The return of the jettisoned: ZANU-PF's crack at 're-urbanising' in Harare

Journal of Southern African Studies

Volumn 32, Issue 2, 2006, Pages 255-271

  Kamete, Amin Y ^a  

^a NORDIC AFRICA INSTITUTE   (Sweden)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ELECTION; PARTY POLITICS; VOTING BEHAVIOR;

AFRICA; HARARE [ZIMBABWE]; SOUTHERN AFRICA; SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA; ZIMBABWE;

EID: 33745110281     PISSN: 03057070     EISSN: 14653893     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/03057070600656143     Document Type: Article

References (116)

1. Saluting the rural voters after the election results, President Mugabe hailed them as 'the most consistent, reliable and decisive pillar of support for the party...'. See 'Rural Voters Hailed', The Herald, 11 April 2005.
2. W. Tordoff, 'Decentralisation: Comparative Experiences in Commonwealth Africa', Journal of Modern African Studies, 32, 4 (1994), pp. 555-80.
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5. See also R. Cameron, 'The Upliftment of South African Local Government?', Local Government Studies, 27, 3 (2001), pp. 97-118.
6. H. Sullivan, A. Knops, M. Barnes and J. Newman, 'Central-Local Relations in an Era of Multi-Level Governance: The Case of Public Participation Policy in England, 1997-2001', Local Government Studies, 30, 2 (2004), pp. 245-65.
7. G. Stoker, Transforming Local Governance: From Thatcherism to New Labour (London, Palgrave Macmillan, 2004).
8. A. Coulson, 'New Labour and the Politics of Local Governance', Local Government Studies, 30, 1 (2004), pp. 108-15.
9. H.C. Reeves, 'Have State Problems Produced the Current Urban Problems?', Public Administration Review, 30, 2 (1970), 155-60.
10. M. Keating, 'Size, Efficiency and Democracy: Consolidation, Fragmentation and Public Choice', in D. Judge, G. Stoker and H. Wolman (eds), Theories of Urban Politics (London, Sage, 1995), pp. 117-34.
11. R.A.W. Rhodes, 'Continuity and Change in British Central-Local Relations: "The Conservative Threat" 1979-83', British Journal of Political Science, 14, 3 (1984), pp. 261-83.
12. M. Keating, 'The Scottish Local Government Bill', Local Government Studies, 4, 1 (1975), pp. 49-61.
13. Keating, 'Size, Efficiency and Democracy', pp. 117-34.
14. Ibid., p. 129.
15. Rhodes, 'Continuity and Change in British Central-Local Relations'.
16. A. Coulson, 'Local Politics, Central Power: The Future of Representative Local Government in England', Local Government Studies, 30, 4 (2004), pp. 467-80.
17. G. Blakeley, 'Local Governance and Local, Democracy: The Barcelona Model', Local Government Studies, 31, 2 (2005), pp. 149-65.
18. A.J. Taylor, 'Governance', in G. Blakeley & V. Bryson (eds.), Contemporary Political Concepts (London, Pluto Press, 2002), pp. 35-53.
19. A. Stewart, 'Two Conceptions of Citizenship', The British Journal of Sociology, 46, 1, (1995), pp. 63-78.
20. See M. Mamdani, Citizen and Subject: Contemporary Africa and the Legacy of Late Colonialism (Oxford, James Currey, 1996).
21. Stewart, 'Two Conceptions of Citizenship', p. 74.
22. J.D. Jordan, Local Government in Zimbabwe (Gweru, Mambo Press, 1984), p. 17.
23. C. Rakodi, Harare: Inheriting a Colonial City: Continuity or Change? (Chichester, Wiley, 1995), p. 32.
24. Jordan, Local Government in Zimbabwe, p. 40.
25. Rakodi, Harare, p. 33.
26. B. Raftopoulos and T. Yoshikuni (eds), Sites for Struggle: Essays in Zimbabwe's Urban History (Harare, Weaver, 1999).
27. Jordan, Local Government in Zimbabwe, p. 8.
28. By law, (black) Africans were expected to remain in the cities only for the duration of their employment and where expected to return to their rural homes as soon as they were no longer useful in the urban areas.
