Keeping secrets is not the way to make friends

South Africa’s proposed Protection of Information Bill, now back with the adhoc parliamentary committee for redrafting, is chillingly similar to Zimbabwe’s Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, warns Maddy Halyard of Idasa’s States in Transition Observatory (SITO). It could turn everyday citizens who posses protected intelligence, even unknowingly, into common criminals, while exempting [...]

SITO’s first Election Watch for Zimbabwe

The Election Watch is based on the SADC principles and guidelines for conducting elections. It holds countries to the standards that they originated and agreed to abide by as members of the regional community. It will be released on a monthly basis in order to track progress towards or divergence from the SADC standard. Read [...]

What is Zimbabwe’s Global Political Agreement?

If intended as a ceasefire agreement, Zimbabwe’s GPA has failed to deliver, but as a power-sharing mechanism it could well be guaranteed of success For those who viewed the Global Political Agreement as amounting to a viable political agreement, the resurgence of serious political differences among the key protagonists is evidence of the failure of [...]

Idasa/RAU study records police torture of Zimbabwean women

While police have been responsible for some of the most serious human rights and rule of law violations in Zimbabwe today, women in particular have encountered torture, assault, harassment, intimidation and imprisonment. The fate of women activists, especially those from Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) members has been documented in interviews of more than 2,200 [...]

Can the world do something to make sure Zimbabwe pulls off a successful election?

African democracy institute Idasa says yes. Analyst Bryan Sims from Idasa’s States in Transition Observatory considers four threats to Zimbabwe’s transition and the likely political scenarios. Read the full analysis here.

What the rush, Mugabe?

African democracy institute Idasa identifies the political and social factors affecting Zanu PF’s “rushed” election strategy that could further destabilise politics in the country. Read more here.

Zimbabwe: The Evolving Public Mood

At the end of 2010, Zimbabwean citizens remained broadly supportive of power sharing as an antidote to political crisis.  But they were increasingly critical of the halting performance of their country’s coalition government.  Most people also perceived declining civil liberties and feared resurgent political violence.  Yet clear majorities called for constitutional reforms to limit the [...]

What’s 2011 going to bring for Zimbabwe? Idasa outlines four possible scenarios.

Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Parliamentary Committee (Copac) will complete the drafting of the new foundation law for Zimbabwe in mid-2011. A referendum on the new law will be conducted in September and a YES response will be attained. Presidential elections will then be called for early December 2011. Likely? Nope, according to SITO’s current Zimbabwe fellow, Dr [...]

Idasa addresses U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Foreign Affairs about Zimbabwe crisis

Sydney Masamvu, Senior Political Analyst at the States in Transition Observatory (SITO), was invited to address the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Foreign Affairs. He was speaking on behalf of African democracy institute Idasa on the crisis in Zimbabwe.  Please read his testimony below and Idasa’s [...]

The Experience of Violence by Zimbabwean Women

African democracy institute Idasa, with the Research and Advocacy Unit (RAU), the International Centre for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) and the Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ) have conducted research on Zimbabwean women’s views on transitional justice, looking at how women in that country have been affected by the elections, the inclusive government, transitional justice mechanisms and [...]