Former Zimbabwean strongman Robert Mugabe has died at the age of 95.
“It is with the utmost sadness that I announce the passing on of Zimbabwe’s founding father and former president, Cde Robert Mugabe,” President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, who was elected after Mugabe stepped down, tweeted on Friday.
The controversial leader is reported to have died in a Singaporean hospital after a brief illness that might be related to advanced old age.
Already tributes are pouring in from world leaders, including those who he passionately loathed during his lifetime.
The United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesperson wrote: “There will be mixed emotions in Zimbabwe at today’s news. We, of course, express our condolences to those who mourn but know that for many he was a barrier to a better future. Under his rule the people of Zimbabwe suffered greatly as he impoverished their country and sanctioned the use of violence against them,” she said.
“His resignation in 2017 marked a turning point and we hope that today marks another which allows Zimbabwe to move on from the legacy of its past and become a democratic, prosperous nation that respects the human rights of its citizens,” she added.
The European Union representative in Zimbabwe wrote in tribute: EU The European Union offers its condolences on the passing of former President of Zimbabwe, Robert #Mugabe. The EU will continue to stand by #Zimbabwe and its people, to support reconciliation and to help ensure a united, prosperous, secure a democratic future for all Zimbabweans
Other leaders such as the Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta, Tanzanian President, John Magufuli, ex-president John Dramani Mahama and several others have sent in their tributes.
Mr. Mahama wrote: Mahama Despite his flaws in later years, he will always be remembered as a great fighter for freedom and a dedicated Pan Africanist.
He will be remembered for the great strides Zimbabwe made in education and health care in the immediate post-independence period.”
Mr Mugabe, ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years died in an era that was characterised by a roller-coaster relationship with Western powers.