Multiparty Democracy In Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe: The Urgency of Now, is a follow-up creative non-fiction book to Zimbabwe: The Blame Game. It goes further than The Blame Game and focuses on Zimbabwe in the GNU entity, the 2013 elections, post elections and post GNU Zimbabwe, and Now. They are a myriad number of problems, issues, limitations that still unbundles Zimbabwes push towards multiparty democracy, social justice, economic sanity and growth, and The Urgency of Now focuses on the solutions to these. It also tackles the land reform in South Africa, how this could be its biggest problem going forward. It goes further and tackles the larger Africa problem toward democracy, growth, stability and unity, and why the progress towards the United States of Africa has been moribund.

This book provides a comprehensive account of the tumultuous political landscape of Zimbabwe. Delving into historical and contemporary perspectives, the author analyses the relationship between the ruling ZANU-PF party and the opposition, exposing the pervasive influence of foreign powers and their ‘regime change’ agendas. Amidst western-imposed economic sanctions, the book examines how political opposition has struggled to maintain its footing in the face of ZANU-PF's rhetoric on preserving the nation's sovereignty. Drawing on the powerful theoretical frameworks of Gramsci's hegemony theory and instrumentalism, the book dissects the constraints on multiparty democracy under ZANU-PF's rule. From the party's manipulation of liberation narratives to the subtle intricacies of ‘Mugabeism’, a violent and ideological stronghold, the author unveils the tactics employed to maintain power. The chapters uncover the pivotal role played by the military throughout Zimbabwe's history: from the days of the liberation struggle to the shocking events of 2017, when Mugabe's grip on power was diminished by the very force that had propped him up for decades, the author reveals how the military's involvement has thwarted opposition players' attempts to claim power. Boldly challenging the notion that constraints solely rest on ZANU-PF, this book calls attention to the shortcomings of opposition parties in navigating Zimbabwe’s treacherous political landscape. Using compelling evidence and unparalleled analysis, the book is an essential read for those seeking to understand the intricate web of power, manipulation, and struggle that has defined Zimbabwe's political journey.

This volume contains electoral studies of multiparty politics in 14 African countries during the 1990s. Most are about national elections in Anglophone Africa. There are also less well-known examples from Sudan, Ethiopia and Guinea Bissau. The collection also features studies of the local elections in Namibia and of a significant by-election in Malawi. The multiparty period had been put, wherever possible, within the historical context of earlier elections in Africa. Questions addressed include: how did incumbent governing regimes learn to live with multiparty politics? Why have some elections been so closely fought and others have suffered from apathy? Why has there been relatively open political expression and activity when the elections have increased the political and economic manipulation by incumbent governments? Why have the elections of the 1990s been so marked by local and ethnic variations? To what extent did this wave of democracy result from pressure from donor countries?