When a State Turns on its Citizens: 60 Years of Institutionalised Violence in ZimbabweLloyd Sachikonye traces the roots of Zimbabwe's contemporary violence to the actions of the Rhodesian armed forces, and the inter-party conflicts that occurred during the liberation war. His focus, however, is the period since 2000, which has seen state-sponsored violence erupting in election campaigns and throughout the programme of fast-track land reform. The consequences of this violence run wide and deep. Aside from inflicting trauma and fear on its victims, the impunity enjoyed by its perpetrators has helped to mould a culture within which personal freedoms and dreams are strangled. At a broader social level, it is responsible - both directly and indirectly - for millions of Zimbabweans voting with their feet and heading for the diaspora. Such a migration 'cannot simply be explained in terms of the search for greener economic pastures. Escape from authoritarianism, violence, trauma and fear is a large factor behind the exodus.' Sachikonye concludes that any future quest for justice and reconciliation will depend on the country facing up to the truth about the violence and hatred that have infected its past and present. |
Contents
Chapter 1 Background History and Patterns of Political Violence | 1 |
Chapter 2 Political Violence and the Scramble for Resources | 28 |
Chapter 3 Systemic Violence and the 2008 Election | 45 |
Chapter 4 Violence and Political Culture | 62 |
Chapter 5 Wider Impact of Political Violence on Society | 86 |
Conclusion | 100 |
Afterword | 105 |
Bibliography | 111 |
Appendix 1 A Note on Methodology | 119 |
Back cover | 123 |
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Common terms and phrases
activists African Afrobarometer amongst army assaulted authoritarian beaten beatings Border Gezi brutal Bulawayo CCJPZ cent Chapter Chitungwiza civil society clashes colonial confiscated contest CSOs CSVR Democratic detention economic election campaign factions farm-workers farms fear Freedom House groups guerrillas Gukurahundi Harare harassment human rights Ibid impunity instance institutions inter-party violence Interview intimidation Joshua Nkomo killed labour land leaders leadership liberation Mashonaland West Masvingo Matabeleland MDC supporters MDC youths military Morgan Tsvangirai Mugabe regime National nationalist Nkomo observed Operation Operation Murambatsvina opposition parties opposition supporters organizations participation period perpetrators police political culture political violence protests regime forces repression retribution Robert Mugabe ruling party run-off election rural areas Sachikonye Sithole student torture transitional justice trauma Tsvangirai Union University of Zimbabwe urban veterans victims voted voters women WOZA ZANLA ZANU ZANU-PF ZANU-PF supporters ZANU-PF youths ZAPU ZCTU ZHR NGO Forum Zimbabwe’s political Zimbabwean Zimbabwean society ZIPRA