Unpacking the Zimbabwe Crisis: A Situation Report

The report examines the transition of Zimbabwe's government following the 2008 electoral crisis and the subsequent formation of an Inclusive Government (IG) under the Global Political Agreement (GPA). While the IG achieved early economic successes, including taming hyperinflation and securing international aid, it faced significant political deadlock. Key obstacles include the lack of security sector reform, disputes over unilateral political appointments, and disagreements over the constitution-making process. The author argues that the GPA's general nature allows ZANU-PF to maintain power centres and block reforms, suggesting that international support should be targeted toward progressive ministries to legitimise change.

• The Global Political Agreement (GPA) is criticized for being too general, omitting or inadequately addressing critical issues such as the rationalization of land reform policy and the need for security sector reform.
• The Zimbabwean state has undergone significant 'securitisation', with the military and the Joint Operation Command (JOC) deeply involved in government operations, economic policy, and the formulation of state policies.
• The Inclusive Government structure created two competing power centres through a 'twin-cabinet' system, which the report suggests is a 'recipe for deadlock' and allows ZANU-PF to undermine reforms.
• Despite political instability, the economy showed early signs of recovery after February 2009, characterized by the taming of hyperinflation, the reopening of essential services, and the arrival of international aid.
• The transition process is hindered by 'unconditional authoritarians' within ZANU-PF who seek to preserve the regime's purity, as well as internal fragmentation and strategic divisions within the MDC.
• The constitution-making process is a major point of contention, with ZANU-PF favoring a draft from September 2007 that preserves presidential powers, while the MDC-T advocates for a broader consultative process.

APA

Smith-Höhn, J. (2009). Unpacking the Zimbabwe Crisis: A Situation Report. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Zim10Sep09.pdf

Chicago

Smith-Höhn, Judy. Unpacking the Zimbabwe Crisis: A Situation Report. Institute for Security Studies, 2009. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Zim10Sep09.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Smith-Höhn |first1=Judy |title=Unpacking the Zimbabwe Crisis: A Situation Report |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=10 September 2009 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Zim10Sep09.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{smithhhn2009unpacking, author = {Smith-Höhn, Judy}, title = {{Unpacking the Zimbabwe Crisis: A Situation Report}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2009}, month = sep, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Zim10Sep09.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }