Geologies of power: blood diamonds, security politics and Zimbabwe's troubled transition

Saunders, Richard L.

doi:10.1080/02589001.2014.956501

Cited by 15 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…In the Zimbabwean power sharing deal, ZANU PF took all the powerful ministries except for the finance ministry which went to MDC T. The party compensated itself by taking the ministry of Mines and mineral development which had access to diamonds mines (Saunders, 2010). The main beneficiaries of the diamond extraction were the Zimbabwe National Army (Saunders, 2014). As noted by Biti (2015, p.2), when MDC T took over the Ministry of Finance in 2009 the inflation stood at 500 billion.…”

Section: Implementation Of the Power-sharing Deal: Weaknesses And Prospectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Power Sharing as a Tool for Resolving Electoral Violence: Revisiting the Zimbabwean Experience

Tirivangasi

Nyahunda²

2021

Int. J. Criminol. Sociol.

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This paper uses Hartzell and Hoddie's four dimensions of power-sharing to analyse the implementation of the 2008 power-sharing in Zimbabwe and its impact on electoral violence. It interrogates the resolving of the Zimbabwean electoral violence through the use of power-sharing deal between the opposition and the ruling party. The theoretical explanations why electoral violence would occur in a country ruled by an authoritarian leadership suggests that, autocratic governments use electoral violence as a way of influencing the electoral outcome. The other position suggests that the weaker political party is the one responsible for electoral violence as it enjoys the monopoly of being the victim. This study dispels the notion that power-sharing has any impact on resolving electoral violence permanently, we argue that the resolving election dispute through power-sharing does not resolve the differences between warring parties rather, it gives temporary peace. The findings of this study support the position of the electoral authoritarian theoretical perspective that autocratic government will use violence and all the means necessary to ensure that they return the power.

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Section: Implementation Of the Power-sharing Deal: Weaknesses And Prospectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Power Sharing as a Tool for Resolving Electoral Violence: Revisiting the Zimbabwean Experience

Tirivangasi

Nyahunda²

2021

Int. J. Criminol. Sociol.

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“…in 2008 after ZANU-PF's first official election loss. Also, many heads would roll when diamonds were discovered and the military decided to rid the fields of independent miners (Saunders 2014).…”

Section: The Aftermathmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Zimbabwean People's Army moment in Zimbabwean history, 1975–1977: Mugabe's rise and democracy's demise

Moore

2014

Journal of Contemporary African Studies

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This article provides a historical analysis of Robert Mugabe's rise to power in the fractious hierarchy of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), in part by crushing all opposition and manipulating regional and international actors -including British, American and Mozambican political leaders -into supporting his claims to leadership. It also tells an often-ignored story of internal political struggle during the liberation war involving a small group of young political soldiers, the Zimbabwean People's Army (ZIPA), which challenged the policies, practices and ideology of the 'old guard' and tried to unify ZANU and Zimbabwe African People's Union, the country's two nationalist movements at the time. Drawing on interviews and extensive archival data, the article argues that ideology was central to this political struggle; ZIPA embraced a more radical and potentially more democratic vision for the liberation movement and for the future of the country. What kind of regime might have been consolidated in post-independent Zimbabwe if ZIPA had succeeded in unifying the country's national liberation movement and pushing them into the political direction ZIPA desired? This will never be known. By 1977, less than two years after the group emerged, its leaders were imprisoned in Mozambique's jails where they would remain until just prior to Zimbabwe's first democratic election in 1980.

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“…In his work, suitably titled "Geologies of Power" Saunders noted that the discovery of diamonds in Marange "coincided with a dramatic and worsening economic crisis of accumulation and political crisis of legitimacy for interests associated with the ruling ZANU (PF) party and state". He articulates the 2007 involvement of ruling party and state structures in the emergence of what became known as a case of "blood diamonds" where Zimbabwe's security forces secretly supervised the mining and illicit trade of diamonds, whilst brutally and haphazardly dislodging; local communities, authorised title holders and informal miners' (Saunders, 2011). Saunders's work explains how "criminalized political networks spanning political, security and business elites" became involved in diamond mining and trading at Chiadzwa, and the broader questions this raises about "the shape and prospects of transition to post nationalist political orders in Southern Africa".…”

Section: The Illegal Diamond Rush and The Experiences Of Magwejamentioning

confidence: 99%

Violent state operations at Chiadzwa (Zimbabwe) diamond fields 2006-2009

Hove

Nyamunda

Mukwambo

2014

Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research

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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the debilitating socio-economic impact caused by the diamonds at Chiadzwa area in Zimbabwe on the illegal mining community that emerged and inhabited the hills of Chiadzwa between 2006 and the beginning of 2009. The research was carried out for academic proposes, as an advocacy strategy to expose the abuses and violent state operations perpetrated by the security forces. In addition, it intends to equip policy makers and implementers about the heavy handedness of Zimbabwe's security sector during its operations in the area in an effort to enable policy implementers to defend the rights of the affected people at Chiadzwa. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology engaged was chiefly qualitative and the study was a product of primary sources (especially in-depth interviews) and secondary sources (text books, journal articles, newspapers and the internet). Purposive and snowballing sampling techniques were used to collect the data between 2007 and 2009. Collected data were analysed and compiled between 2009 and 2013. Some of the names used in this study for our respondents are pseudo and this was done to ensure anonymity and secure the providers of information against possible retribution. On the other hand real names were used in particular where violent state driven operations were discussed. Findings – Initially the government of Zimbabwe was reluctant to intervene in the illegal extraction of diamonds in search of political leverage. Later it responded with violent manipulative strategies and operations with detrimental consequences on the illegal miners. The brutal strategies employed by individuals and the state led to injury, illness and death of people amid a harsh socio-economic environment. Research limitations/implications – A number of respondents preferred to use pseudonyms because they feared that information collected could be used against them. Practical implications – The study is a good example of conflict between the state machinery and its citizens over a natural resource. It reveals excessive use of force by the state which appears to be the norm in other countries where diamonds are dubbed “blood diamonds”. Social implications – In the midst of the diamond-related violence a new and vibrant social identity emerged commonly referred to as magweja. The area experienced challenges especially with regards to the provision of health services and the traditional use of herbs was endangered by the destruction of vegetation. Originality/value – It reveals a milieu, state regulation enforcement and security agents, magombiro (armed robbers or murderers) all who discharged violence on magweja the foremost victims of the violent systems and practices. In addition, it encourages policy markers and implementers to devise non-violent strategies when dealing with illegal exploitation of natural resources.

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Geologies of power: blood diamonds, security politics and Zimbabwe's troubled transition

Cited by 15 publications

References 4 publications

Power Sharing as a Tool for Resolving Electoral Violence: Revisiting the Zimbabwean Experience

Power Sharing as a Tool for Resolving Electoral Violence: Revisiting the Zimbabwean Experience

The Zimbabwean People's Army moment in Zimbabwean history, 1975–1977: Mugabe's rise and democracy's demise

Violent state operations at Chiadzwa (Zimbabwe) diamond fields 2006-2009

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