The Role of
Civil Society In The Face of Weak
Opposition
A Case Study
of Zimbabwe
A Paper
Presented By Dumisani O. Nkomo
Habakkuk
Trust C.E.O
At
The Civil
Society and Political Trends Seminar
M.S.T.C.D.C , Arusha ,Tanzania
14 May 2012
Blog-www.dumisanionkomo.blogspot.com
dumienkomo@twitter.com
Executive Summary
This paper seeks to provide an overview of the role of civil
society in the context of weak opposition parties with Zimbabwe as a case study
.This discussion paper is located in the context of the rapid evolution and
metamorphosis of civil society in Africa ,the changing political landscape and
a complex global socio economic and
technological architecture .The discussion paper will provide an outline of
the theoretic framework of the functions
and objects of civil society ,the functions and objects of political parties
and the conditions within which civil society is located in continentally and
more specifically in Zimbabwe .
Pertinently the Zimbabwean experience is a useful case study
because of the incremental but phenomenal development of civil society in
Zimbabwe in a very restrictive operational environment epitomized by repressive
legislation ,polarization and a background of intense conflict and violence
.Importantly the role of civil society must be viewed in a historical and
futuristic context with strategic perspectives
with the benefit of hindsight and
strategic glimpses into the future using the lens of critical analysis and
reflection.
Post Independent Africa
Post independent Africa has experienced the phenomena
of one party rule characterized by the emergence of “strong men
“ most of whom where the darlings of the post colonial struggle for
independence .The one party ,one leader concept was warmly embraced in Tanzania
,Uganda ,Zimbabwe ,Angola ,Mozambique ,Malawi ,Zambia ,Kenya amongst other
countries .Critically military strongmen emerged in countries such as Ghana
,Nigeria ,Equatorial Guinea and Uganda
.These post independent regimes created a culture of monolithic
,monopolistic and dictatorial political
systems epicentred around powerful political parties and enigmatic leaders
.Political plurality was at best frowned upon and at worst ruthlessly crushed
.The growth of opposition parties and civil society was thus stunted in most of independent Africa .This was
accentuated by the perpetuation of the colonial legacy of repressive
legislation that criminalized freedom of expression ,association and assembly
.Opponents of the new regimes were ruthlessly crushed and public space for
informed dissent and engagement severely limited .It is in this historical
context that opposition political parties emerged and evolved in post
independent Africa .
Context and Typography of
States
Civil Society organizations and opposition parties most
often occupy similar spaces in the public domain although they exist for
different reasons .Political parties exist to acquire ,secure and retain power
.Civil society exists to influence power
so that voices of marginalized communities are amplified and the interests of
various societal sectors such as women ,youths ,informal traders are clearly articulated .
Failed States
Countries such as Somalia are largely failed stated
epitomized by a collapsed governance
system ,inability of the nation state to protect itself from internal and
external threats and congenital incapacity to deliver basic services .
Post Conflict States
Critically countries such as Kenya are typical examples
of nation states that have experienced
intense conflict and violence in the context of election contestation and are
currently transitioning to full democracy through transitional justice
,constitutional review and fresh electoral processes .Arguably Lesotho and
Zimbabwe fall under a similar bracket of transitioning nation states whose
political destiny may either be abortive or affirmative .The context and
conditions of civil society and conditions has thus been intoxicated with post
conflict contestations for political power .In Zimbabwe ,Madagascar and Kenya
inclusive governments exist due to the failure of opposition parties to win the
presidential and legislative elections .The governments in these countries are
a result of disputed elections preceded by organized political violence and
massive voting irregularities and manipulation of the electoral processes by
incumbents .
Emerging Democracies
A number of countries have evolved into fairly robust
democracies epitomized by democratic constitutions and institutions ,regular
free and fair elections ,change of government and peaceful transfer of power
.This has been the case in Malawi
,Zambia ,Ghana and Senegal where
elections have resulted in regime change ,a term that has been criminalized in
Zimbabwe but which is common and in fact best practise in the practise of
democracy .Civil society and opposition parties are very strong in these
countries and this could be attributed to the abundant space which is available
due to factors such as a positive ,democratic culture and environments as well as enabling legislation. It is critical
to be cognisant of why opposition parties are strong in some countries and why
they are weak in other countries in the same way that it is critical to
understand and appreciate why civil society is strong in some countries and
weak in others .Still in other counties civil society is strong but opposition
parties are weak .
