ABSTRACT
Mugabe had the good fortune to attend a Roman Catholic village school, where his ability earned him a place at University College in Fort Hare, South Africa. In 1960, Mugabe returned to Southern Rhodesia to work with the leaders of the newly formed National Democratic Party, who were trying to negotiate a more equitable relationship between whites and blacks. Mugabe and Nkomo's Patriotic Front of Zimbabwe fought for four years, ultimately forcing the white minority government to negotiate in 1979. Mugabe immediately turned to a government of reconciliation, allowing the remaining whites ample representation in Parliament, supporting the remaining white farmers and businessmen on whose shoulders Zimbabwe's economy rested, and forming a coalition with Nkomo's ZAPU. Under Mugabe's absolute rule, Zimbabwe quickly went from being one of Africa's richest countries to one of its poorest. Initially, Mugabe reconciled with the country's remaining whites in order to maintain economic strength and prevent civil strife.
