Robert Mugabe

===Constitutional and economic reform: 1987–1995===
In late 1987, Zimbabwe's parliament amended the constitution.{{sfn|Blair|2002|p=36}} On 30 December it declared Mugabe to be executive president, a new position that combined the roles of head of state, head of government, and commander-in-chief of the armed forces.{{sfnm|1a1=Meredith|1y=2002|1p=79|2a1=Norman|2y=2008|2p=80}} This position gave him the power to dissolve parliament, declare [[martial law]], and run for an unlimited number of terms.{{sfn|Meredith|2002|p=79}} According to Meredith, Mugabe now had "a virtual stranglehold on government machinery and unlimited opportunities to exercise patronage".{{sfn|Meredith|2002|p=79}} The constitutional amendments also abolished the twenty parliamentary seats reserved for white representatives,{{sfnm|1a1=Blair|1y=2002|1p=36|2a1=Norman|2y=2008|2p=80}} and left parliament less relevant and independent.{{sfn|Meredith|2002|p=80}}

In the build-up to the 1990 election, parliamentary reforms increased the number of seats to 120; of these, twenty were to be appointed by the President and ten by the Council of Chiefs.{{sfnm|1a1=Blair|1y=2002|1p=36|2a1=Meredith|2y=2002|2p=89}} This measure made it more difficult for any opposition to Mugabe to gain a parliamentary majority.{{sfn|Meredith|2002|p=89}} The main opposition party in that election were the [[Zimbabwe Unity Movement]] (ZUM), launched in April 1989 by Tekere;{{sfnm|1a1=Blair|1y=2002|1p=36|2a1=Meredith|2y=2002|2p=87|3a1=Norman|3y=2008|3p=80}} although a longstanding friend of Mugabe, Tekere accused him of betraying the revolution and establishing a dictatorship.{{sfn|Norman|2008|p=80}} ZANU–PF propaganda made threats against those considering voting ZUM in the election; one television advert featured images of a car crash with the statement "This is one way to die. Another is to vote ZUM. Don't commit suicide, vote ZANU-PF and live."{{sfn|Meredith|2002|p=91}} In the election, Mugabe was re-elected President with nearly 80% of the vote, while ZANU–PF secured 116 of the 119 available parliamentary seats.{{sfnm|1a1=Blair|1y=2002|1p=36|2a1=Meredith|2y=2002|2p=93}}

Mugabe had long hoped to convert Zimbabwe into a one-party state, but in 1990 he officially "postponed" these plans as both Mozambique and many [[Eastern Bloc]] states transitioned from one-party states to multi-party republics.{{sfn|Meredith|2002|p=97}} Following the collapse of the Marxist-Leninist regimes in the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc, in 1991 ZANU–PF removed references to "Marxism-Leninism" and "[[scientific socialism]]" in its material; Mugabe maintained that "socialism remains our sworn ideology".{{sfnm|1a1=Meredith|1y=2002|1p=97|2a1=Norman|2y=2008|2p=81}} That year, Mugabe pledged himself to free market economics and accepted a [[structural adjustment programme]] provided by the [[International Monetary Fund]] (IMF).{{sfnm|1a1=Blair|1y=2002|1p=37|2a1=Holland|2y=2008|2p=136}} This economic reform package called for Zimbabwe to privatise state assets and reduce import tariffs;{{sfn|Blair|2002|p=37}} Mugabe's government implemented some but not all of its recommendations.{{sfnm|1a1=Blair|1y=2002|1p=37|2a1=Holland|2y=2008|2p=136}} The reforms encouraged employers to cut their wages, generating growing opposition from the [[Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions]].{{sfn|Blair|2002|p=38}}

By 1990, 52,000 black families had been settled on 6.5&nbsp;million acres. This was insufficient to deal with the country's overcrowding problem, which was being exacerbated by the growth in the black population.{{sfn|Meredith|2002|p=121}} That year, Zimbabwe's parliament passed an amendment allowing the government to expropriate land at a fixed price while denying land-owners the right of appeal to the courts.{{sfn|Meredith|2002|p=122}} The government hoped that by doing so it could settle 110,000 black families on 13&nbsp;million acres, which would require the expropriation of approximately half of all white-owned land.{{sfn|Meredith|2002|p=122}} Zimbabwe's [[Commercial Farmers Union]] argued that the proposed measures would wreck the country's economy, urging the government to instead settle landless blacks on the half-a-million acres of land that was either unproductive or state-owned.{{sfn|Meredith|2002|pp=122–123}}

Concerns about the proposed measure—particularly its denial of the right to appeal—were voiced by the UK, US, and Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace.{{sfn|Meredith|2002|p=122}} The US, UK, [[International Monetary Fund]], and [[World Bank]] threatened that if Zimbabwe implemented the law, it would forfeit foreign aid packages.{{sfn|Meredith|2002|p=123}} Responding to the criticisms, the government removed the ban on court appeals from the bill, which was then passed as law.{{sfn|Meredith|2002|pp=123–124}} Over the following few years, hundreds of thousands of acres of largely white-owned land were expropriated.{{sfn|Meredith|2002|p=124}} In April 1994, a newspaper investigation found that not all of this was redistributed to landless blacks; much of the expropriated land was being leased to ministers and senior officials such as [[Witness Mangwede]], who was leased a 3000-acre farm in [[Hwedza]].{{sfnm|1a1=Meredith|1y=2002|1pp=126–127|2a1=Norman|2y=2008|2pp=127–128}} Responding to this scandal, in 1994 the UK government—which had supplied £44&nbsp;million for land redistribution—halted its payments.{{sfnm|1a1=Meredith|1y=2002|1p=127|2a1=Holland|2y=2008|2p=98}}

In January 1992, Mugabe's wife died.{{sfnm|1a1=Meredith|1y=2002|1p=96|2a1=Norman|2y=2008|2p=81}} In April 1995, ''Horizon'' magazine revealed that Mugabe had secretly been having an affair with his secretary [[Grace Mugabe|Grace Marufu]] since 1987 and that she had borne him a son and a daughter.{{sfnm|1a1=Meredith|1y=2002|1p=107|2a1=Norman|2y=2008|2p=80}} His secret revealed, Mugabe decided to hold a much-publicised wedding. 12,000 people were invited to the August 1996 ceremony, which took place in Kutama and was orchestrated by the head of the Roman Catholic [[Archbishop of Harare]], [[Patrick Fani Chakaipa|Patrick Chakaipa]].{{sfnm|1a1=Meredith|1y=2002|1p=108|2a1=Norman|2y=2008|2p=82}} The ceremony was controversial among the Catholic community because of the adulterous nature of Mugabe and Marufu's relationship.{{sfnm|1a1=Meredith|1y=2002|1p=108|2a1=Holland|2y=2008|2p=148}} To house his family, Mugabe then built a new mansion at [[Borrowdale, Harare|Borrowdale]].{{sfn|Meredith|2002|p=109}} In the [[1995 Zimbabwean parliamentary election|1995 parliamentary election]]—which saw a low turnout of 31.7%—ZANU–PF gained 147 out of 150 seats.{{sfn|Blair|2002|p=38}} Following the election, Mugabe expanded his cabinet from 29 to 42 ministers while the government adopted a 133% pay rise for MPs.{{sfn|Meredith|2002|p=127}}