Democracy In One Party Context
Several counties have opened space to political pluralism
,citizen engagement ,adherence to human rights and democratic institutions but
these countries have been ruled by the same parties in perpetuity
since independence .Opposition parties could be said to be weak in these
counties whilst civil society is fairly strong
whilst incumbent ruling parties
have adapted to democratic conditions and contexts to maintain power .This is
the case in South Africa ,Botswana
,Mozambique and Tanzania .These countries have been ruled by one party
since independence and this could be attributable to factors such as internal
democracy within these political institutions
and leadership renewal .South Africa has had three presidents since independence in the nineties namely
Nelson Mandela ,Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma .Botswana has had Sereste
Khama ,Quett Masire ,Festus Mogae and
Ian Khama .
Political and Military Dictatorships
In these countries dictators have held on to power for more
than two decades .Included in this bracket is Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe ,Uganda under Yoweri Museveni and Angola under Dos Santos .In these counties
the space for opposition parties has been severely limited and this has been compounded
by internal structural weaknesses intrinsic to the design and architecture of
opposition parties as well as prohibitive external factors created by the dictatorial regimes .Civil society has
however thrived in these difficult conditions and has actually offered
alternatives leadership in most of these countries .In Zimbabwe sic
election and one constitutional
referendum have been held since the year 2000 .Elections are held routinely and
regularly but this proves that elections are not in themselves a reflection of
democracy when the fundamentals of a participatory democracy characterized by
imperatives such as media plurality, respect for fundamental rights and freedom
of association and assembly are not
promoted .
Zimbabwe – Role of Civil
Society in the Face of A Weak
Opposition
After gaining independence in 1980 the ruling party ZANU P.F
under Robert Mugabe brutally eliminated
the then major opposition party P.F ZAPU which was led by the founding father of the country’s
liberation struggle Dr Joshua Nkomo .In the ensuing power struggle Prime Minister Robert Mugabe
dispatched the notorious North Korean trained Fifth Brigade which was
explicitly loyal to ZANU P.F and not the government . Between 1983 -1987 over
twenty thousand people were slaughtered in Matabeleland, the stronghold of Joshua Nkomo whilst
hundreds of thousands were maimed ,displaced ,raped and forced into exile in
neighbouring countries .Civil society at this time was very weak and the labour
and student movement were an extension
of the government and the party .The only organization that played a critical
role was the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace which documented the
massacres in a report entitled “Breaking The Silence ,Building True Peace “
.The Catholic Bishops tried to engage Prime Minister Robert Mugabe on the issue but were dismissed as a “band of Jeremiahs “and
Nkomo labelled a “snake “that needed to be destroyed .After five years of
battering of the official opposition ,P.F ZAPU succumbed to ZANU P.F to save Matabeleland
from total destruction and the two parties combined under a Unity Accord to
form one Party “ Zanu P.F” under the leadership of Mugabe .The violent conduct
Mugabe was insulated by the politics of the Cold War since Nkomo was an ally of
Russia and Mugabe was a darling of the west at that time .
Post 1990
In the post unity accord era the government sought to cement
the one party system but at this time civil society began to emerge as a
critical voice mainly through the students movement at the University of
Zimbabwe led by Arthur Mutambara and Enoch Chigweje [now Munyaradzi Gwisai
].Academics from the universities also became increasingly critical of the
government leading to the formation of the academics -led Forum party of
Zimbabwe with retired Chief Justice Dumbuchena as its leader .The party was however too
elitist and was easily defeated by ZANU
.P.F .Later the Zimbabwe Unity Movement was formed by maverick politician Edgar
Tekere ,a former ZANU P.F stalwart but once again it was easily defeated by
ZANU P.F .
The Genesis of Strong
Civil Society
By 1998 the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions led by its
president Gibson Sibanda and Secretary General Morgan Tsvangirai had become a
huge voice for the workers struggling under the effects of the World Bank
imposed the Structural Adjustment Programme ,corruption and poor economic
policies .In 1998 the labour movement organized a strike that paralyzed the
entire nation .Later on in the capital Harare food protests broke out and
regime change seemed imminent .Civil society was virtually leading the
democratic process in the absence of a viable opposition.
The National Constitutional Assembly then emerged under the
auspices of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches which housed the secretariat. The
demands of the National Constitutional Assembly were simple .A new people
driven constitution to curb excessive presidential powers and legitimized dictatorship
.The new civic body was the brainchild of activists such as Deprose Muchena
,Brian Kagoro and Twanda Mutasa but strategically they identified popular civic
society leaders such as Morgan Tsvangirai,Welshman Ncube ,David Coltart ,Lovemore Maduku,Janah Ncube and
Tendai Biti to be at the forefront of
the constitutional body .Most of these leaders went on to form the country’s
biggest opposition party ,the Movement For Democratic Change led by Tsvangirai
with Ncube as Secretary general and wide
variety of student activists ,labour leaders
and academics s in the leadership of the new party .
In response to the emerging civil society and opposition
tidal wave the government set up its own constitutional commission to gather
people’s views on the new constitution .The constitution was subjected to a
referendum and was rejected by the people .For the first time Robert Mugabe
were defeated in a plebiscite .Mugabe reacted swiftly to this by unleashing war
veterans on farms of white commercial farmers claiming that the revolution was about
to be subverted by the M.D.C ,civil society ,the west and the whites .Over 200
people were killed during this time ,especially white commercial farmers and
supporters of the opposition M.D.C .This was Mugabe’s preparation for the
elections which followed were his party narrowly won the elections .At this
time civil society and the opposition were at their peak .
However by 2006 the opposition MD.C had split into two
formations with one led by Tsvangirai and the other by Arthur Mutambara .The
M.D.C has subsequently fragmented into four parties namely the M.D.C –T ,the M.D.C led by
Ncube ,M.D.C 99 and M.D.C -M .Interestingly
though the divided opposition defeated Mugabe in the 2008 elections but failed
to garner a majority in the first round .This was after election results were
withheld for over three months by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. During
this time opposition activists were locked up ,beaten and tortured resulting in
the opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai refusing to participate in the
presidential run off with President Mugabe who subsequently “won: the one man
race . In a rare show of speed “the
results “were announced within 24 hours and Mugabe was quickly sworn in as
president .The government was however not recognized by SADC ,the regional body
.Civil society played a critical role in documenting election and human rights
violations ,civic participation ,information dissemination and regional and
international advocacy resulting in the formation of an inclusive government
comprising of the M.D.C T ,ZANU P.F and
the M.D.C -M .A Global political
Agreement as the basis of the new power
sharing agreement underwritten by SADC enshrining a transitional period
epitomized by a new constitution making process ,national healing ,media
plurality institutional reform and removal of sanctions /restrictive measures .
Operating Environment
The inclusive government has failed to implement at least 26
issues in the global political agreement
including media and institutional reform
.The constitution making process is almost complete whilst national healing and
reconciliation was largely a window dressing and public relations exercise .The
former opposition parties are still weak due politicization of state structures
,ZANU .P.F control of the military and restrictive legislation .Repressive legislation
which remains in place includes the Public Order and Security Act ,the Access
to Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Official Secrets Act .Through its legislative and
constitutional architecture the Mugabe regime created “legal “dictatorship
backed by statutes and laws .
Why Is The Opposition Weak?
The opposition in Zimbabwe is weak because of the following
reasons:
1.Fragmentation-there are over ten opposition parties with
four M.D.C formations ,four Z.A.P.U. parties ,Mavambo/Kusile Dawn Party and ZANU –Ndonga .At least another eight or
so parties always emerge at election time
2.Lack of clear ideology
3.Lack of vision-premised on an emotional response to the
Mugabe regime and economic environment and no properly thought out policies and
vision beyond the “ Mugabe must go “mantra
4.Poor Leadership
5.Brutal state military ,intelligence and police
superstructure
6.Limited space to campaign
7.Lack of media plurality
Civil society has somehow emerged stronger with creative
coping mechanisms and this could be attributed to :
1.Dynamic change conscious leadership
2.Fluid networks and coalitions
3.Robust regional and international advocacy
5.Vibrant grassroots mobilization and advocacy
6.Responsiveness to changing political environment
Challenges’
1.Exodus of civil society leader to Diaspora
2.Recruitement of civic leader by inclusive government resulting in some N.G.O ‘s having an identity
crisis.
3.Polarization
4.Iregular funding
5.Restricted operational Space
6.Politicians from both ruling party and opposition
threatened by growth of civil society organizations
7.Creation of counterfeit state aligned civic organizations
Positioning of Civil Society In Current Context and Beyond
Civil society has to clearly identify its role and mandate
in this limited space and ensure that this space is protected and advanced .The
following roles of Civil Society need to
be clearly articulated and promoted
1.Promotion of citizen participation in decision making
processes
2.Local ,national ,regional and international advocacy on
behalf of marginalized groups.
3.Public accountability
4.Policy research and monitoring
5.Conflict management and transformation
6.Election awareness and monitoring
7.Catalyzing community development
8.Complementing government initiatives were necessary
Broadly speaking the mandate of civil society id the pursuit
of social ,economic ,political and ecological justice and this is a profoundly political mandate
which should be carried out in a non partisan manner .
Dilemmas
The biggest dilemma facing civil society is that of being
confused with the opposition parties especially when there is confluence on
certain issues e.g. constitution making .I submit that since country contexts
and conditions differ civil society organizations have to make strategic decisions
informed by their peculiar country contexts
as long as this does not compromise on organizational integrity and
autonomy without detaining popular struggles for democracy through spectartorship .Inevitably
civil society will be accused of being partisan but civil society should not
allow itself to be defined by “government propaganda but by their principles ,visions ,values and missions
What Can Be Done
1.Civic groups need to develop clear ideologies ,belief
systems and visionary frameworks
2.Developing civics into non partisan and yet un
apologetically political entities .
3.Building solidarity ,linkages and coalitions at regional
and global level
4.Explore new funding sustainable ,innovative funding
paradigms and sources
5.Leadership d development and succession planning in civil
society
6.Utilizing former civil society operatives and leaders who
are now n government for information and space but maintaining non partisanship
Conclusion
I believe the Zimbabwean experience proffers opportunities
for civil society to play a pa active role in the democratization and transformation of nations even in the
context of weak opposition parties .
Asante!
Role of
Civil Society In The Face of Weak
Opposition
A Case Study
of Zimbabwe
A Paper
Presented By Dumisani O. Nkomo
Habakkuk
Trust C.E.O
At
The Civil
Society and Political Trends Seminar
M.S.T.C.D.C , Arusha ,Tanzania
14 May 2012
Blog-www.dumisanionkomo.blogspot.com
dumienkomo@twitter.com
Executive Summary
This paper seeks to provide an overview of the role of civil
society in the context of weak opposition parties with Zimbabwe as a case study
.This discussion paper is located in the context of the rapid evolution and
metamorphosis of civil society in Africa ,the changing political landscape and
a complex global socio economic and
technological architecture .The discussion paper will provide an outline of
the theoretic framework of the functions
and objects of civil society ,the functions and objects of political parties
and the conditions within which civil society is located in continentally and
more specifically in Zimbabwe .
Pertinently the Zimbabwean experience is a useful case study
because of the incremental but phenomenal development of civil society in
Zimbabwe in a very restrictive operational environment epitomized by repressive
legislation ,polarization and a background of intense conflict and violence
.Importantly the role of civil society must be viewed in a historical and
futuristic context with strategic perspectives
with the benefit of hindsight and
strategic glimpses into the future using the lens of critical analysis and
reflection.
Post Independent Africa
Post independent Africa has experienced the phenomena
of one party rule characterized by the emergence of “strong men
“ most of whom where the darlings of the post colonial struggle for
independence .The one party ,one leader concept was warmly embraced in Tanzania
,Uganda ,Zimbabwe ,Angola ,Mozambique ,Malawi ,Zambia ,Kenya amongst other
countries .Critically military strongmen emerged in countries such as Ghana
,Nigeria ,Equatorial Guinea and Uganda
.These post independent regimes created a culture of monolithic
,monopolistic and dictatorial political
systems epicentred around powerful political parties and enigmatic leaders
.Political plurality was at best frowned upon and at worst ruthlessly crushed
.The growth of opposition parties and civil society was thus stunted in most of independent Africa .This was
accentuated by the perpetuation of the colonial legacy of repressive
legislation that criminalized freedom of expression ,association and assembly
.Opponents of the new regimes were ruthlessly crushed and public space for
informed dissent and engagement severely limited .It is in this historical
context that opposition political parties emerged and evolved in post
independent Africa .
