ABSTRACT
Religio-political non-conformists believe that social capital Theories of social capital have their genesis in the works of Pierre Bourdieu. The emergence of religio-political nonconformist organisations can also be understood within the wider narratives of globalisation and transnationalisation. The ZCA interacts with regional and global actors. The Zimbabwe Christian Alliance (ZCA) claims to be an ecumenical framework, motivated by an understanding of faith that transcends doctrinal specifications. Critical in the ZCA, as in CiM and GtH, are grassroots people and the laity. The ZCA is looked upon with suspicion and contempt by mainline churches. The ZCA respondents acknowledged that they are part of civil society, and work very closely with all other civic groups and NGOs. The ZCA, like other organisations in the civil society sector in Zimbabwe, draws its financial support from the donor community. The ZCAs legitimacy is contested by both the mainline churches and the state, and contestation of legitimacy can act as a distraction.
