Animal Farm

By Youngerson Matete Since the military coup in November 2017 that ousted long-time ruler Robert Mugabe and brought Emmerson Mnangagwa to power, Zimbabwe has witnessed the rapid rise of a new black business elite. This elite has enriched itself through corrupt state tenders, patronage networks, and the capture of key economic sectors. This class has amassed vast illicit wealth not through innovation or entrepreneurship, but by parasitically extracting from the state through its network with the ruling elite. Operating in the shadows of formal governance, they have become an alternate power center - shadow sovereigns - who now rival the military in influence and pose an existential threat to Zimbabwe’s democratic future. Far from being passive beneficiaries of state largesse, this group has actively entrenched itself within the ruling ZANU-PF party and government structures.  Owing to each other’s survival the ruling party ZANU-PF and this new business elite have all the incentives...

By Youngerson Matete Zimbabwe: When Democracy’s Trappings Mask a Harder Reality. Zimbabwe stands as a stark reminder that the trappings of democracy  –  elections, constitutions, opposition parties  –  can sometimes cloak a much harder reality. For decades   ZANU-PF,   has meticulously constructed  a   resilient edifice of control, far surpassing mere electoral malpractices. For Zimbabwe's opposition movements, understanding and dismantling this sophisticated statecraft isn't just a political challenge; it's the prerequisite for any meaningful  political breakthrough and those  yearning for genuine change, understanding this intricate architecture isn't just an academic exercise; it's the essential first step towards dismantling it. This  goes beyond targeting to  win a single election; it's about confronting a system designed t o defeat the purpose of elections. A  system  that   scholars like Masunung...