Africa

It is a symptom of the diminished expectations and shrinking horizons in Zimbabwean politics that Simba Makoni's entry into the 2008 presidential race has created such a stir in the country's body politic. With the country sinking further into the mire of an extended political and economic debacle, the prospect of yet another disastrous Mugabe electoral 'victory' appeared a desultory inevitability.

Background information and analysis after the elections in Zimbabwe.

What will a post-elections Zimbabwe look like? We will have to wait and see. In the best case, a government of national unity or tentative reforms under ZANU-PF seem possible. In the worst case there might be a bloody uprising or the military could intervene in case of an opposition win. Anything is possible.

The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) observes the run-up to the elections on March 29, 2008.

Interview with Zimbabwean journalist Basildon Peta on the prospects for the March 29, 2008 elections in his country, the options for the divided opposition and the stance of Zimbabwe's neighbours, the international community, and the EU.

The ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) and its leader President Robert Mugabe have puzzled many by successively ‘winning’ elections in the midst of serious and unprecedented economic and political decline. What are the reasons? What is Mugabe's background?

Matabeleland consists of three western provinces of Zimbabwe, namely Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South and Bulawayo. This region, stereotyped as marginalised and underdeveloped, and also as a hotbed of political opposition both historically and currently, is once more poised to play a strategic role in the forthcoming elections.

Whoever wins in Zimbabwe's presidential elections on March 29, 2008 has his work cut out for them. The task is to restore this beautiful country to the “little Switzerland” it used to be before being engulfed in the current political and economic quagmire.

Perspectives is a publication series of the Africa offices of the Heinrich Böll Stiftung. With this series, we intend to let experts from Africa express their views about current political issues in their region. Here you find PDFs of all issues published between 2008 and mid-2012.

The Heinrich Böll Foundation has been active in Southern Africa since 1989 and for many years has focused on supporting civil society actors in the region. Since 2007, the Foundation has acted more at the interface between civil society and parliaments.