The Idea of a New Zimbabwe Post-Mugabe

Abstract

The removal of Robert Mugabe in November 2017 provided the country an opportunity to break from the past, raising hopes that a new Zimbabwe could be reborn. The key question that the chapter seeks to answer is what it will take to build a new Zimbabwe. What are some of the measures that any administration after the Mugabe era should implement to set the country on a new path? This chapter explores whether the idea of a new Zimbabwe is possible and the conditions under which this vision can be realised. Before discussing the prospects for this desired state of affairs, it is important to examine the ‘Zimbabwean problem’, which is explored in the first part of the chapter. A brief overview of the fall of Mugabe and the rise of Mnangagwa is then provided to show how a leader who commanded respect beyond the shores of the continent could exit in such an undignified manner. The core part of the chapter is dedicated to a discussion of the prospects for a new Zimbabwe, in particular what needs to be done to change the status quo for the better.