The book provides a fresh and innovative interpretation of the new government of Zimbabwe led by Emmerson Mnangagwa, which emerged in late 2017 after the downfall of Robert Mugabe. It demonstrates the contradictory character of the Mnangagwa government, involving both continuities and discontinuities in relation to Mugabe’s regime . The temptation amongst Zimbabwean scholars has been to focus on the continuities and to dismiss the significance of any discontinuities, notably reform measures. This book adopts an alternative approach by identifying and focusing specifically on the existence of a formative project of the Mnangagwa’s Second Republic, further analysing its political significance, as well as risks and limitations.
While doing so, the book covers topics such as reform measures, reconciliation, transitional justice, corruption, the media, agriculture, devolution, and the debt crisis as well as health and education. Discussing the limitations of these different reform measures, the book highlights that any scholarly failure to identify the risks of the project leads to an incomplete understanding of what constitutes the Mnangagwa’s Second Republic. The book appeals to students, scholars and researchers of Zimbabwean and African studies, political science and international relations, as well as policymakers interested in a better understanding of political reform processes.
Author(s): Gorden Moyo, Kirk Helliker
Series: Advances in African Economic, Social and Political Development
Publisher: Springer
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 270
City: Cham
Acknowledgements
Praise for Making Politics in Zimbabwe’s Second Republic
Contents
Editors and Contributors
Mnangagwa’s Formative Project: Risks and Limits
1 Introduction
2 Gramsci and the Second Republic
3 Events Under Mnangagwa
4 Volume Outline
References
Activating Civil and Political Liberties
The Quest for Transitional Justice in the Post-Mugabe Era
1 Introduction
2 Background
3 Analysing ZANU-PF’s Rule as Hegemon
4 Transitional Justice
5 Transitional Justice and the NPRC Under Mnangagwa
6 ZANU-PF: Reforms, Memory and Remorse
7 Conclusion
References
Mnangagwa’s Missed Opportunities for Reconciliation
1 Introduction
2 A Dark Era
3 A Glimpse of Hope
4 The Lingering Ghost of Mugabeism
5 Elusive Inclusive Government
6 The Gukurahundi Issue
7 1st August 2018 Post-election Violence
8 Conclusion
References
The Second Republic’s Stance on Corruption and the Battle for Public Confidence
1 Introduction
2 Significance of Anti-corruption for Zimbabwe
3 The Problem of Corruption in Zimbabwe
3.1 State-Owned Enterprises
3.2 State Capture
3.3 Military and Corruption
4 Anti-corruption Measures in Zimbabwe
4.1 Political Will to Fight Corruption in Zimbabwe
4.2 Prominent Arrests
4.3 Strengthening the Anti-corruption Fight
4.4 Reconstituting and Recapacitating ZACC
5 Conclusion
References
Media Policies and Practices in Zimbabwe’s ‘New Dispensation’
1 Introduction
2 Assaults on Zimbabwean Democracy Under Mnangagwa
3 Zimbabwe’s Post-Colonial ‘Transitions’ in Context
4 Media Under the New Dispensation
5 Criminalisation of Social Media
6 Conclusion
References
Reconfiguring Governance
Exploring the Politics of Jecharism in Zimbabwe’s Second Republic
1 Introduction
2 KudiraJecha/Jecharism: The Concept
3 The Early Years of Independence and the Rise of the MDC
4 Government of National Unity: A Glimmer of Hope
5 The Politics of Jecharism in Post-Mugabe Zimbabwe
6 Mugabe’s Final Act of Jecharism
7 Misplaced Priorities Amidst the Global Covid-19 Pandemic
8 Conclusion
References
Change and Continuity—Traditional Leadership’s Political and Developmental Footprint in Zimbabwe’s Second Republic
1 Introduction
2 Traditional Leadership’s Resilience Across Time and Space
3 Constitutional Role of Traditional Leaders in Zimbabwe
4 The Mugabe Era
5 Traditional Leaders in the “New Dispensation”—Continuities
6 “Change” Under the New Era
7 Conclusion
References
Devolution in Zimbabwe’s ‘Second Republic’: A Myth or Reality?
1 Introduction
2 Devolution: Towards a Theoretical Enunciation
3 Constitution of Zimbabwe and Devolution
4 Progress in Implementing Devolution in Zimbabwe’s: Continuities or Discontinuities?
5 Conclusion
References
Prospects of Implementing Devolution in the Post-Mugabe Era
1 Introduction
2 Devolution in Mugabe’s Zimbabwe
3 Devolution Progress Under the Second Republic
3.1 Constitutional and Legal Landscape
4 Challenges and Constraints to Devolution in Mnangagwa’s Zimbabwe
5 Envisaged Devolution Road Map and Legislative Shifts
6 Conclusion
References
Stimulating Socio-Economic Development
The Right to Development in Zimbabwe’s Second Republic
1 Introduction
2 The Logic of the Right to Development
3 Right to Development and Zimbabwe’s Constitution
3.1 Justiciability of the Right to Development
4 The Post-Mugabe Era
5 Conclusion
References
China’s Expanding Footprint and Deepening Debt Crisis in Zimbabwe—From Robert Mugabe to Emmerson Mnangagwa
1 Introduction
2 Overview of Beijing’s Geo-economic Interest
3 Evolution of Debt Crisis in Zimbabwe
4 Chinese Debt Financing in the Mugabe Era
5 Chinese Debt Financing in the Mnangagwa Era
6 Mortgaging the Country to China
7 Conclusion
References
Financing the Social Sector in Zimbabwe’s Post-Mugabe Era—Obstacles and Opportunities
1 Introduction
2 Trends in Social Sector Development
3 Social Sector Financing
4 Challenges of Financing the Social Sector
5 Financing Opportunities and Policy Options
6 Conclusion
References
Exploring Innovative and Sustainable Financing of Agriculture in Zimbabwe’s Second Republic
1 Introduction
2 Zimbabwean Agriculture, Past and Present
3 Small-Scale Agriculture Financing in Zimbabwe
3.1 Conventional Agricultural Financing in Zimbabwe
4 Financial Innovations for Sustainable Agriculture Financing
5 Methods of Agricultural Financing for Zimbabwe
5.1 Bank Loans
5.2 Contract Farming
5.3 Joint Venture Financing
5.4 ICT-Based Mobile Payment Platforms
5.5 Financing of Agricultural Research and Extension
6 Lessons from the 10 Kampala Principles of Innovative Agricultural Finance
7 Conclusion
References
Concluding Reflections on Change and Continuity
1 Introduction
2 Mnangagwa’s Formative Project: Limitations Abound
3 The 2023 Elections
4 The Tale of the Mbulumakhasana Tail
References
