Zimbabwe

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Zimbabwe
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Country Profile

• Population 12.9 million
• Life expectancy 34 years (men), 33 years (women)
  
• Main exports Tobacco, cotton, agricultural
  products, gold, minerals

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Task

• Can you think of any tourist attractions in
  Zimbabwe?
• Zimbabwe is home to the Victoria Falls, regarded
  as one of the natural wonders of the world

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leadership

• Prime Minister Robert Mugabe helped end white
  rule in Rhodesia
• he has dominated Zimbabwe's politics since 1980

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leadership

• Mr Mugabe was declared the winner of the 2002
  presidential elections but they were considered
  to be seriously flawed.
• All broadcasters transmitting from Zimbabwe and
  the main newspapers are controlled by the
  government
• Recently he has faced challenges to his
  authority, in the form of people protesting

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Task

• Why do you think all the newspapers and TV are
  controlled by the government?
• What can people do to protest in the UK?
• What do you think could happen to people in
  Zimbabwe who protest?

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Land reform

• Zimbabwe's white farmers owned much of the
  country's best agricultural land
• This was from the time when Zimbabwe was
  controlled by Britain

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Land reform

• Giving the land back to Black farmers has caused
  many problems as the whites demanded compensation
• Also dividing farms into plots has caused food
  shortages and famine

• White farmers have been forced off their land and
  the crops they planted has withered in the
  ground.
• Black people now have no food, no work and no
  money.

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"Operation Murambatsvina, Drive out rubbish"

• Mugabe argues this was needed to "restore sanity"
  to Zimbabwe's cities
• which he said had become overrun with criminals.

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"Operation Murambatsvina, Drive out rubbish"

• Critics argue the government wants people to go
  to rural areas, where they can be controlled more
  easily.
• He does not want mass demonstrations capable of
  toppling the government

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What is happening?

• The homes of some 1 million Zimbabwean city
  dwellers have been demolished
• Police have been moving from area to area, in
  some cases forcing people to knock down their own
  homes

Some children left school after their homes were
demolished
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What is happening?

• Thousands of desperate Zimbabweans are living on
  the streets, others have gone back to their rural
  homes
• Churches have become a refuge but priests are
  warned not to help

13
What is happening?

• The UN World Food Programme estimates that more
  than six million people will need food aid in the
  coming year
• However agencies are prevented from helping by
  Mugabe

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Task

• gather information concerning the current
  situation in Zimbabwe
• summarize the information
• create a report based on the information you have
  gathered