This archive report was first published on 6 September 2019.
Robert Mugabe's life was a testament to resilience and determination, despite being marked by numerous challenges and setbacks. Born into a dysfunctional family, Mugabe's early life was marred by loss and hardship.
Published on September 6, 2019, a report revealed that Mugabe's father abandoned the family in 1934, leaving him and his siblings to fend for themselves.
Tragedy struck again when Mugabe lost his two older brothers, who died while still young children. This was followed by the loss of his only sister, Bridget, in 2014, after she spent almost four years in a coma.
But Mugabe's struggles did not end there. He was imprisoned for ten years during his first marriage to Sally Mugabe due to his political activities in the 1960s and 1970s.
His life was also marked by two assassination attempts during campaigns in the 1980s. On February 6, a grenade was thrown at his Mount Pleasant home, exploding against a garden wall. Just four days later, a roadside bomb exploded near his motorcade as he left a Fort Victoria rally.
Despite these challenges, Mugabe persevered and went on to become the leader of Zimbabwe. However, his reign was cut short when he was forced to resign in November 2017, following a military coup. He died at the age of 95.
