Transitional Zimbabwe: The Political Consequences of Independent Africa

“Independence will bestow on us a new...perspective, and indeed, a new history and a new past”
-Robert Mugabe, 18 April 1980

With these words, a newly independent Zimbabwe took its first steps towards life after colonialism. The Zimbabwean public saw the promises of new regimes and changes in the social and economic structures as a foregone conclusion. Indeed, “socialism for the blacks,” an idea that was formulated by the first ruling party, was something that black Zimbabweans could sink their teeth into. But little did these optimistic constituents, as well as their optimistic leaders, know that some twenty five years later their country would have gone through as much turmoil and angst as it had the previous century. Robert Mugabe and his ruling party have been compared to the fascist regime of Benito Mussolini during World War II, an imposing, totalitarian government out to crush their opponents. I contend that this analysis is an oversimplification of the political problems of Zimbabwe; many of the issues originated before independence and there were many other parties involved that have caused directly and indirectly the problems that Zimbabwe faces today.

In the elections of March 9th-11th of 2002, Robert Mugabe received enough votes to return to the office he has held since April 18th, 1980, the day Zimbabwe became independent. Much turmoil and controversy surrounded the election because of electoral corruption and strong arm tactics by Mugabe’s regime. Mugabe and the ruling ZANU party used several techniques to win this election. First, ballot boxes were set up in disproportionately high numbers in rural areas, which have been sympathetic to Mugabe. Mugabe used a two-prong approach to his constituency; gangs friendly to the ruling party would terrorize the white minority in order to draw up lingering resentment by black Zimbabweans to their previous colonial oppressors. These gangs would also terrorize the black opposition in order to quiet the voices of resistance.