Situation Report: Fiddling While Zimbabwe Burns

The death of Vice President Simon Vengesayi Muzenda on 20 September 2003 has accelerated the succession struggle within Zimbabwe's ruling party, ZANU PF, and created a destabilising power vacuum in Masvingo province.

• The death of Vice President Simon Vengesayi Muzenda on 20 September 2003 has intensified the struggle over who will succeed President Robert Mugabe, as factions within the ruling party compete for the vacant second-vice-presidential post. The appointment of a new Vice President is viewed as an indicator of Mugabe's preferred successor for both the party and the government, potentially bringing the succession debate to a head sooner than anticipated.
• Muzenda's death has created a power vacuum in Masvingo province, where he had previously prevented infighting from escalating. There is now an increased likelihood of the ruling party splitting in this province as two competing factions fight for leadership.

APA

Maroleng, C. (n.d.). Situation Report: Fiddling While Zimbabwe Burns. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/research/situation-reports/situation-report-fiddling-while-zimbabwe-burns-chris-maroleng-

Chicago

Maroleng, Chris. Situation Report: Fiddling While Zimbabwe Burns. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/situation-reports/situation-report-fiddling-while-zimbabwe-burns-chris-maroleng-.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Maroleng |first1=Chris |title=Situation Report: Fiddling While Zimbabwe Burns |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/research/situation-reports/situation-report-fiddling-while-zimbabwe-burns-chris-maroleng- |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{marolengndsituation, author = {Maroleng, Chris}, title = {{Situation Report: Fiddling While Zimbabwe Burns}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/situation-reports/situation-report-fiddling-while-zimbabwe-burns-chris-maroleng-}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }