Is ZANU PF Destroying the Old to Build the New? A Critical Look at Zimbabwe’s Governance Trajectory

 

Is ZANU PF Destroying the Old to Build the New? A Critical Look at Zimbabwe’s Governance Trajectory

In the evolving landscape of Zimbabwean politics, a concerning pattern has emerged. One that suggests the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU PF) may be pursuing a strategy of dismantling old systems under the pretext of building something new.

While this strategy is not codified in any official policy, the practical evidence points to a calculated transformation of Zimbabwe’s political and institutional architecture. What we are witnessing may not simply be change but upheaval.

The Dismantling of Institutional Foundations

Over the past several years, ZANU PF has overseen the systematic erosion of key institutional pillars:

Land Tenure Systems: 

The recalibration of land ownership, including the controversial issuance of new title deeds, has raised alarm. Critics view this as an attempt to reassert control over land allocation and usage and a move that benefits political loyalty over justice and equity.

Local Government Autonomy: 

Longstanding frameworks that granted local authorities a degree of independence are being weakened. Centralized control is reasserted through opaque appointment mechanisms, budgetary constraints, and political interference.

Civil Service Neutrality: 

Once envisioned as an apolitical organ of the state, the civil service is increasingly viewed as a politicized extension of the ruling party, where appointments and promotions are often aligned with political allegiance rather than merit or professional competence.

These changes are rarely framed as erosions of democratic norms. Instead, they are marketed as steps toward national renewal under catchy slogans like “Vision 2030,” the “Second Republic,” or “economic empowerment.”

Reform or Reinvention of Control?

At first glance, these initiatives might suggest progressive reform. However, beneath the rhetoric lies a troubling trend: 

• Consolidation of power and deepening political patronage.
• Transparency has declined, with decision-making processes increasingly shrouded in secrecy.
• Elite enrichment has accelerated, as access to resources and opportunities becomes concentrated among those within or aligned with the ruling elite.
• Democratic processes, including elections and public consultations, are sidelined or manipulated to give a veneer of legitimacy to what critics describe as authoritarian maneuvers.

This is not reform in the democratic sense. Rather, it appears to be a strategic demolition of previous checks and balances clearing the way not for people-centered governance, but for regime entrenchment.

The Pattern Is Unmistakable

What makes this moment especially consequential is the intentionality of these shifts. Whether by design or consequence, ZANU PF’s governance has resulted in:

• The dismantling of old, decentralized, and independent systems;
• The creation of new, centralized structures of control;
• The reframing of authoritarian practices as visionary progress.

This approach echoes the adage: “Destroy the old so that the new may be born.” But the critical question becomes "what kind of “new” is being born?".

A Call for National Introspection

Zimbabwe stands at a crossroads. The promise of a renewed republic is weighed down by the growing reality of captured institutions and diminished democratic space. The question facing every citizen is no longer simply about party loyalty or political ideology. It is about the soul of the nation.

Are we witnessing a genuine national rebirth, or a descent into deeper authoritarianism? Are these structural changes laying the foundation for an inclusive, equitable future or entrenching a legacy of elite control? Only an informed, active, and courageous citizenry can answer that and act accordingly.

Join the conversation. Stay informed. Speak out. Zimbabwe’s future depends not only on those who govern, but on those who dare to hold power accountable.