THE SEARCH FOR PEACE, RECONCILIATION AND UNITY IN ZIMBABWE: FROM THE 1978 INTERNAL SETTLEMENT TO THE 2008 GLOBAL POLITICAL AGREEMENT by DOUGLAS MUNEMO Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF LITERATURE AND PHILOSOPHY in the subject of DEVELOPMENT STUDIES at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA SUPERVISOR: PROFESSOR SABELO. J. NDLOVU-GATSHENI APRIL, 2016 DECLARATION Student number: 50850091 I, Douglas Munemo, author of this thesis, do hereby declare that the work presented in this document entitled: “THE SEARCH FOR PEACE, RECONCILIATION AND UNITY IN ZIMBABWE: FROM THE 1978 INTERNAL SETTLEMENT TO THE 2008 GLOBAL POLITICAL AGREEMENT”, is a result of my own research and independent work and that all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. I also hereby certify that the work embodied in this thesis has not already been submitted, either in whole or in part, for any other degree in this University or other institute of higher learning. ............................................. 19/04/ 2016 DOUGLAS MUNEMO DATE SUPERVISOR: PROFESSOR SABELO. J. NDLOVU-GATSHENI i DEDICATION To my daughter, Tehillah Kudiwanashe Munemo and all decolonialists. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge the contributions of all who assisted me in a variety of ways as I was working on this thesis. I would like to offer my profound gratitude to my supervisor Professor Sabelo. J. Ndlovu-Gatsheni. I would like to acknowledge the contributions of a number of people who assisted me in a variety of ways as I was working on this dissertation. Without guidance and protection from the almighty, I would have laboured in vain. I would like to thank Professor P. Chigora, Dr. T. Mashingaidze, Dr. G. Mazarire, Dr. I. Mudeka, Dr Chakawa, Dr. Nyawo, Dr.D.Dabengwa, Dr. Javangwe, Mr. T. Guzura, Mr. G.T. Ncube, Mr. G.R. Nemapare Mr. P. Makaye, Mr .A. Rusero, Mr Shaka Bob, and Mr. Gadzikwa and all interviewees for valuable comments they made as I was working on the thesis proposal. Special mention goes to my family especially my wife Tayta that had to endure my absence during the writing of the thesis but still encouraged me to keep going in the face of adversity. iii ABSTRACT This study is a critical examination of the complex search for peace, reconciliation and unity in Zimbabwe between the years 1978 and 2008, with a view to identify factors that have been blocking sustainable peace, national unity, reconciliation and development. It is a qualitative study which draws data from document analysis and oral interviews. The specific focus of the study is an analysis of the four peace agreements signed in this period namely; the 1978 Internal Settlement, the 1979 Lancaster House Agreement, the 1987 Unity Accord and the 2008 Global Political Agreement. Its central thesis is that coloniality in its multifaceted invisible forms is largely responsible for conflicts that have engulfed Zimbabwe and for compromising the chances of success of the four peace agreements. Coloniality has produced a ‘postcolonial’ leadership that has continued to practice politics in a violent, repressive, corrupt and unaccountable manner because of interpellation by the very immanent logic of colonialism that reproduces such inimical practices as racism, tribalism, regionalism and patriarchy. Theoretically, the study deploys de-colonial epistemic perspective in its endeavour to unmask and explain challenges to peace, unity, reconciliation and development in Zimbabwe. Finally, the thesis makes a strong case for pursuit of decoloniality as the panacea to conflicts and as an approach to conflict resolution and peace building that privileges decolonization and deimperialization so that Zimbabwe’s development goals could be achieved. Keywords Peace; unity; reconciliation; peace agreements; unity governments; conflict; crisis; Zimbabwe; decoloniality; coloniality; coloniality of power; coloniality of knowledge; coloniality of being. iv LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 7 .1 ZIMBABWE’S ECONOMIC, POLITICAL AND HUMANITARIAN CRISIS 2000 – 2009……………..………………………………………………………….……… 228 FIGURE 7.2 ZIMBABWE’S 2008 POWER –SHARING DEAL..…...………………...… 232 v LIST OF APPENDICES APPENDIX I - POLITICAL MAP OF ZIMBABWE……………………………………255 APPENDIX II - AGREEMENT OF UNITY BETWEEN THE ZANU PF AND PF ZAPU…………………………………………………………………………………..…256 APPENDIX III - AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE ZIMBABWE AFRICAN NATIONAL UNION-PATRIOTIC FRONT (ZANU-PF) AND THE TWO MOVEMENTS FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC) FORMATIONS, ON RESOLVING THE CHALLENGES FACING ZIMBABWE…………………….…………………………...258 APPENDIX IV – SAMPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT GUIDED THE UNSTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS………………….