Context and Typography of
States
Civil Society organizations and opposition parties most
often occupy similar spaces in the public domain although they exist for
different reasons .Political parties exist to acquire ,secure and retain power
.Civil society exists to influence power
so that voices of marginalized communities are amplified and the interests of
various societal sectors such as women ,youths ,informal traders are clearly articulated .
Failed States
Countries such as Somalia are largely failed stated
epitomized by a collapsed governance
system ,inability of the nation state to protect itself from internal and
external threats and congenital incapacity to deliver basic services .
Post Conflict States
Critically countries such as Kenya are typical examples
of nation states that have experienced
intense conflict and violence in the context of election contestation and are
currently transitioning to full democracy through transitional justice
,constitutional review and fresh electoral processes .Arguably Lesotho and
Zimbabwe fall under a similar bracket of transitioning nation states whose
political destiny may either be abortive or affirmative .The context and
conditions of civil society and conditions has thus been intoxicated with post
conflict contestations for political power .In Zimbabwe ,Madagascar and Kenya
inclusive governments exist due to the failure of opposition parties to win the
presidential and legislative elections .The governments in these countries are
a result of disputed elections preceded by organized political violence and
massive voting irregularities and manipulation of the electoral processes by
incumbents .
Emerging Democracies
A number of countries have evolved into fairly robust
democracies epitomized by democratic constitutions and institutions ,regular
free and fair elections ,change of government and peaceful transfer of power
.This has been the case in Malawi
,Zambia ,Ghana and Senegal where
elections have resulted in regime change ,a term that has been criminalized in
Zimbabwe but which is common and in fact best practise in the practise of
democracy .Civil society and opposition parties are very strong in these
countries and this could be attributed to the abundant space which is available
due to factors such as a positive ,democratic culture and environments as well as enabling legislation. It is critical
to be cognisant of why opposition parties are strong in some countries and why
they are weak in other countries in the same way that it is critical to
understand and appreciate why civil society is strong in some countries and
weak in others .Still in other counties civil society is strong but opposition
parties are weak .
Democracy In One Party Context
Several counties have opened space to political pluralism
,citizen engagement ,adherence to human rights and democratic institutions but
these countries have been ruled by the same parties in perpetuity
since independence .Opposition parties could be said to be weak in these
counties whilst civil society is fairly strong
whilst incumbent ruling parties
have adapted to democratic conditions and contexts to maintain power .This is
the case in South Africa ,Botswana
,Mozambique and Tanzania .These countries have been ruled by one party
since independence and this could be attributable to factors such as internal
democracy within these political institutions
and leadership renewal .South Africa has had three presidents since independence in the nineties namely
Nelson Mandela ,Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma .Botswana has had Sereste
Khama ,Quett Masire ,Festus Mogae and
Ian Khama .
Political and Military Dictatorships
In these countries dictators have held on to power for more
than two decades .Included in this bracket is Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe ,Uganda under Yoweri Museveni and Angola under Dos Santos .In these counties
the space for opposition parties has been severely limited and this has been compounded
by internal structural weaknesses intrinsic to the design and architecture of
opposition parties as well as prohibitive external factors created by the dictatorial regimes .Civil society has
however thrived in these difficult conditions and has actually offered
alternatives leadership in most of these countries .In Zimbabwe sic
election and one constitutional
referendum have been held since the year 2000 .Elections are held routinely and
regularly but this proves that elections are not in themselves a reflection of
democracy when the fundamentals of a participatory democracy characterized by
imperatives such as media plurality, respect for fundamental rights and freedom
of association and assembly are not
promoted .
