Introduction: Mugabeism and Entanglements of History, Politics, and Power in the Making of Zimbabwe

Abstract

President Robert Gabriel Mugabe of Zimbabwe belongs to the first generation of African nationalists who led Africa into independence. He is 91 years old. He has been in power since 1980. For over 30 years, Zimbabweans have known only one president (Mugabe). One distinguishing feature of the first generation of African nationalists is that they initially fought for inclusion into the colonial power structures. They used personal acquisition of modern education as a justification for demanding inclusion. It was only when colonialism proved to be too inflexible to accommodate the black elite that they engaged in politics of anti-colonialism. They mobilized peasants and workers to constitute foot soldiers of anti-colonial struggles. African nationalism became a noble badge that indicated how the educated African elites loved the imagined postcolonial nation.