President Robert Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe for the last 31 years with an iron hand. The world cheered after Mugabe led a long guerrilla war and his Zanu party to election victory in February 1980. But Mugabe is is no longer a global favourite and the opposition in Zimbabwe accuses him of destroying his country in a bid to over stay in power.
Robert Mugabe government has been criticised around the world for corruption, suppression of political opposition, mishandling of land reform, economic mismanagement, human rights abuses, and practice of nepotism and creating political arrests without trial.
PRESIDENT JOSE EDUARDO DOS SANTOS of ANGOLA has ruled his country under dictatorship for 32 years. He came to power in September 1979.
President Jose Eduardo dos Santos assumed power after the death of Angola’s first president, Agostinho Neto.
President TEODORO OBIANG NGUEMA of EQUATORIAL GUINEA has also ruled his country for the last 32 years. President Teodoro Obiang Nguema came to power in August 3, 1979 after he deposed his uncle in a violent coup d’état, that was supported by 600 mercenaries licensed from Hassan II of Morocco. His uncle Macias Nguemafled but was later captured and killed. About 60% of the people in Equatorial Guinea live on less than a US dollar a day.
President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda led his National Resistance Army into Kampala in January 1986 to seize power. Museveni has been clamping down on demonstrators that are not happy with his despotic leadership. Museveni’s leadership is characterised with corruption, vote rigging, manslaughter, theft, embezzlement, and imprisonment among others.
President Paul Biya of CAMEROON has also ruled Uganda for over 29 years. He came to power in 1982 first Cameroon’s post-independence president, Ahmadou Ahidjo formally resigned due to prolonged illiness and handed the presidency to Biya.
President Biya is so extravagant. He runs his country like a petty cash fund. One day he booked himself a $1.2m three week holiday by chartered jet to the French resort of La Baule and took 43 rooms in two luxury hotels costing $60,000 a night.
Other longest serving Presidents in Africa like Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and Libyan president Muammar Gaddafi were forced out of power by democratic forces.
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