In the south-eastern corner of the African continent, lies the land-locked country of Zimbabwe, formerly named Rhodesia after the British politician Cecil John Rhodes. Originally Southern Rhodesia, the country became Rhodesia after Northern Rhodesia gained independence and became present day Zambia.
The story of modern Rhodesia and Zimbabwe may as well begin in the politically fraught climate of the late 70s and early 80s, the days of Ian Smith - the white supremacist (in true Rhodes fashion) who claimed there would never be a Black government in his lifetime, ensuring this by stipulating a minimum salary before the right to vote was earned; and with white supremacy rampant across the southern states of the continent (including the hugely supportive government of neighbouring South Africa), it certainly seemed likely that he would be proved right.
Smith was also the man who took the Unilateral Declaration of Independence, having failed to gain independence by request from Britain. This decision brought about the first issuing of economic sanctions by the UN, Britain's Harold Wilson having taken the country to the UN for that very reason. As history has shown, however, economic sanctions are rarely as effective as they might be, serving as only a weapon against the antagonist (something Mugabe has done throughout his career) and hurting those who are already struggling to survive.
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