Opposition political parties in Zimbabwe: An elusive promise of a democratic breakthrough!
By Liam Takura Kanhenga and Youngerson Matete Since 2000, there have been several attempts to dislodge the ruling party ZANU-PF from government. The ruling party’s mismanagement of the economy has led to an economic crisis that has rendered many Zimbabweans poor. This has led to an intensification of calls for the removal of ZANU-PF. The formation of the Movement for Democratic Change in 1999 heralded a serious threat to ZANU-PF’s hold on power. As the economy continues to deteriorate more and more people become dissatisfied with the ruling party. As it became more evident that there was a real danger of losing power ZANU-PF began to tighten the grip and vice of power. Ever since there have been attempts to dislodge the ruling party from power by then MDC now reconstituted to Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) but ZANU-PF has maintained its grip on power. While these parties hold promise, it is essential to recognize that they are not a guaranteed solution for achieving democratic