The Paradox of Postcolonial Politics: A Critical Appraisal of Zimbabwe’s False Dawns

Abstract

The chapter assesses the diseased psyche of Zimbabwe’s politics in relation to its polarised existential domains. It unpacks the tragic and situational ironies resident in and obtaining from an epoch that supposedly should be inclusive but is proving to be an aberration from the norm. Premised on this, the word “post” in the title of the chapter is wholly capitalised to show the excruciating shock due to the reversal of expectations. To demonstrate this, the chapter considers the palpable political rhetoric from Zimbabwe’s mainstream political parties: Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front and Citizens Coalition for Change (hereafter referred to as ZANU-PF and CCC). The chapter argues that the advantage of disadvantage, if not expertly managed would turncoat into a disadvantage of advantage. This line of argumentation would be footnoted on “independent” Zimbabwe and the politics of plastic independence: an advantage morphing into a rank, arrant and rancid disadvantage. Illustrations would mainly be drawn from the ZANU-PF $\leftrightarrow$ CCC political logjam and how the Zimbabwe masses are at the mercy of the two Machiavellian political outfits. Wholesomely, the chapter discusses how Zimbabwe is now in an etiolate state due to political missteps.