Zimbabwe: 90 Days after the elections

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the political and economic state of Zimbabwe ninety days after the June 2000 parliamentary elections. It details the rise of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), the ruling ZANU-PF's loss of its two-thirds parliamentary majority, and a severe economic crisis exacerbated by the 'fast track' land resettlement programme and military intervention in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

• The June 2000 parliamentary elections were characterized by unprecedented violence and intimidation, primarily targeting opposition candidates and their supporters. State agencies funded and orchestrated the invasion of white commercial farms to intimidate supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and appeal to rural voters by reviving liberation war themes.
• The election results showed a significant surge for the MDC, which won all 19 seats in Harare and all eight seats in Bulawayo. While ZANU-PF remained the largest party with 62 seats compared to the MDC's 57, the ruling party lost the two-thirds majority required to unilaterally change the constitution.
• Zimbabwe's economic situation deteriorated sharply in 2000, with GDP expected to contract by 10%. The government faced a severe foreign currency shortage, resulting in US $154 million in arrears for foreign debt servicing by mid-August 2000, and a budget deficit revised to 16.9% of GDP.
• The 'fast track land resettlement programme' aimed to settle 150,000 families on 5 million hectares of land within two months. The author argues this policy threatens the national economy by invalidating property rights, risking the unemployment of 40% of black farm workers, and undermining the commercial farming sector which produces Z$45 billion in produce annually.
• Military intervention in the Congo war placed a heavy burden on the Zimbabwean exchequer, costing an estimated US $200 million in foreign exchange, which represents approximately 12% of tax revenue.
• Finance Minister Simba Makoni attempted to implement the 'Zimbabwe Millennium Economic Recovery Programme' to stabilize the economy, including a 24% devaluation of the Zimbabwe dollar on 1 August 2000 (from 38:1 to 50:1 against the US dollar). However, these efforts were undermined by President Mugabe's simultaneous announcement to acquire 3,000 more commercial farms.

APA

Cornwell, R. (2000). Zimbabwe: 90 Days after the elections. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper46.pdf

Chicago

Cornwell, Richard. Zimbabwe: 90 Days after the elections. Institute for Security Studies, 2000. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper46.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cornwell |first1=Richard |title=Zimbabwe: 90 Days after the elections |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=October 2000 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper46.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cornwell2000zimbabwe, author = {Cornwell, Richard}, title = {{Zimbabwe: 90 Days after the elections}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2000}, month = oct, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper46.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }