The 2013 Elections in Zimbabwe: The End of an Era

The July 31st 2013 Elections in Zimbabwe ushered in a renewed period of political by ZANU (PF) and its President, Robert Mugabe. This election followed five years a SADC- facilitated Global Political Agreement (GPA), which was put into place after a presidential run-off election in June 2008. The recent elections, which once again ZANU (PF) ’s mastery over the country’s political domain, were passed as free peaceful by SADC and the African Union but contested by both Movement for Change parties and the western countries. While there were clear problems in the leading to the election, it is also apparent that this was not the only factor that ZANU (PF) ’S ‘victory’. This article provides an analysis of the multiple factors contributed to the current conjuncture including the different party strategies under GPA, changes in Zimbabwe’s political economy and interventions at regional and levels.