IN a damning assessment of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation's 2024 report highlights a stark decline in Zimbabwe’s governance from 2019 to 2023.
The downturn, according to the report, is driven by worsening human rights abuses, economic instability, and mounting in equality, along with an erosion of political participation.
Founded in 2006 by Sudanese billionaire Mo Ibrahim, the foundation also honours African leaders who demonstrate a commitment to democracy and sustainable development. Ibrahim himself has long criticised authoritarianism, particularly in his native Sudan, where former strongman Omar al-Bashir ruled with an iron grip.
His foundation’s latest findings on Zimbabwe paint a troubling picture of Mnangagwa’s tenure, citing widespread repression of human rights and alarming economic regression.
Among the most striking incidents in recent years was the violent suppression of a 2019 protest against soaring fuel prices, during which security forces killed and injured scores of civilians.
Activists and opposition figures have since faced escalating crackdowns as the government consolidates its power.
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When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, Zimbabwe’s already fragile healthcare system faltered, but the government, rather than bolstering its response, allegedly misappropriated millions of dollars intended to combat the virus, further undermining public confidence.
According to the Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) report, Zimbabwe was ranked number 31 out of 54 African states, revealing the nation’s tattered governance fabric.
“With a score of 47,1 (out of 100), Zimbabwe ranks 31st (out of 54) in overall governance in 2023. While Zimbabwe’s overall governance score has improved over the last decade (2014-2023), deterioration over the most recent five years (2019-2023) is worrisome,” the report reads.
“However, Zimbabwe has deteriorated in participation, rights and inclusion, driven by decline in the sub-categories participation and inclusion and equality.”
Between 2017 and 2018, three incidents that stick out like a sore thumb further blighted Zimbabwe’s standing on the governance index. In November 2017, the military toppled strong man Robert Mugabe, leading to Mnangagwa’s ascent to power.
A year later, Mnangagwa won a disputed poll whose outcome was upheld by the Constitutional Court. In the aftermath of the polls, scores of civilians who were protesting in the capital over delays in the announcement of election results were gunned down by state security agents.
Recommendations, which were passed by a commission of inquiry led by former South African president Kgalema Motlanthe to probe the fatal shootings, are yet to be implemented. In 2022, opposition leader Job Sikhala was held in detention and denied bail for nearly two years on charges of inciting public violence. Zimbabwe's worrying governance trend has cast a long shadow over the country’s democratic development.