Whilst most other countries in Africa were peacefully being granted independence based upon democratic principals, in 1964 the white minority in Rhodesia decided to hold onto power by making a
unilateral declaration of independence. Although Britain considered this an act of rebellion, it took no action, leaving black Zimbabweans to fight a bitter guerilla war.
In 1978 the whites finally backed down and agreed to democratic elections in return guarantees for the continuation of their privileged lifestyles.
In 1980 Robert Mugabe won a landslide victory in the first elections. Initially he was favourably disposed to the British and the white minority but it was not long before he was royally stitched up by both parties, leaving him with no choice but to go it alone.
As time passed, Mugabe came under increasing pressure from the veterans of the war of independence, who wanted him to dispossess the whites of their huge farms and redistribute the wealth of the country. The problem was that the white business was the mainstay of the economy and as their activities became increasingly interrupted, so the country started to collapse ... a condition in which we still find it to this day.
Travel in Zimbabwe continues to be significantly hampered by the collapse of the economy.