The first time I saw Robert Mugabe was at a Zanu-PF rally in the Harare townships late in 1981. He had been in power for a year or so. I had recently arrived in the country to teach English, keen to help build the new non-racial Zimbabwe. I went with a black neighbour, who had told me about the rally and promised to translate for me from the Shona that was the likely language of address, given the venue.