Zimbabwe moving towards a one-party State

Zimbabwe appears to be hurtling toward a one-party State, as the ruling Zanu PF regime intensifies efforts to dismantle opposition forces, muzzle the media, and consolidate power under a single, unchallenged authority.

The strategy is unmistakably clear: crush dissent, impose restrictive laws, punish critics, and strip State institutions of their independence — all while masking repressive measures under benign-sounding legislation.

This troubling trajectory was starkly illustrated on October 10, 2023, when National Assembly Speaker Jacob Mudenda announced the recall of 15 opposition MPs from the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC). The recall was prompted by a controversial letter from Sengezo Tshabangu, a former MDC-T member claiming to be CCC interim secretary-general, who argued the MPs were no longer party members.

Despite CCC leader Nelson Chamisa's attempts to intervene by advising Mudenda to ignore Tshabangu's claims, the move paved the way for Zanu PF to neutralize meaningful opposition, leaving behind a weakened, pliant opposition — essentially a creation of the ruling party.

This is not a sudden development. Zanu PF's drive to monopolize power dates back to the early 1980s, notably with the banning of the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU), led by Joshua Nkomo. The brutal Gukurahundi massacres followed, during which an estimated 20,000 mostly Ndebele civilians were killed by the notorious 5 Brigade.

In subsequent decades, the regime enacted a series of restrictive laws, such as the Patriot Act, the Private Voluntary Organisations Act, and the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act, targeting civil society groups and critics branded as "unpatriotic." The media has borne the brunt, with journalists routinely arrested and charged for exposing corruption or reporting on anti-government activism.

Today, Zimbabweans find themselves under increasing repression, with freedoms slowly suffocating under the regime's iron fist.

Observers warn of the "boiling frog syndrome," where gradual deterioration becomes normalized until escape seems impossible.

As one famous saying reminds us, "Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding." For Zimbabwe, this means the path to lasting peace lies not in repression, but in dialogue, empathy, and respect.

The Zanu PF regime faces a choice: respect the will of the people and allow peaceful democratic evolution, or continue down a path that stifles dissent and undermines the nation's future.

Zimbabweans, yearning for justice and true democracy, hope it will be the former — before the country's democratic space is extinguished entirely.