Independence Day in Zimbabwe
Independence Day in Zimbabwe is celebrated on May 31, marking the nation's declaration of independence from Great Britain in 1979. This day symbolizes a significant moment in the decline of colonialism in Southern Africa, particularly following a long history of British colonial rule initiated by Cecil Rhodes in the late 19th century. The population of Zimbabwe is predominantly made up of the Shona people, with smaller European and Asian communities, and approximately two-thirds of its over 10 million residents live in rural areas.
The journey to independence involved a protracted struggle against white-minority rule, characterized by guerrilla warfare and negotiations that culminated in the establishment of Zimbabwe. The name change from Rhodesia to Zimbabwe reflects a new national identity, with the country gaining a reformed constitution in 1980 that allowed for majority black rule. Robert Mugabe emerged as the first prime minister and later the president, indicating a shift in governance. Independence Day serves as a reminder of Zimbabwe's historical struggles for freedom, and it is observed with various celebrations and events that honor the nation’s past and cultural heritage.
Independence Day in Zimbabwe
Independence Day in Zimbabwe
On May 31, 1979, the southern African nation of Zimbabwe, formerly known as Rhodesia, declared its independence from Great Britain. The occasion has been observed as Independence Day in Zimbabwe ever since. The event is a milestone in the decline and fall of colonialism, since Rhodesia was founded by Cecil Rhodes (1853–1902), one of the main promoters of British imperial expansion in Africa.
Zimbabwe is a nation of over 10 million people, with its capital at Harare, known in colonial times as Salisbury. Harare is also the largest city, with over a million people. The population consists primarily of native Africans of the Shona tribe, a Bantu people, but there are small European and Asian minorities. Roughly two-thirds of the populace still lives in rural areas. Zimbabwe is bordered by Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zambia, with no direct access to the sea. It is roughly 150,000 square miles in size.
Zimbabwe was the site of one of Africa's most impressive civilizations, namely Great Zimbabwe, a massive city-citadel complex near Masvingo, now largely in ruins. It thrived from the 12th century until the early 15th, trading in such precious commodities as gold and ivory along the southeast coast of Africa. Portuguese traders arrived around 1500 and proceeded to take over most of the coastal trade, destroying Great Zimbabwe in the process. The Portuguese would also colonize what is now modern Mozambique.
In the interior, the people of Zimbabwe preserved their civilization and maintained their independence until the arrival of Cecil Rhodes. Rhodes was a leader in promoting the colonial expansion of Great Britain's possessions in South Africa northward into regions such as Zimbabwe. He was the co-founder of De Beers Consolidated Mines Limited, which is still the world's largest diamond mining operation. Rhodes also dreamed of a great “Cape to Cairo” railroad, running the length of the African continent, that would link south Africa to British possessions in Egypt and the Sudan and serve as an artery for trade and settlement. The British colonialists who settled the area during the 1890s forced out the natives, prompting a battle between the British and the Ndebele and Shona tribes that ended in a British victory.
After Rhodes died in 1902, the land inhabited by the British settlers was named Rhodesia in his honor. It included modern Zambia and Malawi. The portion containing modern Zimbabwe was called Southern Rhodesia. The settlements prospered, and in 1923 the British government made Southern Rhodesia a self-governing colony of the British Empire, with a local government ruled by the whites. The majority black population had little power. After World War II, Southern Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia (Zambia), and Nyasaland (Malawi) were briefly incorporated into the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, but that union ended in 1963.
By the 1960s colonialism was in decline and native African nationalists were beginning to press for independence. The British government was inclined to let its African colonies become independent nations, but only if the native African majority would eventually be given political representation and political control over their own country. The white settlers of Zimbabwe refused and changed the name of their colony from Southern Rhodesia to Rhodesia. On November 11, 1965, Rhodesian prime minister Ian D. Smith (in office 1964–79) unilaterally declared independence. Great Britain strongly protested and imposed economic sanctions, as did the United States and the United Nations shortly thereafter.
There were sporadic negotiations between newly independent Rhodesia and Great Britain, which continued to take an interest in Rhodesian affairs, through the 1960s and into the 1970s, without much real progress. The native African nationalists took to the countryside and formed armed guerrilla groups, which became increasingly effective and even came close to blowing up Cecil Rhodes's tomb in 1970, in a gesture of defiance. The white-minority-ruled government was determined to stay in power and fought back. By the mid-1970s, however, Rhodesia was hopelessly isolated. Portugal, one of the last European powers to abandon its African possessions, was permitting the independence of neighboring Mozambique. Smith negotiated for years with Nkomo, Mugabe, and other native African leaders, but progress was slow until the guerrilla campaigns were renewed with vigor in 1977. Finally, after the British negotiated a cease-fire and arranged for a transitional coalition government providing for majority black rule, Rhodesia became Zimbabwe on May 31, 1979. That day has been honored as Independence Day in Zimbabwe ever since.
Zimbabwe's new constitution became effective in 1980. Some seats were reserved in the national legislature for whites only, but that provision was eliminated by 1987. Robert Mugabe became the first prime minister of a free, majority-ruled Zimbabwe in February 1980 after his Zimbabwe African National Union–Patriotic Front won the national elections. Under a reformed constitution, he became the country's first president in 1987 and was reelected in 1990 and 2002. In recent years his administration has been plagued by corruption scandals.