Zimbabwe – Role of Civil
Society in the Face of A Weak
Opposition
After gaining independence in 1980 the ruling party ZANU P.F
under Robert Mugabe brutally eliminated
the then major opposition party P.F ZAPU which was led by the founding father of the country’s
liberation struggle Dr Joshua Nkomo .In the ensuing power struggle Prime Minister Robert Mugabe
dispatched the notorious North Korean trained Fifth Brigade which was
explicitly loyal to ZANU P.F and not the government . Between 1983 -1987 over
twenty thousand people were slaughtered in Matabeleland, the stronghold of Joshua Nkomo whilst
hundreds of thousands were maimed ,displaced ,raped and forced into exile in
neighbouring countries .Civil society at this time was very weak and the labour
and student movement were an extension
of the government and the party .The only organization that played a critical
role was the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace which documented the
massacres in a report entitled “Breaking The Silence ,Building True Peace “
.The Catholic Bishops tried to engage Prime Minister Robert Mugabe on the issue but were dismissed as a “band of Jeremiahs “and
Nkomo labelled a “snake “that needed to be destroyed .After five years of
battering of the official opposition ,P.F ZAPU succumbed to ZANU P.F to save Matabeleland
from total destruction and the two parties combined under a Unity Accord to
form one Party “ Zanu P.F” under the leadership of Mugabe .The violent conduct
Mugabe was insulated by the politics of the Cold War since Nkomo was an ally of
Russia and Mugabe was a darling of the west at that time .
Post 1990
In the post unity accord era the government sought to cement
the one party system but at this time civil society began to emerge as a
critical voice mainly through the students movement at the University of
Zimbabwe led by Arthur Mutambara and Enoch Chigweje [now Munyaradzi Gwisai
].Academics from the universities also became increasingly critical of the
government leading to the formation of the academics -led Forum party of
Zimbabwe with retired Chief Justice Dumbuchena as its leader .The party was however too
elitist and was easily defeated by ZANU
.P.F .Later the Zimbabwe Unity Movement was formed by maverick politician Edgar
Tekere ,a former ZANU P.F stalwart but once again it was easily defeated by
ZANU P.F .
The Genesis of Strong
Civil Society
By 1998 the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions led by its
president Gibson Sibanda and Secretary General Morgan Tsvangirai had become a
huge voice for the workers struggling under the effects of the World Bank
imposed the Structural Adjustment Programme ,corruption and poor economic
policies .In 1998 the labour movement organized a strike that paralyzed the
entire nation .Later on in the capital Harare food protests broke out and
regime change seemed imminent .Civil society was virtually leading the
democratic process in the absence of a viable opposition.
The National Constitutional Assembly then emerged under the
auspices of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches which housed the secretariat. The
demands of the National Constitutional Assembly were simple .A new people
driven constitution to curb excessive presidential powers and legitimized dictatorship
.The new civic body was the brainchild of activists such as Deprose Muchena
,Brian Kagoro and Twanda Mutasa but strategically they identified popular civic
society leaders such as Morgan Tsvangirai,Welshman Ncube ,David Coltart ,Lovemore Maduku,Janah Ncube and
Tendai Biti to be at the forefront of
the constitutional body .Most of these leaders went on to form the country’s
biggest opposition party ,the Movement For Democratic Change led by Tsvangirai
with Ncube as Secretary general and wide
variety of student activists ,labour leaders
and academics s in the leadership of the new party .
In response to the emerging civil society and opposition
tidal wave the government set up its own constitutional commission to gather
people’s views on the new constitution .The constitution was subjected to a
referendum and was rejected by the people .For the first time Robert Mugabe
were defeated in a plebiscite .Mugabe reacted swiftly to this by unleashing war
veterans on farms of white commercial farmers claiming that the revolution was about
to be subverted by the M.D.C ,civil society ,the west and the whites .Over 200
people were killed during this time ,especially white commercial farmers and
supporters of the opposition M.D.C .This was Mugabe’s preparation for the
elections which followed were his party narrowly won the elections .At this
time civil society and the opposition were at their peak .
However by 2006 the opposition MD.C had split into two
formations with one led by Tsvangirai and the other by Arthur Mutambara .The
M.D.C has subsequently fragmented into four parties namely the M.D.C –T ,the M.D.C led by
Ncube ,M.D.C 99 and M.D.C -M .Interestingly
though the divided opposition defeated Mugabe in the 2008 elections but failed
to garner a majority in the first round .This was after election results were
withheld for over three months by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. During
this time opposition activists were locked up ,beaten and tortured resulting in
the opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai refusing to participate in the
presidential run off with President Mugabe who subsequently “won: the one man
race . In a rare show of speed “the
results “were announced within 24 hours and Mugabe was quickly sworn in as
president .The government was however not recognized by SADC ,the regional body
.Civil society played a critical role in documenting election and human rights
violations ,civic participation ,information dissemination and regional and
international advocacy resulting in the formation of an inclusive government
comprising of the M.D.C T ,ZANU P.F and
the M.D.C -M .A Global political
Agreement as the basis of the new power
sharing agreement underwritten by SADC enshrining a transitional period
epitomized by a new constitution making process ,national healing ,media
plurality institutional reform and removal of sanctions /restrictive measures .