29. Jordan, Local Government in Zimbabwe, pp. 7-9.
30. See also Raftopoulos and Yoshikuni, (eds), Sites for Struggle.
31. A.Y. Kamete, 'Contestable Nationalism: Winning Back Urbanites in Zimbabwe' (mimeo, Uppsala, 2003).
32. See also S.R. Dorman, 'Civic Space and Politics from Rhodesia to Zimbabwe', Zimbabwe Review, 5, 2 (2005), pp. 1-3.
33. See T. Mubvami, and K.H. Wekwete, 'The Challenge of Managing Towns and Cities in Zimbabwe in the Next Millennium' (mimeo, Harare, 2000).
34. See also Government of Zimbabwe, Urban Councils Act (Revised Edition) (Harare, Government Printer, 1996), Chapter 29:15.
35. For an informative overview of changing urban electoral patterns see Dorman, 'Civic Space and Politics from Rhodesia to Zimbabwe', pp. 1-3.
36. A.Y. Kamete, 'The Rebels Within: Urban Zimbabwe in the Post-election Period', in H. Melber (ed.), Zimbabwe's Presidential Elections 2002: Evidence, Lessons and Implications (Uppsala, Nordic Africa Institute 2002), pp. 31-48.
37. 'Council to Meet over Suspended Chideya's Fate', The Herald, 2 November 2002.
38. 'Council Heads for New Row', The Weekend Tribune, 11 January 2003.
39. 'Harare Mayor Suspended', ZANU-PF website, 30 April 2004. Available at http://www.zanupfpub.co.zw/harare_mayor_suspended.htm
40. 'Mudzuri Wins Order to Get Damning Reports', The Financial Gazette, 20 May 2004.
41. See also 'Mudzuri Ouster Angers Residents', The Daily News, 5 January 2003.
42. See, for example, 'MDC Ditches 6 Suspended Councillors', The Financial Gazette, 11 September 2003.
43. The deputy mayor finally publicly defected to ZANU-PF in August 2004. See 'After Makwavarara, MDC Closes Ranks', The Standard, 15 August 2004.
44. In fact council defiantly held the elections in March 2004. They ousted the deputy mayor but Chombo immediately nullified the elections and suspended the councillors involved. See 'Sekesai Makwavarara's Ouster', The Financial Gazette, 3 June 2004.
45. Ibid.
46. 'New Governors Condemned As "White Elephants"', The Financial Gazette, 12 February 2004.
47. Ibid.
48. 'New Brooms Can't Clean Sunshine City', The Zimbabwe Independent, 5 December 2003.
49. V. Maponga, 'Chombo Locks Out Harare Councillors', The Standard, 11 April 2004.
50. 'Suspended Harare Mayor Mudzuri Dismissed', ZBC News, 17 April 2004
51. 'State Appoints 8-Member Commission to Run Harare', The Herald, 10 December 2004.
52. See, for example, 'President to Cast Vote in Highfield By-election', The Herald, 28 March 2003.
53. The delay was obviously government's strategy to gain time and regroup after the stunning defeat of 2002. It took a Supreme Court ruling to force government to allow the elections. Even then, the elections were not held within the timeframe stipulated by the court. See 'Mudzuri's Ouster Stern Test for MDC Urban Supporters', The Daily News, 5 January 2003.
54. A. Kamete, 'In Defence of National Sovereignty? Urban Governance and Democracy in Zimbabwe', Journal of Contemporary African Studies, 21, 2 (2003), pp. 193-213.
55. Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe (MMPZ), 'Daily Electronic Report for Sunday, March 10th 2002: 2nd Day Of Voting'. Available at http://mmpz.icon.co.zw/11March2002.htm. Accessed 18 April 2004.
56. See also 'Mugabe Leads in Poll', The Herald, 11 March 2002.
57. See, for example, 'Basic Foods Galore in Highfield', The Weekend Tribune, 29 March 2003.
58. Kamete, 'The Rebels Within', p. 36.
