This archive report was first published on 15 September 2019.
On September 15, 2019, the world lost a complex figure, Robert Gabriel Mugabe, who left behind a legacy of both promise and destruction.
As a young man, Mugabe was driven by a rational quest for freedom, which led him to become a key figure in the Zimbabwean liberation movement.
However, as he rose to power, Mugabe's ideals were slowly corrupted by his lust for wealth and material riches.
He accumulated a vast fortune, with properties in Sandton, Singapore, Hong Kong, and England, as well as luxurious cars and coaches.
Despite his wealth, Mugabe's legacy is marred by his role in the Gukurahundi massacres, which resulted in the deaths of over 10,000 people in the Ndebele part of the country.
His land seizures, meant to correct historical injustices, ultimately benefited Mugabe and his cronies, rather than the people of Zimbabwe.
Mugabe's involvement in the Congo, ostensibly to assist Laurent Kabila, was revealed to be a lucrative economic venture, with his family and close associates benefiting from the mineral riches of the country.
Independent media that reported on this corruption were attacked and some of their editors were tortured, as evidenced by the testimonies of Mark Chavunduka of the Standard.
As Mugabe's downfall from hero to zero continues to be studied by historians and political scientists, it is clear that his brilliant failure was a result of his own corruption and lust for power.
