Zimbabwe: another stalemate in the constitution-drafting process

This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies examines the stalemate in Zimbabwe's constitution-drafting process under the Global Political Agreement (GPA), the role of SADC mediation led by South African President Jacob Zuma, and the potential political scenarios surrounding the expected June 2013 elections.

• The process of drafting a new constitution in Zimbabwe, a requirement of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) before new elections can be held, is nearly two years behind schedule. While South African President Jacob Zuma has urged parties to finalize the draft, President Robert Mugabe refuses to accept the proposed constitution without specific amendments demanded by ZANU-PF.
• Beyond the constitution, Zimbabwe faces significant electoral hurdles to comply with the GPA, specifically regarding the poor state of the voters' roll and the unresolved issue of how to accommodate votes from the diaspora.
• The SADC Electoral Advisory Council (SEAC) lacks enforcement power and is limited to an advisory role. The document argues that Zimbabwe requires monitoring teams during the preparation and campaign periods to prevent violence and intimidation, whereas the SEAC mandate only allows for deployment 15 days before election day.
• Three potential outcomes are identified for the 2013 elections: a ZANU-PF victory (which might avoid post-electoral problems), an MDC-T victory (which may require SADC and AU guarantees for a peaceful transfer of power), or a deadlock where neither party wins enough votes, potentially leading to a repeat of the 2008 power-sharing and mediation process.
• SADC lacks a political early warning mechanism, as its current system is designed only for natural disasters, increasing the risk of another political crisis in Zimbabwe.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). Zimbabwe: another stalemate in the constitution-drafting process. https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/zimbabwe-another-stalemate-in-the-constitution-drafting-process

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Zimbabwe: another stalemate in the constitution-drafting process. n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/zimbabwe-another-stalemate-in-the-constitution-drafting-process.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Zimbabwe: another stalemate in the constitution-drafting process |url=https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/zimbabwe-another-stalemate-in-the-constitution-drafting-process |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesndzimbabwe, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Zimbabwe: another stalemate in the constitution-drafting process}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/zimbabwe-another-stalemate-in-the-constitution-drafting-process}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }