Mugabe Maintains Power in Zimbabwe

09/05/2013

President Robert Mugabe is inaugurated for a seventh time.

Hello, and welcome back for another edition of As It Is for the first Thursday in September. I’m Jim Tedder in Washington. Today, we focus on Zimbabwe’s leader, Robert Mugabe. What is his history? What has he done well, and not so well, as he has led his nation for over three decades?

And then, some surprising information from the World Health Organization about food and African children. It seems that far too many young people weigh too much, not too little as you might expect. So let’s get started and travel to a country of 13 million people in the southern part of Africa.

Robert Mugabe has led Zimbabwe for 33 years. He recently was sworn-in as the country’s president for a seventh time. Mr. Mugabe won re-election on July 31st with 61 percent of the votes. But many people say the election may have been dishonest. Months before the voting, he said, “My people need me.”

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change party boycotted the swearing-in ceremony earlier this month. At the event, President Mugabe promised to serve Zimbabwe for another five years. That means he will be in office until he is 94 years of age. And, he plans to seek re-election after that. Mr. Mugabe once said he would serve until age 100.

He is the only leader that Zimbabwe has known since it officially gained independence from Britain in 1980. At first, he held the position of prime minister.