59. After again losing Harare in the 2005 general elections President Mugabe attacked urban voters as 'habitually fickle' and accused them of wavering or withdrawing their support from the ruling party by voting for the opposition. In contrast, rural voters were hailed as 'the vanguard in the sweet defence of our sovereignty'. See 'Rural Voters Hailed', The Herald, 11 April 2005.
60. A classic case of defections was presented on 'News Hour', the main news bulletin, on ZBC-TV, 7 April 2003. The MDC described the 'defectors' as 'all hired ZANU-PF thugs. They have nothing to do with the MDC' (MDC Press Statement, 8 April 2003).
61. 'Harare, Think Again', News24 Special Report, 2 March 2005.
62. Makumbe, quoted in Southern Africa Documentation and Cooperation Centre (SADOCC), 'Mugabe to Appoint Governors over MDC Mayors'. Available at http://www.sadocc.at/news/2003-013.shtml. Accessed 10 April 2004.
63. For a useful commentary on the delimitation process see K. Matlosa, 'Delimitation of Electoral Boundaries', EISA Newsletter, 19, 8 March 2005.
64. The party's sole parliamentary seat in the 2005 elections came from this same Harare South.
65. 'State Orders Council to Suspend Rate Hikes', The Herald, 29 June 2004.
66. 'RBZ Gives Councils Forex for Water Treatment Chemicals', The Financial Gazette, 8 January 2004.
67. 'Harare Mayor Elias Mudzuri Arrested', MDC Press Statement, 7 July 2003
68. 'Mugabe Regime Gets More Repressive as Mudzuri and 21 Others are Arrested', The Standard, 12 January 2003.
69. 'Opposition March Broken up in Harare', BBC News, 8 January 2003.
70. For details on the debts see Kamete, 'The Rebels Within'.
71. Even the state-controlled press, which was very critical of the opposition-controlled council, admits that services have gone down. See 'Justify Increase in Rates - Residents', The Herald, 9 April 2005.
72. See also, 'No Easy Walk to Parastatal Reform', The Financial Gazette, 3 February 2005
73. and 'Zimbabwe: Rescuing Harare', IRINnews.org, 18 April 2005. Available at http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=44267. Accessed 18 April 2005.
74. Compare Sullivan et al., 'Central-Local Relations in an Era of Multi-Level Governance'.
75. According to one newspaper report, after the mayor was suspended residents reacted with 'shock and anger'. See 'Mudzuri Ouster Angers Residents', The Daily News, 5 January 2003.
76. 'Mudzuri's Suspension a Case of Sour Grapes', The Daily News, 5 January 2003.
77. Kamete, 'The Rebels Within', p. 38.
78. For details of how the state-controlled media was used to malign council see Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe, 'Weekly Media Update No. 02', available at http://www.mmpz.org.zw/archives/2003/week2003/week2_2003.html. Accessed 17 April 2005.
79. See '"Politricks" Cause of Decay of Cities', The Zimbabwean, 8 April 2005.
80. 'Public Debate on the City of Harare Budget a Success', The Resident, 22 November 2002.
81. Ibid.
82. See A.Y. Kamete, Governance for Sustainability? Balancing Social and Environmental Concerns in Harare (Bergen, Christian Michelsen Institute, 2001).
83. 'New Brooms Can't Clean Sunshine City', The Zimbabwe Independent, 5 December 2003.
84. Ibid.
85. Also cited by critics was the fact that ZANU-PF executive mayors and councils in such cities as Kadoma, Gweru, Mutare and Marondera were failing to deliver. That they were not threatened, let alone fired, was interpreted as evidence of hypocrisy on the part of government. See 'Mudzuri's Ouster Stern Test for MDC Urban Supporters', The Daily News, 5 January 2003.
86. Stewart, 'Two Conceptions of Citizenship', p. 74.
87. See also Mamdani, Citizen and Subject.
88. 'What Happened to Issue Number 5?', The Resident (CHRA Newsletter), 15 October 2002.
89. 'Executive Mayor under Pressure', The Resident, 23 September 2003.