…………………………………………………………272 APPENDIX V - SAMPLE INTRODUCTION LETTER FROM THE EMPLOYER…...273 APPENDIX VI - SAMPLE INTRODUCTION LETTER FROM THE RESEARCHER..274 APPENDIX VII - TABLE SHOWING DOCUMENTS ANALYSED……………………275 APPENDIX VIII - TABLE: SHOWING THE STUDY POPULATION, SAMPLE, SAMPLING AND RESEARCH METHOD………………………………………………276 APPENDIX IX - CHRONICLE OF EVENTS 1830s – 2013………………………..……277 vi LIST OF ACRONYMS AIPPA – Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act ANC –African National Council AU -African Union CIA- Central Intelligence Agency CIO- Central Intelligence Organization DRC- Democratic Republic of Congo ESAP- Economic Structural Adjustment Programme EU - European Union FROLIZI- Front for the Liberation of Zimbabwe GDP- Gross Domestic Product GPA- Global Political Agreement GNU - Government of National Unity IMF - International Monetary Fund MDC Movement for Democratic Change MDC-M - Movement for Democratic Change – Mutambara MDC-T - Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai NATO –North Atlantic Treaty Organization NGO - Non-Governmental Organization NCA - National Constitutional Assembly OAU - Organization of African Unity ONHRI - Organ on National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration POSA – Public Order and Security Act PF - Patriotic Front PF-ZAPU- Patriotic Front - Zimbabwe African People‘s Union RENAMO –Mozambique Resistance Movement RF-Rhodesian Front SADC- Southern African Development Community SAPS – Structural Adjustment Programmes UDI - Unilateral Declaration of Independence UANC- United African National Council UN - United Nations WB - World Bank WTO - World Trade Organization ZANLA - Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army ZANU- Zimbabwe African National Union ZANU-PF- Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front ZAPU - Zimbabwe African People‘s Union ZCTU- Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions ZDERA- Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act ZIPRA- Zimbabwe People‘s Revolutionary Army ZNA - Zimbabwe National Army ZUPO- Zimbabwe United People’s Organization vii TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ......................................................................................................................... i DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................ ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................................... iii ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................... iv LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................... v LIST OF APPENDICES......................................................................................................................vi LIST OF ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS…………......…………………………………………………………….viii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY ......................................................................... 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 PERSPECTIVES ON PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT .................................................................. 3 1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM ................................................................................................ 6 1.4 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND QUESTIONS ............................................................................ 9 1.5 PEACE, UNITY AND RECONCILIATION – A DISCUSSION OF CONCEPTS ...................... 10 1.6 THE ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK ........................................................................................... 16 1.7 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY ................................................................................................ 17 1.8 METHODOLOGY AND DATA COLLECTION METHODS ..................................................... 19 1.9 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS .................................................................................................... 23 1.10 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY ........................................................................................... 23 1.11 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................. 26 CHAPTER 2 COLONIALITY: TOWARDS A CONSTRUCTION OF A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR UNDERSTANDING THE ZIMBABWE PROBLEM ............................... 27 2.1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 27 2.2 THE ESSENCE OF COLONIALITY ...........................................................................................