Person

Robert Mugabe

1924–2019 · 20th century

Robert Mugabe was a Zimbabwean nationalist who led the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) in the guerrilla war against white minority rule in Rhodesia. He became prime minister at independence in 1980 and president in 1987, ruling until a military takeover forced him out in 2017. His long rule saw the Gukurahundi massacres in Matabeleland, seizures of white-owned farms from 2000 and economic collapse.

Robert Mugabe
Image: Government of Zimbabwe, taken by Joseph Nyadzayo as Presidential Photographer · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Zimbabwe Rhodesia

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Robert Mugabe. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/robert-mugabe
MLA
“Robert Mugabe.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/robert-mugabe. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Robert Mugabe.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/robert-mugabe.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Robert Mugabe’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/robert-mugabe (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