A land of hope and dreams

After more than a decade of land purchases, Mugabe announced compulsory land acquisitions which quickly developed into violent takeovers by gangs of so-called "war veterans".

The campaign of violence against the white farmers, combined with Mugabe's increasingly corrupt and autocratic government, led to thousands of people leaving the country and the imposition of international sanctions against the regime.

It was against this background, and with some trepidation, that I returned to Zimbabwe in 2002, again as part of a Commonwealth Observer Mission but this time for the Presidential election.

The economy was in free-fall. Inflation was running at nearly 200 per cent. I recall handing over several one thousand Zimbabwean dollar notes to buy one small chocolate bar.

Mugabe's Zanu PF party was at the height of its control and opponents were ruthlessly oppressed.

Villagers were threatened and attacked in areas known to be sympathetic to the opposition, the Movement for Democratic Change, as part of state-sponsored efforts to deter them from voting.

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai survived at least three assassination attempts over several years.

I met Tsvangirai during our mission even though he had been arrested and charged with treason only days before. He had been badly beaten during his detention but was on bail.

I remember sitting opposite him, as he spoke of his fears for Zimbabwe under Mugabe's brutal regime, and doubting that he would survive the ordeal ahead.

I will also never forget the courage shown by millions of Zimbabweans who came out in defiance of Mugabe's tyranny to stand in line at voting booths to cast their ballots.

Vote rigging was rife and not surprisingly Mugabe was declared victorious.

In the years following the economic decline was devastating with hyperinflation officially measured at 500 trillion percent.