“Chapter 1 by Brian Kagoro analyses the emergence of effective opposition politics within Zimbabwe against a background of deepening crisis. He identifies the continuity of the themes of violence and fraud that have been endemic to the country’s political life since the 19th century, and shows how ZANU-PF’s failure to transform the repressive colonial state led directly to its inability to deliver on the promises of independence. In Chapter 2 John Makumbe looks at the prospects for a transition within ZANU-PF itself. The economic consequences of this situation are addressed in Chapter 3 by John Robertson. After isolating some of the salient manifestations of Zimbabwe’s crisis, this chapter goes on to analyse some of government’s attempted responses, and shows how inadequate and even counter-productive
these have been. In Chapter 4 Patrick Bond presents an alternative view on Zimbabwe’s economic future, arguing that the present crisis may present opportunities to break with unsuccessful strategies pursued in the past.The final contribution, in Chapter 5 by Edward Lahiff presents a broader perspective
on the land debate, which in the case of Zimbabwe seems to have focused on the plight of white commercial farmers and (to a degree) their labourers.”
