ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the 37-year rule of the former President and describes the extent to which Robert Mugabe harnessed traditional religion and authority in his politics. It discusses Mugabe’s long reign and seeks to identify some key factors that could account for it. The chapter examines the legacy of Mugabe. It explores the implications of the use of religion in Mugabe’s political career. Mugabe exploited the same ambivalence of the role of the chief in both African and colonial traditions for political expediency. David Moore, who also reflected on Mugabe’s rule, was asking why a leader who had been in power for over quarter of a century was unwilling to go. Robert G. Mugabe remained an enigma, despite his removal from power by the army and his demise. Mugabe capitalized on land re-distribution by projecting himself as the God-sent leader who led the black majority to the distribution of the land of the promise.
