Journal of Administrative Sciences and Policy Studies

Promoting Good Governance in Crisis Ridden Country: The Zimbabwean Dilemma in the 21st Century
Torque Mude, Percyslage Chigora

Abstract
Zimbabwe has been in a serious political and socio-economic crisis since 2000.Arguably, the major cause of crisis is attributed to Western induced sanctions following the fast track land reform programme in June 2000. By 2008 agriculture had crumpled, and inflation had reached astronomical levels, violence intensified in the run –up to elections 2000-2008, while the health and education systems had almost collapsed. Despite the setback, the government didn’t collapse. Methodologically, anyone attempting to understand 21st century Zimbabwe has to be equipped with a number of research methods that complement each other if a comprehensive grasp of issues pertaining to governance and development has to be found. This is so given the politicisation and to a larger the extent of personification of the crisis. Among other research methods participant observation is the key to this research though with limits to the level of one’s involvement especially as it pertains to access to principal actors and documents that are supposed to be state secrets. Of importance is the review of literature on Zimbabwe as it pertains to the crisis. The focus of the paper is premised on how and with what level of success good governance has been promoted by civil society, business and the state itself during this period. Furthermore, it examines how far the inclusive government has gone in promoting good governance in a bid to ward off the crisis. The paper looks into how the ideologies of inclusiveness, shared–government, shared –responsibility and shared prosperity go to meet the nation of good governance. At most how applicable is the concept of good governance in a state hit by a crisis affecting all spheres of life, i.e political, economic, and societal.

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