Zimbabwe is not collapsing into a one-party state through dramatic decree, but is instead drifting dangerously towards it through a systematic process of political monetization and the slow suffocation of pluralism. This is the stark warning issued by LEAD President Linda Tsungirirai Masarira, who argues the opposition’s current limbo is not accidental, but a product of structural design. Masarira contends that politics in Zimbabwe has become an “elite, capital-intensive enterprise.” Elections are no longer about ideas, vision, or policy—they are contests of financial muscle.
Campaigning demands industrial-scale resources for logistics, security, legal battles, and sustained mobilisation. For the ruling party, the line between state resources and party funding is blurred, offering an insurmountable advantage. For smaller and emerging opposition parties, the costs are existential, turning democracy into a “gated community” where those without access to capital are locked out of relevance.
The Opposition’s Structural Crisis Smaller parties face an “asphyxiation” as they are locked out of media, funding, and political relevance.Furthermore, the message from the system is clear: politics is not for the poor, the principled, or the independent, creating a climate of “controlled pluralism.” The Donor Retreat and the Danger Ahead The crisis is compounded by donor fatigue. International partners, weary of internal conflicts and a lack of coherent strategy, have retreated. This retreat, Masarira notes, exposes a crucial vulnerability: an opposition dependent on external life support is structurally weak in a political battlefield where the incumbent is “fully armoured.” A weakened opposition is not a victory for Zimbabwe; it is a profound national risk.
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It leads to a collapse in accountability, deepens corruption, and hardens authoritarian tendencies. Masarira cautions that suffocated political contestation moves resistance from institutions to desperation. Rebuilding PluralismStopping this drift requires a collective effort, demanding:
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