Zimbabwe in 2004
Zimbabwe in 2004
Area: 390,757 sq km (150,872 sq mi)
Population (2004 est.): 11,821,000, of which about 3 million people might be living outside the country
Capital: Harare
Head of state and government: President Robert Mugabe
Zimbabwe’s international status remained controversial as 2004 began. Its withdrawal from the Commonwealth of Nations in December 2003 had won the sympathy of many African leaders who regarded Pres. Robert Mugabe’s action as a justifiable response to the arrogance of the white members of the Commonwealth. South African Pres. Thabo Mbeki, who was not unaware of the situation in Zimbabwe, nevertheless considered that the majority of the Commonwealth heads of government had acted high-handedly in prolonging Zimbabwe’s suspension from membership, first issued in March 2002 as a one-year suspension. Mugabe’s popularity in South Africa was reflected in the loud cheers and standing ovation that greeted him in Pretoria when he attended the swearing in of Mbeki to a second term of office in April 2004.
Meanwhile, Mugabe continued to suppress dissent at home and to dismiss criticism from abroad. In January the government ignored a court ruling that the Daily News newspaper should be permitted to resume publication and ordered the arrest of three journalists for the Independent weekly for allegedly having printed lies about Mugabe.
In March the arrest of a British former SAS officer and leader of 67 mercenaries who were believed to be planning a coup in Equatorial Guinea was a propaganda boost for Mugabe. In May he cut short a UN mission engaged in assessing Zimbabwe’s food requirements. Two days later Paul Mangwana, minister for labour and social welfare, stated that Zimbabwe had no need of foreign food aid despite the fact that independent consultants had predicted a serious shortfall in the country’s food production. In the event, observers claimed that huge quantities of corn (maize) were being imported from Zambia, while the South African grain-information service reported that an additional 150,000 metric tons were imported via South Africa.
Early in June, John Nkomo, the minister responsible for overseeing the government’s land-reform program, announced that all productive farmland would be nationalized, with title deeds replaced by 99-year leases. President Mugabe stated that the government would take a half share in all mining enterprises and that he would not permit representatives of former imperial powers to oversee elections in his country. In August a draft bill was published banning all foreign human rights groups from operating in Zimbabwe and requiring Zimbabwe’s own voluntary organizations to register with a new state-controlled council that would have the right to withdraw licenses and to appoint trustees.
To the consternation of some foreign sympathizers, the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) decided in August to boycott future elections unless the government abided by the charter on holding democratic polls that had recently been adopted at a summit meeting of southern African leaders. The MDC was heartened, however, when in October its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, was acquitted of having plotted to kill Mugabe. Although Tsvangirai remained charged with other treasonable offenses, his passport was restored, and he immediately resumed his efforts to win support from other African countries for his campaign for free elections. In November Mugabe tightened his hold on power by suspending Zimbabwe’s constitution and forcing a number of repressive laws through the House of Assembly, and in early December he suspended seven up-and-coming members of his party, accusing them of plotting to choose his successor.
by: Kenneth Ingham