ABSTRACT
African and Western states are as much divided over the causes as the Zimbabwean public, which obstructs a resolution. In impoverished Africa, Western-propelled globalisation needs to take a backward step to gain at least a semblance of credibility and Zimbabwe is the place to start. Zimbabwe is in urgent need of a legitimate political solution to forever settle the land question. In all likelihood, if the US and UK offered ZANU-PF a carrot to secure historical recognition through permanent resolution of the national question, Zimbabwe would gain a consensual political base to hold a free and fair election and, over the longer term, greater discretion to liberalise the economy. Zimbabwe presents an opportunity for the West to rethink African development policy and improve relations with the continent. The overriding imperative is to resolve the land issue, which will set the political and economic conditions for an upward development path.
