Zimbabwe Timeline

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Zimbabwe Timeline

• Monica F.

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Event 1 Settlers Move In (1891)

• British entrepreneur and explorer Cecil Rhodes is
  intent on establishing colonies north of the gold
  fields of Transvaal. He sends the first party of
  colonists in September, settling in the current
  location of Harare and immediately prospect for
  gold. Supported by Rhodes, the British government
  declares the region as their protectorate in
  1891. The population increases quickly to 1,500
  Europeans and continues to expand.

This cartoon depicts Rhodes as a giant, obviously
trying to take over Africa and have it under his
control, hence the strings. http//wikis.lib.ncsu.
edu/images/c/ce/RhodesColossus.jpg
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Event 2 Rhodesia Colony (1923)
The flag of Southern Rhodesia illustrates that
they were still under the control of the British
crown. http//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commo
ns/thumb/a/af/Flag_of_Southern_Rhodesia.svg/800px-
Flag_of_Southern_Rhodesia.svg.png

• Rhodesia, the region that included Zambezi,
  Zimbabwe, and Malawi, becomes a self-governing
  crown colony of Britain on September 12, 1923.
  The colony is quite successful and thriving. The
  initial population was 34,000 Europeans and
  flourished, reaching 222,000 people thirty years
  later.

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Event 3 Self-Governing (1953)

• The British government institutes a compromise
  with the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland in
  1953. The two regions are to become a
  self-governing colony with an assembly and prime
  minister. However, the government completely
  lacked African voice in the political process,
  putting only European settlers in power. The aim
  for the colony was to derive mazimum economic
  benefit from the regions.

This image shows in outline of the colonys
territory in perspective of the current country
borders in that region of Africa.
http//www.zum.de/whkmla/histatlas/southafrica/fed
rhnld.gif
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Event 4 Becoming Zimbabwe (1980)

• After years of civil war and guerilla fighting,
  the election to form an independent nation is
  held in February. Robert Mugabes ZANU party wins
  a large victory over Joshua Nkomo and the ZAPU
  party. The new nation takes the name Zimbabwe.
  Mugabe is named prime minister and appoints Nkomo
  to his cabinet. April 18, 1980 is the
  internationally recognized date of independence.

This is the cover of Zimbabwe news around the
time of the election. Its headline is the people
want Mugabe to rule. http//farm3.static.flickr.co
m/2373/2556085542_7ec089ab0c.jpg
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Event 5 Matabeleland Genocide (1983)

• The genocide is also known as Gukurahundi. The
  Zimbabwean armys 5th Brigade, trained by the
  Korean army, had a mission of forcing the people
  to submit to Mugabes rule and leave them in fear
  of him and his party for generations. Their
  techniques included civilian murder, rape,
  torture and property destruction, all with the
  intention of maximizing terror, grief, pain and
  humiliation. (Another step toward Mugabe becoming
  a dictator.)

Above is the cover of a book written about the
genocide, portraying Mugabe as an evil military
commander. http//www.zanupfpub.com/index2.html
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Event 6 Political Change (1987)

• Robert Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo merge their
  parties and form the Zanu-PF political party.
  Mugabe changes the constitution, cutting out the
  position of prime minister, and becoming
  executive president. Nkomo then becomes his vice
  president, serving until death in 1999. This is
  important because it is one of Mugabes big steps
  toward becoming a dictator.

Featured above is a poster for the Zanu-PF party,
with Nkomos face gracing it. http//polarch.sas.a
c.uk/images/poster_larger_views/patriotic_front.jp
g
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Event 7 Amendments (1991)

• After restrictions on Zimbabwes constitution,
  regarding changes to the document, expired, the
  government amended the constitution. The first
  amendments were enacted in April 1991, restoring
  corporal and capital punishment and also
  prevented compulsory purchases of land by the
  government from going to court. The changes made
  by the government are another step toward
  ultimate power for it and Mugabe.

The cartoon is mocking capital punishment, which
Mugabe made legal and utilized.
http//www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonis
ts/cgo/lowres/cgon18l.jpg
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Event 8 Economic/Military Crisis (1999)
As the graph to the left shows, Zimbabwe
continues to have negative growth rates year
after year. http//farm3.static.flickr.com/2160/1
559125720_221b932bc2.jpg

• The economic crisis in Zimbabwe continues to
  steadily worsen, while the countrys military is
  involved in the Dem. Rep. Of the Congos civil
  war. Zimbabwes participation in the fighting is
  looked down upon internationally. Mugabe
  continues to expend resources on military while
  his countrys population suffers.

