Understanding Zimbabwe

From Liberation to Authoritarianism

Sara Rich Dorman

 

Book not yet available in Zimbabwe.

Synopsis

Zimbabwe's recent history has been shaped by battles about who speaks for the nation, fought out in struggles for control of political institutions, the media, and civil society. In her book Sara Rich Dorman examines the interactions of social groups - churches, NGOs, and political parties - from the liberation struggle, through the independence decades, as they engaged the state and ruling party. Her empirically rich account reveals how strategies of control and co-option were replicated and resisted, shaping expectations and behavior.

Review

'Sara Rich Dorman offers us an original, refreshing and well thought-out understanding of Zimbabwe's complex contemporary politics. With her focus on the articulation and deployment of power and the role of non-state actors (NGOs and others) in politics, Dorman succeeds not only in enriching Zimbabwean studies but also the broader modes of writing African contemporary history and politics.' - Sabelo J. Ndlovu-Gatsheni

Author

Sara Rich Dorman is Lecturer in Politics, University of Edinburgh.