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State Politics and Social Domination in Zimbabwe

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 November 2008

Extract

Few can doubt the proposition that there is an important difference between information and knowledge, and that more of the former does not necessarily lead to the latter. Whereas a great deal has been written from all manner of perspectives about the situation in Africa both before and since independence, the resulting corpus of literature has seldom yielded a mainstream understanding of basic aspects of state politics. Doubtless many feel that the more they read about the continent, the less they known about what is going on and why.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

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References

1 See Jowitt, Kenneth, ‘Scientific Socialist Regimes in Africa: political differentiation, avoidance, and unawareness’, in Rosberg, Carl G. and Callaghy, Thomas M. (eds.), Socialism in Sub-Saharan Africa: a new assessment (Berkeley, 1979), pp. 533–73;Google ScholarKeller, Edmond J., ‘Afro-Marxist Regimes’, in Keller, and Rothchild, Donald (eds.), Afro-Marxist Regimes: ideology and public policy (Boulder and London, 1987), pp. 121;Google Scholar and Herbst, Jeffrey, ‘The Fall of Afro-Marxism’, in Journal of Democracy (Washington, DC), I, 3, 1990, pp. 92101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

2 Keller, op. cit. pp. 7–8.

3 Ibid. p. 11.

4 See Rothchild, Donald and Foley, Michael, ‘Ideology and Public Policy in Afro-Marxist Regimes: the effort to cope with domestic and international constraints’, in Keller, and Rothchild, (eds.), op. cit. pp. 302–3Google Scholar, and Herbst, Jeffrey, ‘Political Impediments to Economic Rationality: explaining Zimbabwe's failure to reform its public sector’, in The Journal of Modern African Studies (Cambridge), 27, 1, 03 1989, pp. 6784.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

5 Herbst, ‘The Fall of Afro-Marxism’, p. 99.

6 Astrow, André, Zimbabwe: a revolution that lost its ways? (London, 1983),Google Scholar and Colin, Stoneman (ed. ) Zimbabwe's Prospects: issues of race, class, state and capital in Southern Africa (London, 1988).Google Scholar

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8 Ibbo, Mandaza (ed.), Zimbabwe: the political economy of transition, 1980–1986 (Dakar, 1986), p. 4.Google Scholar

9 Ibid. p. 6.

11 Ibid. p. 30.

12 Ibid. p. 69.

13 Mandaza names both John Saul and André Astrow as leading examples of authors who have ‘romanticized’ the Zimbabwean struggle. Ibid. pp. 5–7 and 28–33.

14 Ibid. p. 69.

15 Ibid. p. 5.

16 This is not to suggest, of course, any intellectual equivalency between de Tocqueville's classic and the ephemeral writings of Africanist radicals in North America and Western Europe. Scholars in Africa ought to concentrate on field research, to participate more in national debates, and to help sponsor and produce, as well as edit, and write for, local journals of high quality. Outsiders who wished to be taken seriously would have to refer to such publications.

17 See Weber, Max, Economy and Society, Vol. I, edited by Guenther, Roth and Claus, Wittich (Berkeley, 1978 edn.), pp. 212–13.Google Scholar

18 Ibid. pp. 26–7.

19 Quoted in ibid. p. lxxxix.

20 Voegelin, Eric, Anamnesis (Notre Dame, IN, 1978), p. 144. The term ‘noetic’ is abstracted from Plato's use of the Greek word ‘nous’ to denote ‘reason’ as the centre of the human ‘psyche’ and the basis of the ‘spiritual man’.Google Scholar

21 Ibid. p. 145.

22 Weber. op. cit. p. lxiii.

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24 Harbermas, Jurgen, Knowledge and Human Interests (Boston, 1971), pp. 309–10.Google Scholar

25 Stoneman, (ed.), Zimbabwe's Prospects, pp. 4–5.Google Scholar

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27 Quoted in Astrow, op. cit. pp. 143 and 174.

28 Chung, Fay, ‘Education: revolution or reform?’, in Stoneman, (ed.), op. cit. p. 118.Google Scholar

29 Ibid. p. 121.

30 Loewenson, René and Sanders, David, ‘The Political Economy of Health and Nutrition’, in Stoneman, (ed.), op. cit. p. 133.Google Scholar

31 Cited in Southern African Economist (Harare), December 1990–January 1991.Google Scholar

33 See Skälnes, Tor, ‘Group Interests and the State: an explanation of Zimbabwe's agricultural policies’, in The Journal of Modern African Studies, 27, 1, 03 1989, pp. 85107,CrossRefGoogle Scholar and Herbst, Jeffrey, State Politics in zimbabwe (Harare and Berkeley, 1990).Google Scholar Also, Zimbabwe, ’, in Africa Research Bulletin: economic series, 27, 28 02 1990, p. 9849, for recent estimates.Google Scholar

34 Moyo, Sam, ‘The Land Question’, in Mandaza, (ed.), op. cit. p. 178.Google Scholar

35 ‘Maize From America Due Soon’, in The Chronicle (Bulawayo), 31 March 1992Google Scholar, and ‘US Speeds Food Export to Africa’, in ibid. 8 April 1992.

36 ‘Maize — the Facts’, in The Herald (Harare), 24 April 1992.Google Scholar

37 See ‘Government Puts Brakes on Resettlement’, in Horizon (Harare), May 1992.Google Scholar

38 Moyo, loc. cit. p. 180.

39 ‘No Unfairness in Land Policy, Says President’, in The Herald, 7 February 1991.

41 Quoted in ‘Judiciary Avoid Politics’, in Zimbabwe Press Mirror (Harare), 10, 28 January 1991, p. 3.Google Scholar

43 Mhlaba, Luke, ‘A New Law of the Land’, in Parade Magazine (Harare), 02 1991, p. 16.Google Scholar

45 Quoted in Astrow, op. cit. p. 143.

46 ‘PM Sets Socialist Strategy’, in The Herald (Harare), 7 February 1982.Google Scholar

47 ‘Centre Formed’, in ibid. 21. December 1990.

48 Editorial, in ibid. December 1990.

49 ‘Indigenous Capitalism’, in Sunday Mail (Harare), 8 January 1991.Google Scholar

50 See ‘Zimbabwe: adjustment programme details’, in Africa Research Bulletin: economic series, 27, 9, 1990, p. 10116c.Google Scholar

51 Speech presented by Mugabe, Robert G., President and First Secretary of Zanu-P.F., to the National Consultative Assembly, in Zanu-P. F. Library (Harare), 21 12 1991.Google Scholar

52 Speech presented by Robert G. Mugabe, President and First Secretary of Zanu-P.F., to the Ordinary Session of the Central Committee, in ibid. 20 December 1991, pp. 5–6.

53 Ibid. pp. 13–14.

54 The Herald, 6 December 1991.

55 Tshuma, Lawrence, ‘Do Zimbabweans Have a Right to Criticise Parliament?’, in The Financial Gazette (Harare), 9 01 1992.Google Scholar

56 See ‘85,000 Face Starvation’, in The Chronicle, 20 April 1992. Also, ‘Drought May Force School in Mutoko to Close Down’, in The Herald, 20 April 1992.Google Scholar

57 ‘MP's Hit Out at Poor Handling of Maize Situation’, in ibid. 10 April 1992.

58 See ‘Shortages Expose Poor Planning’, in ibid. 11 April 1992.

59 ‘CZI blames Government for Economic Chaos’, in The Financial Gazette, 23 April 1992.Google Scholar

60 An example of the ‘sometimes precarious balance’ was the handling of the desired de jure oneparty state which Zanu-P.F. seemed to be determined to pursue at all costs, only to later abandon in favour of a de facto solution which is likely to be further modified.

61 According to Niccolò Machiavelli, writing during 1513–14, ‘men prosper so long as fortune and policy are in accord, and when there is a clash they fail… Now, in Italy the opportunities are not wanting for thorough reorganisation…In order therefore that Italy, after so long a time, May behold its saviour, this opportunity must not be let slip’. The Prince, translated with an introduction by George Bull (Harmondsworth, 1961), pp. 133–8.Google Scholar