The impact of Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) in regional conflict resolution: case of Zimbabwe, 2008-2018

Abstract

The research study is on the impact of Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) in regional conflict resolution, case study of Zimbabwe, 2008-2018. The study was a desktop which used documentary analysis methodology to collect and analyze data. Qualitative design is the approach that the study utilized. A hermeneutics of the documents and texts was done in order to explore the impact of SADC in solving conflict in Zimbabwe. The study identified that Zimbabwe’s conflict in the years 2008-2018 was mainly caused by irregular national elections whose results were contested. Though Zimbabwe violated SADC guidelines on conducting democratic elections in the region, SADC was not effective enough to solve the conflict. Lack of political will, solidarity politics and liberation legacy are among the factors that hindered SADC from solving Zimbabwe’s conflict effectively. The SADC mediators in Zimbabwe namely former South African Presidents Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma were impartial in their mediation efforts and this gave President Mugabe an opportunity to violate several resolutions to be implemented by the Government of National Unity (GNU) in Zimbabwe. Soft diplomacy approach used by SADC in an attempt to solve Zimbabwe’s conflict was effective. Zimbabwe’s conflict escalated due to the fact that SADC could not use hard power in the name of the Standby Force though the nature of the conflict compelled them to do so. Owing to the shortcomings in the SADC conflict resolution efforts, Zimbabwe’s liberation and ruling party, ZANU-PF supported by some security forces unleashed violence against members of the opposition party MDC. There was bloodshed in Zimbabwe during 2008 and 2018 elections. The problem was exacerbated by ZANU-PF’s principles identical to Social Darwinism that nature is “a kill-or-be-killed.” This survival of the fittest ideology still persists in Zimbabwe and the conflict continues to escalate as it also leads to socio-economic challenges. The study suggested recommendations to be implemented so as to alleviate the conflict in Zimbabwe. Moreover the study identified the gap which requires further research.