Unpacking the Zimbabwe Crisis: A Situation Report

This situation report by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the progress of Zimbabwe's Inclusive Government (IG) following the September 2008 Global Political Agreement (GPA). It examines the political violence and economic collapse that led to the power-sharing deal, the structural weaknesses of the GPA, and the ongoing tensions between ZANU-PF and the MDC factions.

• The 2008 presidential run-off election was characterized by state-orchestrated violence and intimidation, leading Morgan Tsvangirai to withdraw from the race. This violence resulted in the death of approximately 85 MDC supporters and the displacement of at least 200,000 people.
• The Global Political Agreement (GPA) signed on 15 September 2008 is described as exceptionally general and fails to address critical issues, specifically security sector reform, the rationalization of land reform policy, and the lifting of external sanctions.
• Zimbabwe's state has undergone significant 'securitisation', with the military and the Joint Operation Command (JOC) deeply involved in government operations and economic policy, such as Operation Taguta, which allowed the army to identify and utilize idle land.
• The Inclusive Government structure created a 'twin-cabinet' system with dual executive powers for President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, which the report suggests could lead to deadlock and allows ZANU-PF to block reforms.
• Despite political instability, the economy showed signs of recovery after February 2009, including the taming of hyperinflation and the receipt of international aid. For example, Norway pledged US$ 9.17 million and Australia provided aid for health, water, and sanitation services.
• 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.

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} }