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Event 9 Food Shortages/Aid Diminishes (2001)
A shopper walks past empty shelves in a
supermarket in Harare, Zimbabwe. http//static.gui
m.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2007/10/0
1/zim372.jpg

• In July of 2001, Zimbabwes Finance Minister
  Simba Makoni admitted publicly the country was in
  an economic crisis. He revealed that foreign
  reserves dried up and severe food shortages were
  on the horizon. Western donors cut aid because of
  Mugabes tactics and programs.

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Event 10 Land Take-Over (2002)

• Shortly after winning an unfair election, gaining
  6 more years in office, Mugabe institutes a new
  program. He forces white farmers off their lands
  so blacks can inhabit them, enforcing a 45 day
  countdown for the white to evacuate. The program
  was part of a violent take over to regain lands
  that settlers had supposedly stolen from the
  blacks.

The cartoon depicts Mugabe on a tractor, which
symbolizes the farms of the white people, and a
white farmer lays murdered beside him. Mugabe is
asking the dead farmer for helping after having
ruined/taken away his life. http//www.threesource
s.com/archives/Mugabe20Shrugs.bmp
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Event 11 Commonwealth Suspends Zimbabwe (2003)

• The Commonwealth of Nations, a group of African
  and British ruled countries who maintain close
  economic and other ties, suspends Zimbabwe from
  its council meetings for one year after finding
  the countrys elections to be unfair. At the
  mid-term suspension review, the committee decided
  to continue the suspension until the next
  Commonwealth meeting in December. However,
  Zimbabwe is not invited to the meeting and the
  suspension is prolonged. Immediately following,
  Mugabe withdrew Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth.

The map shows, in red, the African countries
involved in the Commonwealth of Nations. Zimbabwe
is the pink area. http//z.about.com/d/africanhis
tory/1/G/O/J/Blog-CommonwealthNations.jpg
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Event 12 Clean Up (2005)

• Tens of thousands of shanty dwellings and
  unpermitted street vending stalls were destroyed
  without notice. The destruction was part of
  Mugabes clean up operation and inflicted by
  3,000 of the police force. Over 700,000 people
  were left homeless and jobless. After the
  incident, the UN Humanitarian Chief declared
  Zimbabwe as being in a state of meltdown.

Both images are of the possessions and homes of
the shanty towns totally destroyed.
www.flickr.com/photos/sokwanele/page36/
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Event 13 Record High Inflation (2006)

• In May of 2006, inflation reached a record high
  of 1,000. New billion dollar notes, with three
  noughts taken from their value, are introduced in
  August. A billionaire in Zimbabwe cannot afford
  to live and buy basic necessities.

The sign the Zimbabwean man is holding shows the
complete irony of the situation.
http//www.ipsnews.net/zimbabwe/pictures/zimbabwe_
elections13.jpg
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Event 14 Mugabe Wins Again (2008)

• In the parliamentary elections, MDC candidate
  Morgan Tsvangirai wins the first round of the
  presidential polls. Mugabe wins the presidential
  run-off election after Tsvangirai backed out days
  before the poll due to his opponent's violent
  intimidation tactics and corruption of the
  election. Mugabe enters his 6th term in office.

The cartoon shows that Mugabe has complete
control over the country and absolute rule,
overturning the democracy. http//www.globalpulsej
ournal.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/080624_
zimbabwe_election.jpg
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Event 15 Total Crisis (2008)

• The government continues to be fragmented and a
  power struggle rages on. Over half the country is
  now dependent on aid from other countries and an
  outbreak of cholera has further worsened
  conditions. A humanitarian crisis is at hand
  Zimbabwe is collapsing.

Above are the conditions that help to spread the
cholera disease. http//cache.daylife.com/imageser
ve/02A53hDgIx7vN/340x.jpg
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Works Cited

• Allen, Paddy. "Zimbabwe history from before the
  British empire to the present crisis World
  news guardian.co.uk." Guardian. 29 Jan. 2009.
  01 Feb. 2009 lthttp//www.guardian.co.uk/world/int
  eractive/2008/apr/04/zimbabwegt.
• "BBC NEWS Africa Country profiles Timeline
  Zimbabwe." BBC NEWS News Front Page. 29 Jan.
  2009. 01 Feb. 2009 lthttp//news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/af
  rica/country_profiles/1831470.stmgt.
• "History of ZIMBABWE." HistoryWorld. 28 Jan. 2009
  lthttp//www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHis
  tories.asp?historyidad28gt.
• "Gukurahundi Mugabe Zimbabwe Matabeleland
  genocide." Zanu PF Zimbabwe Disgrace to
  Humanity. 29 May 2007. 01 Feb. 2009
  lthttp//www.zanupfpub.com/index2.htmlgt.