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Republic of Zimbabwe

History

Government Observers

Country Facts

Zimbabwe takes its name from the architecturally advanced stone structures, known as “Great Zimbabwe”, which were built by the region’s indigenous inhabitants between the ninth and thirteenth centuries C.E. The San are thought to be the first group to settle in the area, however, around 900 C.E. Bantu immigrants displaced them. During the sixteenth century the Portuguese arrived in Zimbabwe, but they did not venture into its hinterland. It was not until the nineteenth century that a significant European presence emerged in the region, with the arrival of both traders and missionaries. This time period also coincided with the migration of groups from Natal into the southwest portion of the country. The Shona resisted the increasing encroachment of the European presence until the end of the nineteenth century, by which time Europeans had appropriated extensive farmlands.

In 1888 Cecil Rhodes obtained dubious concessions for mineral rights from local chiefs and the region was declared a British sphere of influence. In the following year the British South Africa Company (BSAC) began to administer what would be named, in 1895, Southern Rhodesia, after Cecil Rhodes. In 1923 BSAC’s control of Southern Rhodesia was revoked and the colony’s white settlers were given the choice of either being incorporated into the Union of South Africa or becoming a self-governing British colony. They chose the latter and shortly thereafter began to focus their attentions on exploiting the colony’s lucrative mineral and agricultural resources. To this end the first series of acts, which reserved the best land for Europeans, was passed in 1934. Just short of twenty years later, in 1953, Southern Rhodesia was integrated into the Central African Republic, along with Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland. When the Republic was dissolved ten years later both Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland gained their independence shortly thereafter, however, this was not to be the case for Southern Rhodesia.

Southern Rhodesia’s white settler population, led by Prime Minister Ian Smith, fiercely resisted any attempt to introduce majority rule. Smith’s Rhodesian Front Party preferred to endure economic sanctions from the Commonwealth, and later the UN, than to accept majority rule as a condition for obtaining independence from Britain. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s African populations, via both the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) and the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU), had actively pursued an end to colonialism and domination by the white settler population through political activity. However, by the late 1960’s anti-government military activity began to increase considerably and continued to do so throughout the 1970’s. In 1979, as a result of Smith’s continued intransigency, Britain was forced to intervene in order to implement a plan that would lead to majority rule. In 1980, elections were held and Robert Mugabe of the ZANU-Patriotic Front party was elected Prime Minister. Zimbabwe won its formal independence on April 18, 1980.

The fortunes of Zimbabwe have for the past two decades been tied to President Mugabe, who wrested control from a small white settler community and put the country on a stable course. The political situation in the country has become increasingly turbulent in more recent years. In the past the opposition was ineffective, however, this has changed with the formation of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). They have gained support from a large percentage of the population (particularly in urban areas) and have threatened Mugabe’s power for the first time. The rivalry between the two is fierce and there has been an escalation in political violence as a result.

Chairman's Statement:

Zimbabwe’s diamond potential was previously overlooked and deemed as irrelevant by international diamond conglomerates. In reality, the recent Zimbabwe diamond rush has uncovered one of the richest alluvial diamond deposits in the world, which could effortlessly position the country as leading global diamond producer.

Gems lie near the surface of the ground and are easily collected by soldiers, smugglers and illegal miners who work for them. The Zimbabwean government hoards and controls a massive stockpile of both, industrial diamonds and more than 40% of gem-quality diamonds.

The government’s shrewdness has been demonstrated best by their exploitation of an ineffectual Kimberley Process (KP) diamond certification scheme. The system has failed to thwart trading of diamonds mined as a result of human consequence and although Zimbabwe’s current dealings and previous defiance may frustrate many of their global critics, the country has led the attack in exposing the vulnerability of the KP.

President: His Excellency Robert Gabriel MUGABE

Minister of Mines and Mining Development: Obert MPOFU

Ministry of Mines, Environment, and Tourism

Private Bag 7753, Causeway

Harare, Zimbabwe

Chamber of Mines

4 Central Avenue

P.O. Box 712

Harare, Zimbabwe

Telephone: +263 4 707 992

Fax: +263 4 707 983

Population: 11,651,858

Capital: Harare

Major language: English (official language), Shona, Sindebele (also known as Ndebele)

Major religions: Christianity, Indigenous Belief Systems, Syncretic Belief Systems (a combination of Christian and Indigenous religous practices)

Life expectancy: 58 years (men), 62 years (women)

Monetary unit: 1 Zimbabwe dollar = 100 cents

Main exports: hydropower potential, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones, gold, natural gas, nickel

Average annual income: US $480

Internet domain: .zw

International dialing code: +263