Zimbabwe holds its much-anticipated, make or break elections on Monday following the ‘soft coup’ that forced Robert Mugabe to abdicate last November after ruling with an iron fist over 37 years.
Dumisani Moyo writes that the stakes are so high an unprecedented, vicious online propaganda war is being waged by both the ruling Zanu-PF and the opposition MDC-Alliance to win the race, which David Moore describes as close.
Gift Mwonzora, meanwhile, argues that Zimbabweans will be making their choice in a dramatically changed political landscape, and amid fears following the recent deadly bomb blast at a Zanu-PF election rally. And Brooks Marmon wonders if Zimbabwe can finally ditch its history of violence, which is key to the credibility of the election's outcome.
Elsewhere, Yvonne Rowa grapples with whether the Zimbabwean army can be trusted to safeguard rather than threaten democracy in the country. Stephen Chan weighs in on Emmerson Mnangagwa’s promises of flows of Western cash and a new start for Zimbabwe if he and Zanu-PF are elected.
Providing a wider context to the elections, Chris Saunders shows how stability in southern Africa depends on the way that political leaders in the region win or lose power.
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