Why Zimbabwe Needs a Transitional Government

This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies argues that Zimbabwe requires a transitional caretaker government rather than a government of national unity to resolve its political crisis following the contested June 2008 election of Robert Mugabe.

• The author distinguishes a transitional government from a government of national unity (GNU), defining the former as a "caretaker government" appointed in the absence of legitimate authority for a "limited time period with a limited mandate" to create an environment for a democratically elected government. In contrast, a GNU is described as "elite pacting or confidence building" used to bridge deep divides when one party's complete control might cause instability.
• A transitional government is deemed more appropriate for Zimbabwe than a GNU because the country's constitution is contested, there is "widespread violence," the economy is "in tatters," and the two primary polarized parties are unlikely to achieve stable unity under current conditions.
• The proposed transitional government should be composed of Zimbabweans—including representatives beyond just the MDC and Zanu-PF to ensure inclusivity—and should be mandated for one year. Its primary tasks would be to "draft a new constitution" and establish an environment for "free and fair elections," which includes creating a new electoral commission and ending violence.
• To facilitate this arrangement, the author suggests expanding the mediation process beyond South Africa (the current SADC mediator) to include representatives from the AU and the UN to "defuse accusations of biasness." Additionally, the international community and AU should provide financial aid, humanitarian assistance, and "civilian peacekeepers" to monitor the authority.

APA

Hendricks, C. (2008). Why Zimbabwe Needs a Transitional Government. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/topics/corruption-and-governance/15-apr-2008-iss-feature-the-crisis-in-zimbabwe/02-jul-2008-iss-today-why-zimbabwe-needs-a-transitional-government

Chicago

Hendricks, Cheryl. Why Zimbabwe Needs a Transitional Government. Institute for Security Studies, 2008. https://issafrica.org/topics/corruption-and-governance/15-apr-2008-iss-feature-the-crisis-in-zimbabwe/02-jul-2008-iss-today-why-zimbabwe-needs-a-transitional-government.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hendricks |first1=Cheryl |title=Why Zimbabwe Needs a Transitional Government |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=2 July 2008 |url=https://issafrica.org/topics/corruption-and-governance/15-apr-2008-iss-feature-the-crisis-in-zimbabwe/02-jul-2008-iss-today-why-zimbabwe-needs-a-transitional-government |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hendricks2008why, author = {Hendricks, Cheryl}, title = {{Why Zimbabwe Needs a Transitional Government}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2008}, month = jul, url = {https://issafrica.org/topics/corruption-and-governance/15-apr-2008-iss-feature-the-crisis-in-zimbabwe/02-jul-2008-iss-today-why-zimbabwe-needs-a-transitional-government}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }