- Today, 25 years ago, Robert Mugabe liberated Zimbabweans from Rhodesia's white supremacist rulers as independent Zimbabwe was established. The struggle to liberate Zimbabwe united Southern African freedom movements, who still stand behind President Mugabe through thick and thin. Five African presidents are attending Zimbabwe's independence celebration today.
On 18 April 1980, the independent Republic of Zimbabwe was proclaimed, with ex-guerrilla leader Robert Mugabe as the country's first Prime Minister. UN sanctions against former Rhodesia were thus lifted and the former colonial power, Britain, finally approved of the country's independence and its liberator government.
Prime Minister Mugabe was the hero of the people, easily winning the country's first democratic and representative elections in 1979. Also in the West, the victory Mr Mugabe and his guerrilla was celebrated as an important strike against racism and apartheid. The last white supremacist state except apartheid South Africa had finally fallen.
The prolonged liberation war and Mr Mugabe's victory were also of great importance to the entire Southern African region, were most countries suffered from South Africa's expansionist politics and its alliance with Rhodesia. South Africa occupied Namibia and fuelled wars in Mozambique and Angola, while keeping Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, Lesotho and Swaziland in its economic grip.
Therefore, heads of state and senior government officials from all Southern African nations are attending Zimbabwe's independence celebrations. Mozambique's ruling FRELIMO party could not have gained power and peace without Mr Mugabe's victory in Zimbabwe, as is the case with South Africa's ruling ANC party, which was sheltered in post-independence Zimbabwe.
Five Presidents therefore stand at Mr Mugabe's side today, including President Festus Mogae of Botswana, Joseph Kabila of Congo Kinshasa (DRC), Bingu wa Mutharika of Malawi, Hafikipunye Pohamba of Namibia and Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania. High officials, most of them related to the independence struggle, arrive from all other nations of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), including South Africa's Security Minister Charles Nqakula.
These SADC leaders are also the same that have helped President Mugabe stand up against the strong national and Western opposition to his increasingly unpopular regime. Economic aid from SADC neighbours are a lifeline to his isolated government and political support is giving his regime a rest of legitimacy. It is widely assumed that the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) was the real winner of the last three elections.
The MDC today joins hailing independence from Britain and Rhodesia's racist rulers 25 years ago. For the opposition and most Zimbabweans, however, 81-year-old President Mugabe is not longer the liberator but a dictator hindering democracy and economic progress.
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