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Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe's Founding Father Dead

Anita Powell

   HARARE - Robert Mugabe, who ruled the southern African nation of
   Zimbabwe for 37 years following the end of white minority rule in 1980,
   has died. He was 95 years old. Some hail him as a liberation hero who
   stood by his principles -- but others say he rigged elections,
   destroyed the economy of what was once Africa's breadbasket and
   terrorized his people for decades.

   Mugabe, Zimbabwe's first president, leaves behind a complicated legacy
   after 37 years of increasingly autocratic rule.

   In his younger years, he led the guerilla movement that resulted in
   Zimbabwe's independence. At the time, he was hailed as a liberation
   hero, both inside and outside the former British colony once known as
   Rhodesia.

   Early on, he urged Zimbabweans to reconcile after the civil war that
   raged during the final colonial years. He also initially expanded the
   country's education and health systems, making them among the
   best-regarded in Africa.

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