90. 'Residents Prepare Lawsuit Over Mudzuri', The Zimbabwe Independent, 3 May 2003.
91. Combined Harare Residents' Association (CHRA), 'CHRA Takes Minister to Court Over Failure to Hold Harare Council Elections', Press Statement, Harare, 9 June 2005.
92. 'Chombo vs Ncube: Mayor Sticks to His Guns', The Financial Gazette, 7 October 2004. In fact, Bulawayo's reputation as a well-run city may be the reason why the minister has not resorted to accusations of maladministration and demands for 'turnarounds'.
93. Ibid.
94. Ibid.
95. 'Mayor Faces the Sack', The Sunday Mail, 16 September 2004.
96. 'Suspended Chitungwiza Mayor Sues Minister, Council', The Herald, 25 January 2006.
97. 'War on Zim Mayors', News24, 29 April 2000.
98. Ibid.
99. 'Chombo: Albatross Around Mugabe's Neck', The Standard, Harare, 22 January 2006.
100. 'Chombo Suspends Chegutu Mayor', The Standard, 6 June 2004.
101. Ibid.
102. See, for example, 'Shame Detractors Build Houses', The Herald, 8 July 2005.
103. Reacting to one incidence of what it described as 'misreporting' by the state-controlled daily, The Herald, the CHRA indicated that it was 'dismayed if not surprised by the malicious and distorted reporting contained in the (sic) Herald ... that is intended to spread alarm and despondency by creating confusion and division amongst the residents of Harare'. See 'CHRA responds to misreporting by the [sic] Herald on the public meeting held on Wednesday 4 February 2004', CHRA Press statement, 10 February 2004.
104. Ibid.
105. 'Suspension of Residents' Association meetings at Town House', Letter to CHRA by Officer Commanding Police, Harare Central District, 8 May 2003.
106. See, for example, G. Kapuka, 'The Role of the Zimbabwe Labour Movement Under Threat from POSA', The Worker, August 2004.
107. For example, The Herald of 6 July 2005 celebrated a demonstration against the umbrella labour body's leadership 'for departing from its core business of representing workers and meddling in the politics of the country'. The state-controlled paper cited unnamed sources as urging 'the ZCTU to go back to the drawing board and work with the Government, workers and the employers' [sic] in order to fulfill [sic] its mandate as a labour body'. See 'Demo against ZCTU Leadership', The Herald, 6 July 2005.
108. Sullivan et al. 'Central-Local Relations in an Era of Multi-Level Governance'. See also the article by Potts in this issue of JSAS.
109. See 'Mudzuri's Ouster Stern Test for MDC Urban Supporters' Daily News, 5 January 2003.
110. For examples of those who sneer at the victory see Muckraker, 'A Buffoon in Charge of New African?', The Zimbabwe Independent, 27 September 2002
111. '"Politricks" Cause of Decay of Cities', The Zimbabwean, 8 April 2005.
112. Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (ZHRNF), Order out of Chaos, or Chaos out of Order? A Preliminary Report on Operation "Murambatsvina" (Harare, ZHRNF, June 2005), p. 4
113. see also A.K. Tibaijuka, Report of the Fact-Finding Mission to Zimbabwe to Assess the Scope and Impact of Operation Murambatsvina by the UN Special Envoy on Human Settlements Issues in Zimbabwe (New York, United Nations, 2005).
114. B. Peta, quoted by CBC News ('200,000 Homes Bulldozed in Zimbabwe', CBC News, 10 June 2002). Available at http://www.cbc.ca/storyview/MSN/world/national/2005/06/10/ zimbabwe-bulldozers050610.html. (Accessed 10 June 2005).
115. ZHRNF, Order out of Chaos, or Chaos out of Order?, p. 13.
116. Solidarity Peace Trust, Discarding the Filth: Operation Murambatsvina (Interim Report on the Zimbabwean Government's 'Urban Cleansing' and Forced Eviction Campaign May/June 200 (Harare, Solidarity Peace Trust, June 2005), pp. 12-20.