1965 Ian Smith, president of Rhodesia, declares independence from Britain, prompting a guerrilla war against the whites-only government. 1982 Mr Mugabe begins a purge of opponents, deploying North Korean-trained soldiers to kill 20,000 supporters of a rival anti-colonial party. In 1987 Zanu (PF) was born, with Mr Mugabe named as executive president. 1994 Mr Mugabe is given an honorary knighthood, later withdrawn over concerns about his human rights abuses. Mr Mugabe orders the compulsory acquisition of land, leading to mass invasions by army “veterans”.…

Source: The Times November 16, 2017 00:11 UTC