Operating Environment
The inclusive government has failed to implement at least 26
issues in the global political agreement
including media and institutional reform
.The constitution making process is almost complete whilst national healing and
reconciliation was largely a window dressing and public relations exercise .The
former opposition parties are still weak due politicization of state structures
,ZANU .P.F control of the military and restrictive legislation .Repressive legislation
which remains in place includes the Public Order and Security Act ,the Access
to Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Official Secrets Act .Through its legislative and
constitutional architecture the Mugabe regime created “legal “dictatorship
backed by statutes and laws .
Why Is The Opposition Weak?
The opposition in Zimbabwe is weak because of the following
reasons:
1.Fragmentation-there are over ten opposition parties with
four M.D.C formations ,four Z.A.P.U. parties ,Mavambo/Kusile Dawn Party and ZANU –Ndonga .At least another eight or
so parties always emerge at election time
2.Lack of clear ideology
3.Lack of vision-premised on an emotional response to the
Mugabe regime and economic environment and no properly thought out policies and
vision beyond the “ Mugabe must go “mantra
4.Poor Leadership
5.Brutal state military ,intelligence and police
superstructure
6.Limited space to campaign
7.Lack of media plurality
Civil society has somehow emerged stronger with creative
coping mechanisms and this could be attributed to :
1.Dynamic change conscious leadership
2.Fluid networks and coalitions
3.Robust regional and international advocacy
5.Vibrant grassroots mobilization and advocacy
6.Responsiveness to changing political environment
Challenges’
1.Exodus of civil society leader to Diaspora
2.Recruitement of civic leader by inclusive government resulting in some N.G.O ‘s having an identity
crisis.
3.Polarization
4.Iregular funding
5.Restricted operational Space
6.Politicians from both ruling party and opposition
threatened by growth of civil society organizations
7.Creation of counterfeit state aligned civic organizations
Positioning of Civil Society In Current Context and Beyond
Civil society has to clearly identify its role and mandate
in this limited space and ensure that this space is protected and advanced .The
following roles of Civil Society need to
be clearly articulated and promoted
1.Promotion of citizen participation in decision making
processes
2.Local ,national ,regional and international advocacy on
behalf of marginalized groups.
3.Public accountability
4.Policy research and monitoring
5.Conflict management and transformation
6.Election awareness and monitoring
7.Catalyzing community development
8.Complementing government initiatives were necessary
Broadly speaking the mandate of civil society id the pursuit
of social ,economic ,political and ecological justice and this is a profoundly political mandate
which should be carried out in a non partisan manner .
Dilemmas
The biggest dilemma facing civil society is that of being
confused with the opposition parties especially when there is confluence on
certain issues e.g. constitution making .I submit that since country contexts
and conditions differ civil society organizations have to make strategic decisions
informed by their peculiar country contexts
as long as this does not compromise on organizational integrity and
autonomy without detaining popular struggles for democracy through spectartorship .Inevitably
civil society will be accused of being partisan but civil society should not
allow itself to be defined by “government propaganda but by their principles ,visions ,values and missions
What Can Be Done
1.Civic groups need to develop clear ideologies ,belief
systems and visionary frameworks
2.Developing civics into non partisan and yet un
apologetically political entities .
3.Building solidarity ,linkages and coalitions at regional
and global level
4.Explore new funding sustainable ,innovative funding
paradigms and sources
5.Leadership d development and succession planning in civil
society
6.Utilizing former civil society operatives and leaders who
are now n government for information and space but maintaining non partisanship
Conclusion
I believe the Zimbabwean experience proffers opportunities
for civil society to play a pa active role in the democratization and transformation of nations even in the
context of weak opposition parties .
Asante!
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