The Electoral Authoritarian Regimes and Election Violence: the Case of Manicaland Communities in Zimbabwe 2008-2013

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The Electoral Authoritarian Regimes and Election Violence: the Case of Manicaland Communities in Zimbabwe 2008-2013 The Electoral Authoritarian Regimes and election violence: The case of Manicaland Communities in Zimbabwe 2008-2013. Inaugural-Dissertation zur Erlangung der Doktorwürde der Philosophischen Fakultät der Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg i. Br. vorgelegt von Alexander Chimange aus Kwekwe (Zimbabwe) SS 2015 Erstgutacher: Prof. Dr. Reinhart Kößler Zweitgutachter: Prof. Dr. Heribert Weiland Vorsitzender des Promotionsausschusses der Gemeinsamen Kommission der Philologischen, Philosophischen und Wirtschafts- und Verhaltenswissenschaftlichen Fakultät: Prof. Dr. Hans-Helmuth Gander Datum der Fachprüfung im Promotionsfach: 19.01.2016 ABSTRACT The Zimbabwean elections have been marred by unprecedented acts of election violence, intimidation, coercion, harassment and manipulation and this has systematically disenfranchised the citizenry from the much-desired democratic transition. These acts of violence have reversed the government’s efforts and commitment to democratize the country which had been under an autocratic colonial regime for almost one hundred years. This localized empirical research study explores and unpacks the dynamics of the 2008-2013 election violence in the communities of Manicaland in Zimbabwe. The study also examines the socio-economic and political effects of election violence on the lives of the people. The aims and objectives of the study have been achieved basically through an in-depth empirical exploration of the people’s election violence experiences in three Manicaland communities, namely Nyamaropa, Honde Valley and Mhakwe. The data collection process was carried out in 2013 from May to December. This period also covered a crucial general election that marked an end to the Government of National Unity established in 2009 after the bloody 2008 election violence. The primary data was collected through qualitative in- depth interviews in the three communities with people with impeccable experience and vast knowledge of state-sponsored election violence. The empirical evidence leads to several results. The central finding is that the regime resorts to organized state-sponsored violence as a strategy to suppress and inhibit a smooth democratic transition in the country. This strategy is executed primarily by local perpetrators who reside with the people they victimize in the same communities. The regime boasts of its community mobilization strategies as a critical methodology of perpetuating the use of election violence to thwart the desired democratic transition in the country. The use of violence incapacitates the community members mentally, physically and economically, by making them vulnerable to intimidation, harassment, suppression and manipulation. The physical harm on the bodies of the victims and their property has serious socio-economic and political consequences. Thus, violence is constantly being used to impoverish and emotionally enslave the citizenry. The regime takes advantage of this desperate economic and emotional situation of many families in the ii communities and gives food aid as patronage to support the ruling party. The people are politically enslaved by the acts of violence. The research study demonstrates how the state institutions, such as the instruments of violence and the institutions of law, have been usurped by the ruling party to preside over election violence in the communities. Violence is thus a fundamental strategy used by electoral authoritarian regimes to steal the elections and to remain in power. iii Acknowledgments This PhD thesis was done within the framework and parameters of the Philosophischen Fakultät der Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg i.Br structural doctoral program under the full guidance and support of the Arnold-Bergstraesser- Institute for socio-cultural research. Nonetheless, this thesis could not have been accomplished without the support and assistance of my supervisors, Prof. Dr Reinhart Kössler and Prof. Dr Herbet Weiland. I do not hesitate to indicate that their commitment to this thesis has been splendid and amazing from the beginning to the end. In a particular way, I extend my sincere gratitude to all the colleagues at the ABI for their fruitful input, ideas, suggestions, contributions and recommendations. Their own academic and professional achievements inspired me throughout my stay at the Institute. Thank you very much, ABI colleagues. My very special thanks go to my dear family: my wife Getrude and my children for always being there for me with their love, support, tolerance and encouragement. I am highly indebted to you guys. Lastly, I would like to thank the Katholischer Akademischer Ausländer Dienst (Catholic Academic Exchange Service) KAAD for the full financial assistance throughout the three year academic period that I have been in Germany. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract..........................................................................................................................ii Acknowledgements......................................................................................................iv Table of Contents...........................................................................................................v Acronyms…..................................................................................................................ix Chapter One General Introduction 1.1-The problem and aim of the study...........................................................................1 1.2-Research objectives.................................................................................................3 1.3-Research questions..................................................................................................3 1.4-Motivation...............................................................................................................4 1.5-Justification of the research study...........................................................................4 1.6-Scope of the study...................................................................................................6 1.7-Research context......................................................................................................6 1.8-Research methodology............................................................................................9 1.8.0-Introduction.......................................................................................................9 1.8.1-Research design...............................................................................................10 1.8.2-Case study approach........................................................................................11 1.9-Sampling................................................................................................................12 1.10-Entry into the communities.................................................................................12 1.11-Data collection.....................................................................................................14 1.11.1-Interviews......................................................................................................14 1.11.2-Observation...................................................................................................15 1.11.3-Document research........................................................................................16 1.12-Data Analysis.......................................................................................................17 1.13-Ethical Issues.......................................................................................................18 1.14-Conclusion...........................................................................................................18 1.15-Thesis Outline......................................................................................................19 v Chapter Two Exploring the culture of political violence in the Zimbabwean history 2.0-Introduction...........................................................................................................21 2.1-Pre-Colonial period...............................................................................................21 2.2-The Colonial era....................................................................................................25 2.3-The Liberation struggle.........................................................................................28 2.4-The Post-independence period..............................................................................37 2.5-The Land invasions... ............................................................................................49 2.6-Operation Murambatsvina.....................................................................................57 2.6-Conclusion.............................................................................................................62 Chapter Three Conceptual deliberations 3.0-Introduction...........................................................................................................65 3.1-Electoral Authoritarianism (EA) ..........................................................................65 3.2-The Meaning of Democracy..................................................................................75 3.3-Democratic elections.............................................................................................81 3.4-The Concept of violence........................................................................................87
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