Paper short abstract:

The paper maps major developments in Zimbabwe’s urban secular civil society since the 2013 election, assesses these groups’ efforts to promote state transformation, and identifies viable strategies to advance democratic governance under the conditions prevalent in the present political dispensation.

Paper long abstract:

In Zimbabwe, urban civil society already played a prominent role in promoting state transformation in the colonial period. Urban-based non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have driven the democratic civil society movement since campaigning for constitutional reform in the 1990s. After the end of power-sharing and the regime's landslide victory in the flawed July 2013 elections, secular urban-based groups have faced formidable organisational and strategic challenges owing to the prevalent national and international political environment. Whereas several well-established NGOs decayed, new movements that rely on social media have emerged. Although gaining tremendous momentum in the short term, these movements face the same limitations the regime imposed on civil society when the crisis began, and must yet prove whether they are viable platforms to advance democratic and accountable governance.

Our paper, firstly, maps the major developments in Zimbabwe's secular urban-based civil society since the July 2013 elections, and outlines its operational environment. Secondly, it assesses the efforts undertaken by selected groups to promote the authoritarian state's transformation. Thirdly, the paper identifies viable strategies for urban groups to advance democratic and accountable governance under the conditions prevalent in the current political dispensation. The discussion is based on interviews with Zimbabwean activists that will be conducted in February 2017, and a review of online publications and newspapers. The selected groups comprise NGOs such as Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition and NANGO, as well as movements like #thisflag and #tajamuka. The paper will offer new insights on recent developments in civil society that have received little scholarly scrutiny.