How Africa’s longest-lasting leaders have served their lands

THE president of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, celebrates his 90th birthday on February 21st. He has led the country for 33 years—far longer than the average Zimbabwean has been alive. Yet his tenure is just the third-longest in Africa; Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea and José Eduardo dos Santos of Angola both beat him by a year. Only Mr Mugabe, however, has presided over declines in both economic output and life expectancy over such a long period. Since assuming power in 1980, GDP per person has decreased at an average of 1.2% per year. Life expectancy has dropped by three years. Mr Obiang Nguema is no better as a leader, but was fortunate enough to preside over an oil discovery in 1996, which boosted GDP per person to $14,000. This is the highest in Africa, albeit concentrated in scandalously few hands. No such luck for Zimbabweans. Mr Mugabe’s grip on power remains strong after his Zanu-PF party won by a sturdy 61% in last year’s elections—which were blatantly rigged.