.

Tina Hartman

Prof Aimee Pellet

World Geography

November 6, 2011

Zimbabwe: The Fall of A Country After It Gains Independence

Zimbabwe is a country that did not gain its independence until April 18, 1980 from the British. Robert Mugabe is elected to be the Prime Minister who was one of the leading forces in the Zanu party. Mugabe names Joshua Nkomo the Zapu leader to his cabinet, but later in 1982, terminates him giving the reason why that he was preparing to overthrow the government. The government is accused of killing thousands of civilians for the next several years. In 1987 Mugabe and Nkomo merge and form the Zanu-PF party ending the violence, but Mugabe changes the constitution so that he becomes the president of Zimbabwe. The political actions that President Mugabe has taken since coming into power, as well as the natural disasters such as desertification, changing climate, food shortages and power shortages and the hasty spread of disease, especially HIV/AIDS has devastated a country that looked as though it would highly lucrative upon its independence.

When Zimbabwe first gained independence the country was making improvements in the social structure by expanding the education and social sector of the country. Mugabe at first reached out to the white minority and his political rivals which helped the economic sector of the country. “It was amongst the top four more industrialized countries in Sub-Saharan Africa; it possessed a more diversified economy than most countries; and it had a better human resource base than most; and it had a middle-income status.” (1) Zimbabwe was a major agricultural exporter in Africa. They exported beef, coffee, tea, sugar, fruits, vegetables (especially corn), tobacco and flowers which came from the majority of white-owned farms. They also exported coal, gold, platinum, granite, nickel and power which aided their industrial industries and employment of the people of the country. They also have an abundant processing industry where 50% of what they processed was agricultural. The other industrial processing plants process metal, steel, textiles, chemicals, and oil. There is however shortages in agriculture, oil and gas currently since Mugabe took the office of President of Zimbabwe.

In 2000