Robert Mugabe was a Zimbabwean revolutionary and politician who served as Prime Minister from 1980 to 1987 and then as President from 1987 to 2017. He was a key figure in the country's struggle for independence from British colonial rule and became the leader of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU). Mugabe's leadership was marked by significant economic challenges and political controversies, including allegations of human rights abuses and corruption. His land reform program, which aimed to redistribute land from white farmers to black Zimbabweans, led to widespread economic decline and international criticism.