Why Zimbabwe Needs a Transitional Government

The briefing argues that Zimbabwe's political crisis and the contested re-election of Robert Mugabe in June 2008 necessitate a transitional government rather than a government of national unity. It defines a transitional government as a short-term caretaker authority tasked with drafting a new constitution and preparing for legitimate elections. The author proposes a one-year mandate for an inclusive body comprising more than just the MDC and Zanu-PF, supported by expanded mediation from SADC, the AU, and the UN, as well as international civilian peacekeepers.

• A transitional government is defined as a short-term caretaker authority appointed in the absence of legitimate governing authority to help a country move from conflict to a democratically elected government.
• Transitional governments differ from governments of national unity (GNU) in three primary ways: they are appointed rather than elected, their mandate is to create a new constitution and electoral space rather than governing jointly under an existing one, and their time frames are short rather than indefinite.
• The author proposes a transitional government for Zimbabwe with a one-year mandate to draft a new constitution and ensure free and fair elections, which includes ending violence, restoring human rights, and creating a new electoral commission.
• To ensure stability and legitimacy, the proposed transitional authority should be inclusive of more than just the MDC and Zanu-PF, and mediation should be expanded beyond South Africa to include the AU, UN, and other SADC representatives.

APA

Hendricks, C. (2008). Why Zimbabwe Needs a Transitional Government. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/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/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/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/iss-today/why-zimbabwe-needs-a-transitional-government}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }