Jacob Chikuhwa was born and raised in Zimbabwe. He was an economics professional for 26 years, then turned to writing full time. His books include A Short Tour of Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe: The Rise to Nationhood. He was editor of the ZANU monthly journal in Scandinavia, Zimbabwe Chimurenga, Impi ye Nkululeko (1974-1976) and founded A Quarterly Abstract of PTC Statistics in 1983. He is currently working on Venturing into the Unknown (Kumaziwandadzoka), a film on HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe, and another title called The Pendulum. Chikuhwa has three further titles pending publication.

Written by an internationally-trained African economic analyst, A Crisis of Governance is a detailed study of Zimbabwean socio-economic history and development since the nation achieved...

Written by an internationally-trained African economic analyst, A Crisis of Governance is a detailed study of Zimbabwean socio-economic history and development since the nation achieved independence from Great Britain in April 1980, with a focus on recent events under President Robert Mugabe and the ZANU (Patriotic Front).

Problems range from the need for constitutional reform to political patronage and a de facto one-party democracy and the need for transparency in land reform, privatization, and economic liberalization.

It is one thing to break free of colonial tutelage; it is quite another to recover from the legacy of colonialism and implement the macroeconomic changes that would lay the basis for a self-sustaining economy. The crisis of governance in Zimbabwe (formerly known as Rhodesia) began with the occupation of Mashonaland by the British South Africa Company (BSAC) in 1890. Self-rule and the subsequent British-sponsored constitutions did not much improve the situation, and the 1965 Unilateral Declaration of Independence only aggravated it.

Jacob Chikuhwa provides many specific examples of the steps forward – and the steps back, documented by personal interviews, news sources and others,

Bibliography, Index, Footnotes.

PART I. CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER 1. SOCIO-POLITICAL SYSTEMS

Pre-Historic Social Structures

Pre-Colonial Political Systems

Colonial Incursions and the Early Constitutions

The Chimurenga War

The 1923 Constitution

The 1961 Constitution

The Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI)

The 1965 Constitution

The 1969 Constitution

CHAPTER 2. THE NEED FOR CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE

Settlement Talks

The 1979 Constitution

The Lusaka Accord and the Lancaster House Constitution

Countless Amendments to the Lancaster House Constitution

Retention of Colonial Laws

Cultural Expression and Repression

Special Legislation and Rights Infringements

The Clamor for a Homegrown Constitution

Mugabe’s Constitutional Commission

The Commission’s Draft versus the Popular Will

Ramming It Through

CHAPTER 3. THE FOLLY IN A DE FACTO ONE-PARTY DEMOCRACY

Harassment of the Opposition

Growing Discontent

Cracks within the Ruling Party

The Roots of Corruption

One-party political systems

Allocation of Resources to the Less-privileged

Aid Programs

Centralized Allocation of Assets and Projects

Commodity Shortages and National Disasters

PART II. ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT

CHAPTER 4. THE INDIGENIZATION POLICY

Prerequisites for Indigenous Investment

The Economic Empowerment Lobby

Political Patronage

CHAPTER 5. ECONOMIC REFORMS

The Land-Reform Program

Economic Liberalization

Parastatal Privatization

Industry and Export Promotion

What Lies Ahead

APPENDIX I. THE PRESIDENCY AND MINISTERS’ SALARIES

APPENDIX II. GOVERNMENT COMPOSITION

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX