Zimbabwe

Brief history and facts courtesy of [|www.ceo.gov/library/the-world-factbook/zi] html and the Economist last updated Feb. 9, 1989:
 * Zimbabwe**

· The UK annexed Southern Rhodesia from the [British] South Africa Company in 1923. · A 1961 constitution was formulated that favored whites in power. · In 1965 the government unilaterally declared its independence, but the UK did not recognize the act and demanded more complete voting rights for the black African majority in the country (then called Rhodesia). · UN sanctions and a guerrilla uprising finally led to free elections in 1979 and independence (as Zimbabwe) in 1980. Robert MUGABE, the nation's first prime minister, has been the country's only ruler (as president since 1987) and has dominated the country's political system since independence. · His land redistribution campaign, which began in 2000, caused an exodus of white farmers, crippled the economy, and ushered in widespread shortages of basic commodities. Ignoring international condemnation, MUGABE rigged the 2002 presidential election to ensure his reelection. · President lost February 2000 constitutional referendum – first time people voted against regime in clear protest. Mugabe responded with repression and violence

· The Economist published: "A power struggle may be under way behind the scenes between Mr Tsvangirai and Tendai Biti, the MDC’s general secretary and its reputed brains. Having reportedly opposed the original power-sharing deal between Messrs Mugabe and Tsvangirai in September, a harder-line faction led by Mr Biti now hopes to persuade the party to reject the latest one at a meeting of its national council. It would then refer the matter to an African Union summit in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, and later to the UN, a strategy apparently backed by the United States and Britain. · They have long supported the MDC in the hope that it would eventually kick the ever-more-despotic Mr Mugabe out at the polls. The MDC nearly succeeded last March, when Mr Tsvangirai beat Mr Mugabe in the first round of a presidential race and the MDC won a majority in a concurrent general election, though it remained in a minority in the Senate. Mr Tsvangirai pulled out of a much-delayed run-off for the presidency after more than 100 of his people were murdered and thousands beaten up, arrested and tortured in government-sponsored violence. Both the United States and the EU, Zimbabwe’s biggest donors, have said they will not resume aid until a power-sharing government is set up. The EU squeezed Mr Mugabe harder this week by adding 27 Zimbabwean officials and 36 companies to a black list, with assets frozen and travel in Europe barred. · Inflation rates at over 2 billion per cent a month highest in the world · HIV/AIDS among adults stands at over 20%.
 * Current problems*:**
 * On January 27th Kgalema Motlanthe, South Africa’s president, who is also chairman of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), declared after an all-night meeting of the 15-nation regional club that a “unanimous” agreement had at last been reached to set up a power-sharing government in Zimbabwe by February 13th. This would end 11 months of instability, international isolation and a growing humanitarian crisis.
 * Under the deal, Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), would be sworn in on February 11th as prime minister of a coalition government. The ministers, to be assigned their portfolios in accordance with a SADC agreement last November, would be sworn in two days later. Robert Mugabe, who turns 85 on February 21st, would remain as president."
 * A cholera epidemic has killed more than 3,000 Zimbabweans and infected nearly 60,000 others. The country’s health-care system has all but collapsed. The sick and the pregnant are being turned away from hospitals for want of medicine and staff.
 * Most schools and universities have closed.
 * Furious troops have gone on the rampage, demanding to be paid in American dollars or South African rand, the only currencies now accepted in many shops. T
 * The central bank, which recently said it would issue notes for 100 trillion Zimbabwe dollars, is reported to have drawn up plans for an informal “randisation” of the economy, with all civil service salaries to be paid in rand within six months.