Politics in Zimbabwe

When Zimbabwe got independent from Britain there was little internal opposition. It has taken years for opposition parties to emerge. For this reason, Zimbabwe has had two decades of one party rule. Robert Mugabe has been the President since 1980 ,making him one of the world's longest serving head's of state.

Mugabe was first elected Prime Minister adhering to the British Political System. He kept most of the clauses and laws used by the Rhodesian Government he had just replaced. Mugabe's party, Zanu PF has been generally popular, well established in the rural areas and winning at least 90% of the country's votes.

Meanwhile tribalism strains have always affected and dotted the political system of Zimbabwe. Its customary for the Zanu Ndonga party to have at least a parliamentary sit in its heartland of Chipinge. The same goes for Zum, firmly based in Manicaland while Zapu dominated the Matebeleland areas.

The ugly side of Zimbabwean politics was first seen in the early 80's when there was a rebellion in the Matebeleland area, opposing the new government of Mugabe. Thousands died in what quickly turned in a tribal affair and created tensions, which still exist today between the shona and the Ndebele. The Shona being the majority. Zimbabwe was forced to deploy its army in neighbouring Mozambique to prop up the Felimo government. This was also to protect the interests of the country, which included the oil - pipeline from Beria and an easier trade route to the sea. Mozambiquean rebels retaliated by raiding border towns of Zimbabwe close to Mozambique. The white apartheid government of South Africa intensified its campaign of destabilizing the country with car bombs and explosives mainly in the capital city of Harare.

In 1997,Zanu PF amalgamated with the opposition party, Zapu. This left Zimbabwe with no opposition political party whatsoever. Meanwhile, time was fast approaching to the end of the Lanchester House Agreement, which had been given a life span of 10yrs from 1980.The end of the agreement would have stopped the many privileges the white population had been made to enjoy after independence. This included protection of their investments and land from compulsory acquisition and a guarantee of political involvement and membership of parliament.

Zum became the latest opposition party in 1989 to enter the political scene. A former right-hand man of Mugabe, Edgare Tekere, led the party. Zum withered and was viewed as a brainchild of Zanu-PF to counter accusations of one party rule. Zimbabwe deployed its army in the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC to prop up the government of Laurent Kabila against rebellion. Other six African countries in what's now dubbed as Africa's first war soon joined the war. Zimbabwe invested a lot in the war, which created a lot of economical problems and public dissatisfaction.

War veterans of the country's liberation from Britain lost their patience and soon occupied land mainly owned by white farmers. Zimbabwe's most successful political opposition party was then born in 2000 led by Morgan Tsvangirai, a trade unionist leader. Tsvangirai became popular and defeated Zanu Pf in a referendum for the change of constitution. Tsvangirai lost the presidential elections of 2002 and was quick to denounce the elections as flawed, a view, which was endorsed by the international community and isolated Mugabe from the world scene. President Mugabe was then slapped with sanctions, which restrict his travel to Europe and the United States. Tsvangirai stands accused of treason for plotting to assassinate Mugabe, which carries a possible death sentence.