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THE STATE OF JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE IN ZIMBABWE

The state of judicial in Zimbabwe in the post-Mugabe era, which many hailed as a canaanian chapter for the constitutional democratic affairs of the country has attracted public attention, dissecting its role and obligatory contributions towards a Constitutional Democratic Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is a beautiful African country located at the heart of the southern part of Africa, and a member of Southern Africa Development Community(SADC), with an estimated population of sixteen million citizens. The country gained its independence in 1980. It had its first constitution in 1980, the Zimbabwe 1980 Constitution that was replaced in 2013, by the Zimbabwe Constitution of 2013. Though, Zimbabwe has been established to be a constitutional democracy, it has not escaped controversy around its democracy, constitutionalism and the integrity of its judicial. A State functions through three organs, the Legislature, Executive and Judiciary. The judicial serves a central role within the national constituti...
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MEDIA HARASSMENT IN ZIMBABWE AND THE UNCONSTITUTIONALITY OF BLESSED MHLANGA' ARREST

The arrest of Blessed Mhlanga, a Zimbabwean prominent journalist for HStv owned by Alpha Media Holdings, by the Zimbabwe Republic Police(ZRP), on 24 February 2025, on spurious charges of transmission of data with intent to incite public violence or damage to property, for interviewing a rebellious ZANU PF central committee member, Blessed Geza, who on the day of interview condemned ZANU PF led government's failures under the leadership of Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, has been met with public outrage. Most Zimbabweans construed the actions of the State, as intimidation tactics on press freedom, and systemic media harassment. Many reverted to questioning the constitutionality of his arrest under such circumstances, and on the bases aforesaid fictitious accusations.  Blessed Mhlanga is charged in terms of Section 164 Criminal Law (Codification & Reform) Act, and therein accused of transmission of data messages inciting violence or damage to property. The Cyber and Data Protection ...
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IS MNANGAGWA A CONSTITUTIONALIST OR POLITICAL STRATEGIST?

Amid the rise of calls from the public, social organisations and public representatives, for the president of Zimbabwe, His Excellence Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, nicknamed Cde Trabablas, a wartime name though his military credentials remain questionable, to resign over what some call insatiable political ambitions to remain in power by extending his term in office by another two years to 2030, under the banner of what a fraction of his supporters within the ZANU PF party itself, dubbed as ED2030 or VISION 2030. The extension of the two term limits requires the amending of the Zimbabwe 2013 Constitution to happen. Though constitutionally doable, political experts has called it an illegality since there is no constitutional reason that justifies the amendment of the Constitution to pass. On the 16 of February 2020, the president of Zimbabwe came out on a media briefing, brazenly declaring himself a constitutionalist. A declaration that he has repeated several times, but found no t...
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THE GREAT LAKES REGION CONFLICT: A THEOREM OF THE CONGO WAR

The Democratic Republic of Congo, has been engaged in a silent protracted war with no end in sight. A war that has occasionally resurfaced, and the people of Congo had endured the misery of this war for far too, for it to continue ignored. A lasting peace is needed. This is a crisis rooted in the colonial project, seeded in the decisions of the Berlin Conference that curved Africa boundaries, guided by the imperial objective, to secure and exploit Africa resources in the desire of colonialists occupier countries of that time, who still today harbour keen interest in clandestinely accessing the natural riches of Africa, as evidenced by this ever-ending DRC war. The DRC has experienced two atrocious wars in its life, the First Congo War, and Second Congo War that ended in 2003. War destabilizes a country and creates a vacuum for competing superpowers scrambling for resources to interfere through war of proxies,  in its modernity form, and exploit natural resources out of the victim c...
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THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT IN ZIMBABWE

There has been circulating political rumours in Zimbabwe of the intention by ZANU PF to extend the term limit of its leader and current President of the country, ED Mnangagwa beyond year 2030, whilst the Zimbabwe Constitution of 2013, limits the president's terms in office to two, on a five year basis. The ZANU PF party, a liberation movement in Zimbabwe has been in power for the past four decades in Zimbabwe, and recently won August 2023 national elections under the leadership of Emmerson Mnangagwa. Just nearly two years after winning the elections, the party is rumoured to be proposing for the amendment of Zimbabwe Constitution of 2013. This is to allow its current leadership an extension of the two term constitutional limit that is coming to an end in the next three to four years time. On the height of this 2030 atmospheric speculation, President Mnangagwa appeared on social circles making vague and questionable statements, declaring himself to be a constitutionalist who will ab...
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THE GHOST OF DISPUTING ELECTION RESULTS : HAS DEMOCRACY LOST ITS VALUE IN SOUTHERN AFRICA?

A new political norm is on a rapid rise in Southern Africa politics. A ghost of disputing pronounced election-outcomes within the political spectrum. In the 23 August 2023 elections in Zimbabwe, the Citizens Coalition for Change, a major opposition party denounced and disputed election results as rigged stolen vote, a habitual allegation not new in Zimbabwe political circles. Then, uMkhonto WeSizwe political party in South Africa, threatened the Independent Electoral Commission, an electoral  body with legal action in the 2024 elections, claiming the announced election results deflected from the accurate election outcome due to foreseeable irregularities and vote manipulation. The opposition parties in Mozambique claimed that the October 9, 2024 election results were rigged and refused to accept it, leading to violent clashes, and a court challenge. In Namibia, the biggest opposition party, the Independent Patriots for Change, after losing elections, proclaimed its intention to cha...
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DID ZANU PF LOST A FRIEND OR ALLY: BOTSWANA ELECTION OUTCOME AND REGIONAL IMPLICATION

Historically, dating back from the period of struggle for independence, Botswana has never been either an ally or regional friend to Zimbabwe, both on party level and national level. Besides its proximity and sharing a border with Zimbabwe, Botswana contributed nothing during Zimbabwe's struggle for independence. It took an observer position, and even went an extra mile of being a hostile neighbour to appease its British handlers. Zimbabwe won independence through the barrel of a gun. Botswana gained its independence in 1966, but their independence came in an exceptional way. The country was handed over to Sir Seretse Khama who was the leader and founder of Botswana Democratic Party at that time. This automatically disqualifies the BDP from a Liberation Movement levels of ZANU PF, ANC, FRELIMO, SWAPO et al, and reduces it to a mere political organisation.This handing-over process was made possible because Botswana was established as a British Protectorate meaning the country was no...
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