Robert Mugabe: Zimbabweans remember the 'liberator and oppressor'

Robert Mugabe divided opinion when he was alive and that has not changed after his death. Zimbabweans are reflecting on the legacy of the man who was their leader for 37 years.

Using the hashtag #RIPMugabe some are hailing him as a hero; a defender of the dignity of black people, while others say he was a liberator who turned oppressor.

A Zimbabwean lawyer, activist and critic of the governing Zanu-PF party, Fadzayi Mahere, reflected the mixed views about Mr Mugabe's legacy.

Some tweeters are focusing on Mr Mugabe's economic legacy which has crippled almost every aspect of life, especially medical care.

Public hospitals have been blighted by mismanagement and corruption, a situation that has resulted in poor care for patients.

Doctors and nurses regularly go on strike over pay.

That Mr Mugabe - a prominent Pan-African who initially greatly expanded Zimbabwe's healthcare - regularly sought treatment in Singapore and died in a foreign land is an irony that has not been lost on many.

Some Zimbabweans are also reflecting on what could have been.

Mr Mugabe took over a country showing great promise in 1980 when he became prime minister. Early on he pledged reconciliation with the white minority and tried to develop Zimbabwe's economy but all his good work floundered as he focussed on a campaign of violently crushing dissent and doing whatever was needed to remain in power.

To some, however, nothing will sully Mr Mugabe's legacy as a liberator and a fighter against colonial rule and Western governments.