Zimbabwe since the Unity Government

Zimbabwe has moved from a condition of restricted expression to one of many contradictory expressions. Politics has lost none of its compromises and conflicts, but it has been amplified by an explosion of voices. For the first time, a genuine debate is possible among many actors, insiders and outsiders, and the question marks over Zimbabwe and its future are no longer in terms of a narrow choice between one party and another, one outlook or another. Compromise government has meant complexity of debate. This does not preclude disillusionment within debate, but it does include vigour and imagination in debate. This book includes essays from renowned scholars, governmental and diplomatic figures, and prioritises contributions by Zimbabweans themselves. The essays provide a blend of academic and practitioner observation and judgement which no other volume has done. This book was published as a special issue of The Round Table.

1. Introduction: The Space of Many Voices—Zimbabwe since the Unity Government 2. Zimbabwe’s ‘Inclusive Government’: Some Observations on its First 100 Days 3. Lessons from African Diplomatic Initiatives in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and Zimbabwe 4. Angola–Zimbabwe Relations: A Study in the Search for Regional Alliances 5. Emergence of a New Political Movement 6. The Consequences of Violent Politics in Norton, Zimbabwe 7. Diasporic Repositioning and the Politics of Re-engagement: Developmentalising Zimbabwe’s Diaspora? 8. The Global Political Agreement as a ‘Passive Revolution’: Notes on Contemporary Politics in Zimbabwe 9. Postscript: Making Do in Hybrid House Book Reviews Edited by Terry A. Barringer Commonwealth Bookshelf Compiled by Terry A. Barringer

Stephen Chan was a member of the 1980 Commonwealth Observer Group that oversaw the independence of Zimbabwe. He was Foundation Dean at SOAS, where he remains Professor of International Relations. He has published the authoritative works on both Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai. Ranka Primorac is Lecturer in English at Southampton. She lived 9 years in Zimbabwe and has published several books on the literature of the country, including the authoritative The Place Of Tears. Together, they edited the Routledge book, Zimbabwe in Crisis, 2007.