Opinion

Opinion

Zimbabwe’s electoral aftermath

By Michelle Gavin | cfr.org FOLLOWING Zimbabwe’s shambolic August elections, even the normally accommodating Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) observation mission acknowledged that the process “fell short of the requirements of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the Electoral Act, and the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections.” So, what did Southern African leaders do at

How Africa can make the most of diaspora finance

By Tsitsi Masiyiwa | project-syndicate.org LONDON: The African diaspora is the biggest funder of change on the continent. Since remittances are informal, often unreported, and narrowly targeted, they tend to be overlooked. But their scale is large, sustained by diasporic Africans’ powerful commitment to improve the lot of family members and communities they love. Formal

Beijing, China

The Chinese example Zimbabwe is trying but failing to copy

By Leopold Munhende recently in China I TRIED showering unparalleled praises on Zimbabwe, exaggerated our beauty, and even made efforts to ignore all the obvious negatives. If there is any one of the 26 African media practitioners I was with on the Chinese Young Journalists programme who believed me, then to them Zimbabwe is just

SADC and other observer missions questioned the credibility of the elections in Zimbabwe.

SADC must intercede in resolving political crisis

By Gwinyai Taruvinga IN August, Zimbabwe held its harmonised elections which are a combination of the presidential, legislative and council elections. Of particular interest to citizens were two things: the presidential race which pitted the incumbent, President Emmerson Mnangagwa of the ruling Zimbabwe African Union-Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) and Nelson Chamisa of the opposition Citizens Coalition

File photo of Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the country's security chiefs

How to fix Zimbabwe’s broken politics

By Siphosami Malunga | The Africa Report The recent Zimbabwe election impasse was predicted – manifestly unfair process, uneven playing field, contested outcome. Resolving this stalemate is key to moving the nation forward constructively. What can be done to change this? What stands in the way? What are the opportunities? Broken politics Zimbabwe’s politics has always

Warfare State — why Zimbabwe under Zanu-PF will not progress

By Tendai Biti, Ray Hartley and Greg Mills THE Zimbabwe Harmonised Elections, held on 23 August, has come and gone. The reports of the main international observer missions generally agree that the elections were flawed. The SADC Election Observer Mission Statement is particularly damning, pointing out a series of serious problems with the conduct of the

The contrast is stark, but its luxury lodges and tourist resorts are saving Zimbabwe; they bring jobs, support communities, and protect wild places. Image: Bloomberg

Zimbabweans don’t want to be refugees in foreign lands

By Cathy Buckle I am writing today in recognition of you, the people out there who care about Zimbabwe and what happens here and who are as stunned as we are about what went on in the August election. A quietness has descended over our dust-swept country. The September winds and whirlwinds are here; do

President Emmerson Mnangagwa inspects the guard of honour after he was inaugurated at a local stadium on 4 September 2023 in Harare, Zimbabwe. (Photo: Tafadzwa Ufumeli / Getty Images)

The post-election crisis in Zimbabwe – what’s to be done now?

By Ibbo Mandaza and Tony Reeler | Daily Maverick SINCE continued polarisation within Zimbabwe, and the possibility of polarisation within the SADC, will continue in the absence of a substantive dialogue, the Platform for Concerned Citizens has launched a petition which outlines steps towards resolving the crisis. As with all elections since 2000, the 2023 Zimbabwe’s

President Emmerson Mnangagwa inspects the guard of honour after he was inaugurated at a local stadium on 4 September 2023 in Harare, Zimbabwe. (Photo: Tafadzwa Ufumeli / Getty Images)

SADC’s election report leaves Mnangagwa desperately out in the cold with only one option — reform

By Jonathan Moakes, George Chichester and Emily Osborne AS the crowds of press-ganged supporters spilt into Zimbabwe’s National Sports Stadium for President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s inauguration ceremony on Monday 4 September 2023, one group of guests was conspicuous by its absence. Of the 16 presidents of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), only three — South

President Cyril Ramaphosa was in his element at the BRICS summit in Sandton, where he hosted Brazil President Lula da Silva, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russia's Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov. Gianluigi Guercia/AFP

OPINION | BRICS participation gives transitory satisfaction, but real choices needed

BRICS gave South Africa a seat among formidable company and has arguably become the most prominent reference point in its foreign engagements, writes Terence Corrigan. President Cyril Ramaphosa and his government are no doubtless enjoying a rare moment of afterglow satisfaction.   The recent BRICS Summit went off successfully with the announcement of the accession of

Zimbabwe 2023 election; A case of voting without choice

By Pride Mkono Zimbabwe held a shambolic poll on 23 and 24 August 2023 whose outcome of the presidential vote has been outrightly rejected by the mainstream opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC). Domestic, regional, and international observer groups, particularly the Southern African Development Community (SADC) condemned the election as falling short of the Zimbabwean

Zimbabweans will cast their votes on August 23, 2023.

With two weeks to go, questions again loom over whether Zimbabwe’s 2023 elections will be free and fair

By Musa Kika RECENT incidents in Zimbabwe’s 2022 by-elections, including the improper use of police forces, have amplified concerns of a systemic misuse of power. Recent repressive legal reforms, such as the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Amendment Act (popularly known as the Patriotic Act), further criminalise opposition and dissident opinions – all under the guise

‘I am a Burial Society member; why should I take Diaspora Funeral Cash Plan?’

By Tose Gava When it comes to personal/family protection a lot of factors need to be considered but ultimately, it’s about the outcome one wants to achieve. For most burial society members, the ‘elusive’ desired outcome is having peace of mind from knowing that when your day finally comes, you are guaranteed of a dignified

Workers are seen holding a picture of Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa on July 5.PHILIMON BULAWAYO/REUTERS

Zimbabwe has joined the growing ranks of the world’s electoral autocracies

By Robert Rotberg ELECTORAL autocracy has replaced democracy’s standard free and fair election method in much of the troubled world. In Cambodia, an “election” took place last Sunday in which many opposition parties were dissolved or barred from competing against Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling party; in Guatemala, the government suspended one of the two parties standing in August’s

Zimbabwe’s hope: A wind of change to democracy

By Kuda Manjonjo IN 1960, British prime minister Harold Macmillan famously declared, “The wind of change is blowing through this continent. Whether we like it or not, this growth of national consciousness is a political fact.” This quote captured a time that later became known as the period of African nations attaining majority rule —