Devolution and the Quest for Peace and National Cohesion in Zimbabwe
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Abstract
This article investigates whether devolution, as currently implemented in Zimbabwe by the Mnangagwa administration, will project the nation towards peace and national cohesion. Such an interrogation is motivated by Zimbabwe’s historical trajectory that is underpinned by deep-seated political, ethnic, racial, and regional cleavages that predate the colonial epoch. Accordingly, this article, based on interviews and the study of reports and literature, posits that the current devolution process in Zimbabwe is part of the Mnangagwa administration’s package of cosmetic reforms designed to mislead Africa and the West. Congruently, lukewarm and cosmetic devolution dictated by a kleptocratic, financially constrained, and authoritarian centre (central government) is likely to frustrate the periphery (grassroots), accentuate existing social schisms, and further inflame secessionist sentiments in some provinces of Zimbabwe.
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