Civil-military relations in Zimbabwe: Is there a threat?

This research paper by Martin R Rupiya analyzes the deterioration of civil-military relations in Zimbabwe between 1980 and 2002. The author argues that the country's security institutions are rooted in a 'liberation movement model' characterized by a fusion of political and military power, which has led to the ruling ZANU (PF) party using coercive military tools to maintain dominance over political opponents and manage state failures.

• The author argues that Zimbabwe's civil-military relations are based on a 'liberation movement model' rather than a liberal democratic one. This model is characterized by a fusion of political and military interests, where strong personalities achieve cult status and the military is used to advance political objectives.
• The ruling ZANU (PF) party has historically used military force to suppress political rivals, specifically during the 'dissident war' in the early 1980s in Matabeleland, an action the government later described as a 'moment of madness'.
• Between 1999 and 2002, the military's role in politics expanded significantly. In January 2002, military chiefs issued a statement setting criteria for presidential candidates, which the author claims was designed to favor the ruling party and effectively nullified the electoral process.
• Zimbabwe's defense spending is disproportionately high compared to social services. In 1999 and 2001, defense budget allocations were 15% and 14% of the total national budget respectively, later escalating to over 20% while over 75% of the population lived below the poverty line.
• The government has increasingly adopted a 'military approach' to solve civilian administrative failures and corruption. This includes deploying the armed forces to manage fuel imports and the distribution of staple maize through the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) following mismanagement.
• The security sector is perceived as partisan due to the 'selective use of laws' and the arrest of journalists by the military, which the author suggests undermines the balance required for stable civil-military relations.

APA

Rupiya, M. R. (n.d.). Civil-military relations in Zimbabwe: Is there a threat? Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/OURSELVESRUPIYA.PDF

Chicago

Rupiya, Martin R. Civil-military relations in Zimbabwe: Is there a threat? Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/OURSELVESRUPIYA.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Rupiya |first1=Martin R |title=Civil-military relations in Zimbabwe: Is there a threat? |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/OURSELVESRUPIYA.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rupiyandcivilmilitary, author = {Rupiya, Martin R}, title = {{Civil-military relations in Zimbabwe: Is there a threat?}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/OURSELVESRUPIYA.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }