The Zimbabwean crisis and international response

Abstract

Zimbabwe has been in economic, political and social crisis since the turn of the 21st century. The crisis is the result of the combined effects of misgovernment, political intolerance, economic mismanagement by the ruling élite, a virulent HIVAIDS pandemic and a severely deleterious economic meltdown. International ostracism of the country in the wake of Zimbabwe's controversial "fast track" land reform since 2000 and the human rights abuses accompanying it precipitated the economic collapse. Meanwhile, shortages of foreign currency and the disruption of the country's agricultural industry led to a collapse of the local manufacturing industry, high levels of unemployment and inflation, estimated at the beginning of 2006 at 80 and 780%, respectively, and severe shortages of basic necessities of life. As the country sank deeper into an economic quagmire and government increasingly trampled on human rights, there was widespread condemnation of the Zimbabwean Government, mainly in the West, but with little notable effect. In fact, international responses to the Zimbabwean crisis have been largely ineffectual. The question is why international responses have been so ineffective and why denunciations of the Zimbabwe government have come mostly from the Western countries, while Zimbabwe's own neighbours on the continent have either remained silent or have openly supported Zimbabwe's policies. This paper attempts to address these questions and understand why there has been little consensus among the African governments and Western powers on how to deal with the Zimbabwean situation.