Customer Reviews

A Crisis of Governance: Zimbabwe

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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.

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.