Research Library: Zimbabwe
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Last Updated May 29, 2009
Country Information
Government
- Zimbabwe is a parliamentary democracy. The president is chief of state and elected by popular vote for a five-year term with no term limits. The president appoints two co-vice presidents. The prime minister is head of the government. The bicameral Parliament is comprised of the Senate and a House of Assembly. Of the Senate¿s 93 seats, only 60 are elected by popular vote. All of the House of Assembly¿s seats are elected by popular vote.
- Executive President Robert Gabriel Mugabe served as president since 1987 and won reelection in 2008. International observers ruled both rounds of the elections were flawed and condemned them. President Mugabe agreed to a power-sharing deal in September 2008. Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai came into power in February 2009. In the past, the Zanu-PF party was the only political party in Zimbabwe however Prime Minister Tsvangiari¿s MDC party won the majority of seats in the 2008 elections.
Political Stability
- The UK annexed Zimbabwe in 1923 from the South African Company. A 1961 constitution favored the white minority. The government declared independence in 1965 which the UK rejected. After guerrilla warfare and UN sanctions, Rhodesia gained independence in 1980 and became Zimbabwe. The first free elections were in 1979. Elections observers believe President Mugabe rigged the 1992 elections. This allowed him to amend the constitution and re-institute the senate.
- Election observers thought that Prime Minister Tsvangiraiwon the 2008 general elections, winning the majority needed to become president. The official results however showed that he had the most votes yet not the majority. Violence against the opposition party caused Tsvangirai to withdraw from the second round of elections, thus President Mugabe won reelection. President Mugabe was accused of vote rigging and ballot stuffing. In 2008, the two parties agreed to a power-sharing government, creating the position of Prime Minister.
Current Government Policies
- President Mugabe defends his land reform policy and continues to push for the return of land to the black majority. Prime Minister Tsvangirai has publicly stated that he wishes to end human right abuses and political violence in Zimbabwe. He also plans to focus his efforts on addressing the humanitarian need in Zimbabwe.
International Reputation
- Zimbabwe maintains relations with many countries in the west however it has developed a ¿Look East¿ policy, forming relationships with country like India and the Republic of China. Zimbabwe blamed its formal colonial power, the UK, for the country's problems. This strained the countries relationship. While formal government relations deteriorated, informal, private relationships are strong. For example, many Zimbabweans study in the UK.
Economics
- Agriculture was once Zimbabwe¿s major source of exports. The sector employed 66% of the labor force in 2008. Zimbabwe¿s major industries include mining, steel production and wood products. Industry growth rate fell by 6% in 2008. Zimbabwe¿s involvement in the 1998-2002 war in the Democratic Republic of Congo led to the loss of millions of dollars.
- The controversial land reform badly hurt the commercial farming sector and led to widespread violence. The economy also suffered from unsustainable fiscal debt, overvalued official exchange rate and hyperinflation. The official inflation rate was 11.2 million percent in 2008. The EU and US continue to provide food aid however the IMF suspended its financial assistance after the government failed to enact economic reforms.
Foreign Aid
Statistics
Click on statistic name for source information.
Web Resources
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