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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 0-9

Zimbabwe in 2010: A Short Guide to the Future

Author: Gabriel Shumba
Organisation: Zimbabwe exiles forum
Publish Date: February 2010
Country: Africa
Sector: Democracy & Governance, Legal & Civic Rights
Method: Scenarios
Theme: Living Standards
Type: Article
Language: English
Tags: Civil, Political, Rights, Zimbabwe, Democracy

Zimbabwe has witnessed some of the worst crimes against humanity to be committed on the African continent in recent years. Civil and political rights violations were in most instances committed immediately before, during or after elections. Supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and human rights defenders bore the brunt of the repression. Bad governance having worsed the situation to such an extent that in July 2008, Zimbabwe’s official inflation rate was 231,150,888.87%, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimbabwean_dollar ), with unemployment at over 85%. Unofficial calculations by Professor of applied economics Steve Hanke of the John Hopkins University however put the country’s inflation at a staggering “6.5 quindecillion novemdecillion percent - 65 followed by 107 zeros”with prices doubling ëvery 24.7” hours. (http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=82500 ). Zimbabwe was an international pariah and almost a failed state.

It is in order to prevent the complete collapse of the country that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) foisted a Government of National Unity (GNU) or Inclusive Government (IG) on the country. This Inclusive Government has no legitimacy in the eyes of the majority of Zimbabweans as it is an imposition that subverts the will of the people who on 29 March 2009 had voted for the MDC to be in government. However, following widespread and brutal abuses, the this government was constituted through the Global Political Agreement of the 15th of September 2008 and was formalised on the 11th of February 2009. It is almost a year since the GNU came to life. This article seeks to give a short audit of the GNU, give a projection of the future as well as offer suggestions for the international community’s re-engagement with Zimbabwe.


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