津巴布韦独立30周年

Zimbabwe is marking 30 years since independence from the UK.

津巴布韦将迎来脱离英国独立30周年纪念日。

Mr Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980

Celebrations include all-night song and dance performances in the capital, Harare, and a speech by President Robert Mugabe in the city's stadium.

Mr Mugabe, who has ruled since 1980, leads a unity¹ government with rival Morgan Tsvangirai as prime minister.

On the eve of the anniversary, a civil rights group said four of its members had been denied bail² after they were accused of staging an illegal protest.

The group, Women of Zimbabwe Arise (Woza) deny wrongdoing. The four were part of a group of women demonstarting against regular power cuts and high electricity tariffs³（关税） in Zimbabwe.

Economic woes⁴

Zimbabwe declared independence on 18 April 1980, following a seven-year conflict against Rhodesia's white minority rule. Mr Mugabe, a former guerrilla（游击队） leader, was elected president.

Independence also brought crippling（造成严重后果的） international sanctions to an end.

The new country was widely seen as a new model for Africa.

Zimbabwe experienced strong growth in its first decade but the economy began to decline in the 1990s.

In 2000 Mr Mugabe launched a controversial land reform programme, seizing white-owned farms and handing them to blacks.

In the following years, farm production and the currency went into free fall. The one-time food exporter became dependent on aid.

Meanwhile Mr Mugabe suppressed the opposition⁵, saying it was in league with former colonial power Britain.

In 2008, the opposition Movement for Democratic Change won a parliamentary majority. But MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew from the presidential run-off, citing violence against supporters.

However the two sides reached a power-sharing deal later in the year.

New elections are due to be held but no date has been set.