April 18: Independence Day in Zimbabwe
Prayer Idea
Pray for the people and government of Zimbabwe.
History Note
Settled around 1000 AD, Great Zimbabwe was a city that became the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe in the 1200s. The remains of impressive stone structures still stand. There are dozens of other sites with smaller stone structures in modern Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
The Portuguese came to the area as they sailed around the southern tip of Africa in the 14th and 15th centuries, followed in the 1800s by British and Dutch explorers and missionaries. British businessman Cecil Rhodes took control of an area he named after himself: Rhodesia. This included the modern countries of Zimbabwe and Zambia. Rhodes hoped to build a railroad from South Africa to Egypt.
Southern Rhodesia became a self-governing colony connected to the United Kingdom in 1923. As in South Africa and other neighboring countries, white Rhodesians built a cultural and governmental system that discriminated against the indigenous population.
Debate and conflict continued into the 1970s. Political parties led by black Africans gained power in 1979 and renamed the country Zimbabwe. The country officially secured independence from the UK on April 18, 1980.
Robert Mugabe was the first prime minister and later president. He kept himself in power until 2017. During his tenure, many white farmers were forced to give up their land, sometimes through violence. Mismanagement and corruption contributed to food shortages and other economic challenges.
A large majority of Zimbabwe’s 17 million people are members of the Shona ethnic group and belong to one of several Christian denominations.
Women in Zimbabwe on April 18, 2021. Photo by fivepointsix / Shutterstock.com.
Learn More
Zimbabwe adopted a new national anthem in 1994. Solomon Mutswairo wrote the original Shona lyrics, and Fred Changundega composed the music. Stand, a gospel vocal group from Zimbabwe, performs the anthem in this video.
Explore more resources at Homeschool History.
