- Title: Reaction to the death of former Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe
- Date: 6th September 2019
- Summary: SINGAPORE (SEPTEMBER 6, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SIGN ON EXTERIOR OF BUILDING READING (English): Gleneagles TRAFFIC OUTSIDE GLENEAGLES HOSPITAL EXTERIOR OF GLENEAGLES HOSPITAL HARARE ZIMBABWE (SEPTEMBER 6, 2019) (REUTERS) STREET SIGN READING (English): "R. Mugabe Rd" / PEOPLE WALKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) ZIMBABWEAN RESIDENT, ROSEMARY MOYO, SAYING: "I think President Mugabe was a leader. Since he was voted to be the president of Zimbabwe he led Zimbabwe in a right way - we say may his soul rest in peace. He was someone who was a man of his words, he could do the right thing. Although in some things he did the things not in a good way, like the land reform program, to me it wasn't in a good thing." (SOUNDBITE) (English) ZIMBABWEAN RESIDENT, AMOS CHIRAKWA, SAYING: "You know this is sad news, we lost a good father. Mugabe was alright but this Emmerson Mnangagwa is not alright, he is not alright. I tell you the truth, Mnangagwa is not alright but Mugabe was a good father to us." (SOUNDBITE) (Shona) ZIMBABWEAN RESIDENT, CYNTHIA SHANDO, SAYING: "We grew up knowing Mugabe liberated our country but now things are hard, I am so sad that he passed away, may he rest in peace." HARARE, ZIMBABWE (SEPTEMBER 06, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF LOCALS HARARE IN CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT (SOUNDBITE) (English) CELLPHONE DEALER, TAWANDA NYIKA, SAYING: "I would obviously describe him as a revolutionary. He played a part in the liberation struggle and all he did to empower the black people, particularly the Zimbabweans and to give us a voice to say, whenever we are able to say, I believe from whatever lesson we got from him, we have to the courage to even stand up for ourselves." (SOUNDBITE) (English) ZIMBABWE RESIDENT, SELLINA MUGADZA, SAYING: "He was a good leader. He was a good leader. Of course, we know that you cannot do good to everyone, but to me he was good." (SOUNDBITE) (English) ONWELL SAMUKANYA, SAYING: "He was an iconic, he was an African legend. His only mistake was that he overstayed in power. You can't have somebody that's 89 and 90 still being the president, you have to give others a chance." JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (SEPTEMBER 6, 2019) (REUTERS) VEHICLES DRIVING PAST (SOUNDBITE) (English) ZIMBABWEAN LIVING IN SOUTH AFRICA, GIFT BOREPHE, SAYING: "I'm shocked my man. I honestly cannot believe it. Truth be told Robert Mugabe is one of my idols, you know, Robert Mugabe, Hitler and Napoleon, for my reasons you know. But I'm actually surprised, I'm take by… I'm shocked." (SOUNDBITE) (English) TSHIAMO MOENG, SAYING: "He was just a bad leader. He was an all-around bad leader. So, I don't know how to feel about his passing, I mean at the end of the day he was still a human. You have to respect that fact. But, yeah I don't know how to feel about his passing at all." (SOUNDBITE) (English) LESEGO MAUMAKWE, SAYING: "He didn't want to give other people a chance - that's my biggest thing. Now we have a huge problem just because he couldn't control his people, ok? So yeah, it was time. It was time."
- Embargoed: 20th September 2019 14:17
- Keywords: Mugabe death Zimbabwe President world wide reactions
- Location: HARARE, ZIMBABWE / SINGAPORE / JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA / LAGOS, NIGERIA / NAIROBI, KENYA / CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA / BEIJING, CHINA
- City: HARARE, ZIMBABWE / SINGAPORE / JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA / LAGOS, NIGERIA / NAIROBI, KENYA / CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA / BEIJING, CHINA
- Country: Various
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA003AVIT5QF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Robert Mugabe, the bush war guerrilla leader who led Zimbabwe to independence in 1980 and crushed his foes during nearly four decades of rule as his country descended into poverty, hyperinflation and unrest, died on Friday (September 6) aged 95.
He was one of the most polarising figures in his continent's history, a giant of African liberation, whose rule finally ended in ignominy when he was overthrown by his own army. He died in Singapore, where he had long received medical treatment.
"It is with the utmost sadness that I announce the passing on of Zimbabwe's founding father and former President, Cde (Comrade) Robert Mugabe," a post on President Emmerson Mnangagwa's official Twitter account said.
Mnangagwa cut short a trip to a World Economic Forum meeting in South Africa to return home, a government official said.
Tributes poured in from African leaders and at home, even foes paid respects.
But others said his legacy was overshadowed by the harm he did to his people.
Mugabe was feted as a champion of racial reconciliation when he first came to power in a nation throwing off white colonial rule. By the time he was toppled, he was viewed by many at home and abroad as a power-obsessed autocrat who unleashed death squads, rigged elections and ruined the economy to keep control.
His departure from power failed to lift Zimbabwe's economy, however, which remains in its worst economic crisis in a decade. Triple-digit inflation, rolling power cuts and shortages of U.S. dollars and basic goods have revived memories of the Mugabe era. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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