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ABSTRACT
This article examines how the securitisation of COVID-19 helped the ZANU-PF government to consolidate power. It uses data collected from various document sources such as news outlets, social media platforms, and websites. Additionally, the researchers conducted informal interviews with Zimbabweans through social networking platforms. The study found that the measures the government (securitising actor) adopted to contain the coronavirus did not match the degree of the threat and noted glaring discrepancies between what the government said and its actions. In addition, the implementation of the COVID-19 measures indicates that the ruling party sought to achieve other agendas other than protecting the public (referent objects). The administration used extraordinary measures associated with curbing the spread of COVID-19 as a cover to decimate the opposition coalition, Movement for Democratic Change-Alliance (MDC-A), and consolidate power through the politicisation of food, harassment of those who broke the lockdown measures, prevention of anti-government protests, postponement of elections, and constitutional amendments.
Notes
1 Balzac, Leornard, and Ruzicka. ‘Securitization’ Revisited: theory and cases’; Floyd. ‘Can Securitization Theory be Use in Normative Analysis? Towards a Just Securitization Theory’; Bright. ‘Securitisation, Terror, and Control: Towards a Theory of the Breaking Point’.
2 Floyd, ‘Can Securitization Theory be Use in Normative Analysis? Towards a Just Securitization Theory’, 433.
3 Bright, ‘Securitisation, Terror, and Control: Towards a Theory of the Breaking Point’, 868.
4 Buzan, Waever, and De Wilde, Security: A New Framework for Analysis.
5 Ezeokafor, and Kaunert, ‘Securitization outside of the West: conceptualizing the securitization–neo-patrimonialism nexus in Africa’.
6 Floyd, ‘Can Securitization Theory Be Use in Normative Analysis? Towards a Just Securitization Theory’.
7 Bowen, ‘Document Analysis as a Qualitative Research Method’, 29.
8 Ibid, 29.
9 Buzan, Waever, and De Wilde, Security: A New Framework for Analysis, 30.
10 Buzan, Waever, and De Wilde, ‘Security: A New Framework for Analysis’, 40.
11 Waever. ‘Securitarization and Desecuritization’, 55
12 Buzan, Waever and De Wilde. Security: A New Framework for Analysis, 30.
13 Ezeokafor and Kaunert, ‘Securitization Outside of the West: Conceptualizing the Securitization–Neo-Patrimonialism Nexus in Africa’, 6.
14 Ezeokafor and Kaunert, ‘Securitization Outside of the West: Conceptualizing the Securitization–Neo-Patrimonialism Nexus in Africa’.
15 Balzac, ‘Three Faces of Securitization: Political Agency, Audience and Context’.
16 Vuori, Illocutionary Logic and Strands of Securitization: Applying the Theory of Securitization to the Study of Non-Democratic Political Orders’, 68.
17 Ezeokafor and Kaunert, ‘Securitization Outside of the West: Conceptualizing the Securitization–Neo-Patrimonialism Nexus in Africa’.
18 Floyd. ‘Can Securitization Theory Be Use in Normative Analysis? Towards a Just Securitization Theory’, 428.
19 Ibid, 429.
20 Ibid, 431.
21 Ibid, 433.
22 Tendi, ‘The Motivations and Dynamics of Zimbabwe’s 2017 Military Coup’
23 Nyambi, ‘Of Weevils and Gamatox: Titles, Names and Nicknames in ZANU PF Succession politics’.
24 Dzirutwe, ‘Zimbabwe's Mugabe Fires Deputy, Seven Ministers’.
25 Elich, ‘What is Behind the Military Coup in Zimbabwe?’
26 Hodgkinson, ‘The Mnangagwa Era? Periodisation and Politics in Zimbabwe’, 981.
27 Southall, ‘Bob’s Out, the Croc is in: Continuity or Change in Zimbabwe?’
28 Ibid, 981.
29 Noyes, A New Zimbabwe? Assessing Continuity and Change After Mugabe, 8.
30 Cohen and Latham, ‘How Zimbabwe’s First Election after Mugabe went Wrong’.
31 Noyes, A New Zimbabwe? Assessing Continuity and Change After Mugabe, viii
32 BBC, ‘Zimbabwe's Mnangagwa gives Key Cabinet Jobs to Military Figures’.
33 Human Rights Watch, ‘Zimbabwe: Excessive Force Used Against Protesters’.
34 Hodgkinson, ‘The Mnangagwa Era? Periodisation and Politics in Zimbabwe’.
35 Noyes, A New Zimbabwe? Assessing Continuity and Change After Mugabe.
36 Derpanopoulos, Frantz Geddes and Wright, ‘Are Coups Good for Democracy?’
37 Tendi, ‘The Motivations and Dynamics of Zimbabwe’s 2017 Military Coup’
38 McInnes and Rushton, ‘HIV/AIDS and Securitization Theory European’.
39 Ibid.
40 Nicholas, ‘Ebola — From Public Health Crisis to National Security Threat’, 278
41 Liu and Bennet, ‘Viral Borders: COVID-19’s Effects on Securitization, Surveillance, and Identity in Mainland China and Hong Kong’, Sears, ‘The Securitization of COVID-19: Three Political’. Dilemmas’.
42 ZTN, ‘Coronavirus Watch|Zim President addresses the Nation’.
43 Ibid.
44 Aljazeera, ‘Zimbabwe Extends Coronavirus Lockdown ‘Indefinitely’. Dzurutwe. ‘Zimbabwe Locks Down to Fight Coronavirus amid Economic Crisis’.
45 Dzirutwe, ‘Zimbabwe Locks Down to Fight Coronavirus Amid Economic Crisis’.
46 Makurumidze, ‘Coronavirus-19 Disease (COVID-19): A Case Series of Early Suspected Cases Reported and the Implications Towards the RESPONSE to the Pandemic in Zimbabwe’.
47 Mutsaka, ‘In Zimbabwe, ‘You win Coronavirus, or You Win Starvation’.
48 Makurumidze, ‘Coronavirus-19 Disease (COVID-19): A Case Series of Early Suspected Cases Reported and the Implications Towards the Response to the Pandemic in Zimbabwe’.
49 Markel, Lipman, Navarro, Sloan, Michalsen, Stern and Cetron, ‘Nonpharmaceutical Interventions Implemented by US Cities during the 1918–1919 Influenza Pandemic’.
50 Makurumidze, ‘Coronavirus-19 Disease (COVID-19): A Case Series of Early Suspected Cases Reported and the Implications Towards the Response to the Pandemic in Zimbabwe’, 496.
51 Swanson, ‘The Sanitation Syndrome: Bubonic Plague and Urban Native Policy in the Cape Colony 1900- 1909’, 393.
52 White, ‘Xenophobia in the Time of Quarantines’.
53 Aljazeera, ‘Zimbabwe President Threatens Fake News Author with 20 Years’ Jail’.
54 Veritas, ‘SI 2020–083 Public Health (COVID-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment) (National Lockdown) Order, 2020’, 453.
55 Veritas, ‘Access to Information & Protection of Privacy Act [Chapter 10:27], Oct 2003’.
56 Mavhunga, ‘Rights Groups Condemn Torture of Protesters in Zimbabwe’
57 Ibid.
58 Zenda, ‘Army and Police Brutality Keep Starving Zimbabweans Indoors’.
59 MISA, ‘Misa Files Court Application against Police Harassment of Journalists’.
60 Nyathi, ‘Is Covid-19 the Perfect Cover for Mnangagwa to Crush the Opposition?’
61 World Health Organization. ‘Zimbabwe’.
62 Reuters, ‘Zimbabwe Tightens COVID Rules Ahead of Anti-Government Protests’.
63 Ibid.
64 BBC, ‘Hopewell Chin'ono: Whistle-Blowing Zimbabwean Journalist Arrested’.
65 Amnesty International, ‘Zimbabwe: Authorities Thwart Anti-Corruption Protests, launch a Witch-Hunt against Activists’.
66 Xinhua, ‘Zimbabwe Suspends Electoral Activities due to COVID-19 OUTBREAK’.
67 Ellena, ‘Legal Considerations When Delaying or Adapting Elections’, 6
68 Kubatana.net, ‘Statement on the indefinite suspension of by-elections in Zimbabwe’.
69 United Nations Human Rights, ‘International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights’.
70 Chibamu, ‘UPDATED: Khupe, MDC-T Loyalists Sworn in as MPs’.
71 United Nations Center for Human Rights. Human Rights and Elections: A Handbook on the Legal, Technical, and Human Rights Aspects of Elections’, 11
72 Tapfumaneyi, ‘ZEC Sets 5 December as By-Election Date for Vacant Parly, Council Seats’.
73 Ibid.
74 Kubatana.net, ‘Statement on the Indefinite Suspension of By-Elections in Zimbabwe’.
75 Oulepo, ‘COVID-19 Impact on Africa Elections’.
76 Chikohomero, ‘Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Administration is Steamrolling Constitutional Amendments While Zimbabweans are in Lockdown’.
77 Ibid.
78 Kubatana.net, ‘We can’t Breathe No to Premature Resumption of Public Hearings on Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment No. 2 Bill’.
79 Dzobo, Chitungo, and Dzinamarira, ‘COVID-19: A Perspective for Lifting Lockdown in Zimbabwe’, 1–3.
80 Staff Reporter, ‘MDC Mutasa South MP Arrested for Donating Mealie-Meal’.
81 Rupapa, ‘Zimbabwe First Lady to introduce Food Support Scheme’; Zimbabwe Peace Project, ‘Monthly Monitoring report’, 3, 9.
82 Zimbabwe Peace Project, ‘Monthly Monitoring Report’, 3.
83 Gavin, ‘The Authoritarian Politics of COVID-19 in Zimbabwe’.
84 Grunwald, ‘In Hungry Zimbabwe, Food Used as Political Weapon’.
85 De Vries, ‘Fighting against Dictatorship. Instead Knowledge’.
86 The Premier Reporter, ‘Zimbabwe President Leads Nation in Prayer against Covid-19’.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Tompson Makahamadze
Dr. Tompson Makahamadze is an Ambassador’s Distinguished Scholar. He holds a Ph.D. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University (USA). His research interests include peace processes, peacebuilding, conflict transformation, regional and global security issues, democracy, gender, elections, and nonviolent struggle. Tompson’s recent article, The Role of Political Parties in Peacebuilding Following Disputed Elections in Africa, appears in the Africa Insight’ Special Issue (2020).
Francis Sibanda
Dr. Francis Sibanda is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow under the Democracy, Ethics, and Development niche area at the University of Fort Hare. His interests are in socio-economic and urban development issues. He has published in peer-reviewed journals and contributed a book chapter on city development strategies.