ABSTRACT
This chapter concentrates on Zimbabwe’s twin legacies of colonialism and white minority rule and the impact of these legacies on the rule of law for its ordinary citizens. Using the major driving forces undergirding the rule of law identified in Chapter 2, this chapter extensively discusses how the intersection of each driver, colonial legacy, and white minority influences the rule of law and impacts the lives of regular Zimbabweans. The chapter also focuses on former President Robert Mugabe, who stayed in office for decades.
Among others, the chapter finds that the current 2013 Constitution provides many fundamental rights guarantees for all Zimbabweans. The 2013 Constitution, which took a long time to come to fruition, was homegrown and subjected to the people’s referendum. In the history of Zimbabwe, despite its imperfections it is the only constitution that could truly be deemed legitimate. The legal system established by the constitution appears sound and protects ordinary citizens against rule of law violations. The Constitutional Court offers hope that the judiciary will become and act more independently, which does not seem to be the case for now. Meanwhile, Zimbabweans fear the Zimbabwe Republic Police. The military brass remained politicized and recently partook in a de facto military coup removing Mugabe from office. The biggest source of friction for creating an environment that respects the rule of law is the land issue. The chapter concludes that Zimbabweans live in an environment that cannot be deemed as one thriving with full protection against rule of law violations.
