Robert Mugabe, the former President of Zimbabwe and iconic figure in the country’s independence, died on September 6, 2019, at the age of 95. He had been receiving medical treatment in a hospital in Singapore since April of that year. Mugabe was praised for broadening access to health and education for the black majority but was also criticized for violent repression of political opponents and Zimbabwe’s economic decline during his long rule. His death was announced by his successor, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who described Mugabe as an “icon of liberation” and a pan-Africanist dedicated to the emancipation and empowerment of his people. Mugabe’s legacy is complex, as he was seen both as a liberator and a dictator.

Mugabe was buried in his native village of Kutama after some dispute regarding the burial location. The ceremony was attended by hundreds, with many honoring him as a founding father and liberator. His tenure as leader lasted 37 years until he was ousted in a military coup in 2017. He died of prostate cancer.