ZIMBABWEAN President Robert Mugabe is well known both at home and abroad for crushing dissent. He has mastered the use of the police, the army and the intelligence service to keep him in office for close to 36 years now."I may be 90 years old, but you see this fist of mine? It’s 90 tonnes, and I will not hesitate to use it," he once said, warning opposition parties against violent demonstrations in 2014.He has picked up fights with global political heavyweights, such as US presidents George Bush and Barack Obama, the former British prime minister Tony Blair and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.This aura of invincibility that Mugabe has built around himself, partly explains why he has stayed in power for 36 years. He is feared at home and revered abroad.To most of his fellow Africans, Mugabe epitomises the proverbial village drunk — one who says what all those around him would love to say but are not brave enough.It therefore came as a surprise when a national shutdown — ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.