A Crisis of Governance: Zimbabwe [Hardcover]

Jacob Chikuhwa (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 20, 2004 | ISBN-10: 0875862853 | ISBN-13: 978-0875862859

This is a detailed analysis of Zimbabwe's struggle to become a viable independent state, with a focus on the tumultuous events under President Robert Mugabe.



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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Chikuhwa chronicles Zimbabwe's bleak history since the nation (then Rhodesia) achieved independence from Great Britain in 1980. Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Chikuhwa devotes the first part of his analysis to his nation's vexed constitutional history. After outlining constitutions set up under British rule and then under a white minority government, the author focuses in detail on the 1979 "Lancaster House Constitution" of the Republic of Zimbabwe and how the new government, dominated by the Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front, or ZANU (PF), and headed by President Robert Mugabe, enacted radical constitutional amendments that gave Mugabe far-reaching presidential powers. Chikuhwa shows how Mugabe's government quickly adopted a Marxist-Leninist style of authoritarianism, and documents widespread corruption, government intolerance of criticism, coercive tactics regarding voting, and the irresponsible manipulation of land redistribution. As many have done, he accuses Mugabe's government of nepotism, corruption and "blatant disregard for accepted ethical commercial practice." The second part of Chikuhwa's study focuses on how corruption and a lack of transparency and accountability in Zimbabwe's governance have intensified social problems, crime and poverty, and have alienated the IMF and World Bank as well as potential foreign investors. Chikuhwa analyzes this "quagmire" industry by industry, making recommendations for economic improvements. Chikuhwa's study, rich in statistical data and heartfelt commentary, will serve as a useful introduction to Zimbabwe's society, economics and recent history.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Perfect Paperback edition.

Review

Chikuhwa presents a thorough, hard-hitting and fair account of the decline of popular government and economic promise in Zimbabwe since the establishment of the ZANU (PF) regime in 1980. The coverage is empirical and divided into two unequal parts: a legalistic description of "constitutional development" and a less structured description of "economic empowerment" failures. All can be explained by the ruthless determination of Mugabe and his cynical inner circle to stay in power and to enrich themselves at state expense. The economic programs fail because government lacks the political will and rejects the basics of democratic ethics. Chikuhwa is best in treating the repression of the media, constitutional amendments, electoral fraud, and growing dissent within the ruling party.... Summing Up: RECOMMENDED. Upper-division undergraduates and above. --CHOICE Jan 2005

Chikuhwa chronicles Zimbabwe's bleak history since the nation (then Rhodesia) achieved independence from Great Britain in 1980. Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Chikuhwa devotes the first part of his analysis to his nation's vexed constitutional history. After outlining constitutions set up under British rule and then under a white minority government, the author focuses in detail on the 1979 "Lancaster House Constitution" of the Republic of Zimbabwe and how the new government, dominated by the Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front, or ZANU (PF), and headed by President Robert Mugabe, enacted radical constitutional amendments that gave Mugabe far-reaching presidential powers.




Chikuhwa shows how Mugabe's government quickly adopted a Marxist-Leninist style of authoritarianism, and documents widespread corruption, government intolerance of criticism, coercive tactics regarding voting, and the irresponsible manipulation of land redistribution. As many have done, he accuses Mugabe's government of nepotism, corruption and "blatant disregard for accepted ethical commercial practice."




The second part of Chikuhwa's study focuses on how corruption and a lack of transparency and accountability in Zimbabwe's governance have intensified social problems, crime and poverty, and have alienated the IMF and World Bank as well as potential foreign investors. Chikuhwa analyzes this "quagmire" industry by industry, making recommendations for economic improvements. Chikuhwa's study, rich in statistical data and heartfelt commentary, will serve as a useful introduction to Zimbabwe's society, economics and recent history. --Publishers Weekly

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Algora Publishing (April 20, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0875862853
• ISBN-13: 978-0875862859
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,851,821 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Zimbabwe's Crisis In Its Full Context, May 14, 2004

By 

T. Wilson (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Crisis of Governance: Zimbabwe (Hardcover)

Even with intense interest and focus on Zimbabwe, few analyses have been able to penetrate to the heart of the matter, moving us beyond the strident rhetoric of all the parties concerned. This detailed examination transcends the restricted view of the crisis in Zimbabwe through the lens of land dispute, to a broader perspective of an even more fundamental failure in governance. The author argues that the crisis in Zimbabwe is not as much a function of a heated confrontation over land, as it is a deeper issue of failed constitutional reform since the country's independence in 1980. The crisis has ensued precisely because the government has failed to move Zimbabwe beyond the negotiated Lancaster House Constitution of 1980, to a document that truly reflects the aspirations of the majority of Zimbabweans.

Expansive, thorough and compellingly argued, this is a 'must read' for all who appreciate the complexities of politics in post-colonial Africa.

4.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting book, good detail, March 13, 2011

By 

ATB990 - See all my reviews

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This review is from: A Crisis of Governance: Zimbabwe (Perfect Paperback)

I read this book about a year ago, it helped me understand the difficulties of African nations gaining independence and maintaining it. The author had so much detail I often felt I was reading a historical fiction.