Jean-Jacques Cornish, who covered the Lancaster House Conference that secured him the Zimbabwe Presidency, recalls the man who’s early successes where overshadowed by the ruination caused by his clinging to power.

As president, Robert Mugabe liked to invite me to state house in Harare to recall the Lancaster House conference in London, where he stamped his authority to become Zimbabwe’s first democratically elected leader.

He was a great success for more than a decade  in this role – persuading some of South Africa’s apartheid leaders that a majority government in Africa could work.

But when he used  the land grab to stave off political opposition, he wrecked  his country’s agriculture and economy turning the region’s bread basket into a basket case.

From there it was all downhill for Zimbabwe. 

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