Articles
BSR: Presidential Decree – A Bout of Economic Madness and a Cocktail of Illegalities
On 7th May 2022, President Emmerson Mnangagwa issued an economic declaration that must surely claim a place among the most absurd economic policy initiatives...
BSR: ZEC has broad powers to ensure a free, fair, and credible election
There is a video clip in which the Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, Justice Priscilla Chigumba claims that she and her organization have...
BSR: Understanding power and accountability
Power is a complex phenomenon. If you are seeking power or trying to hold those who hold power to account, it’s important to understand...
BSR: Dealing in Numbers – a critique of voting figures in Manicaland Province
In the last installment of the BSR, we looked at the election results from Mashonaland West province and the lessons that could be drawn...
BSR: Dealing in Numbers – a call for data-based election strategy
Elections are a numbers game, it is often said. It may be a cliché, but it captures the essence of electoral contestation. At the...
Supreme court of public opinion: Preliminary observations on the by-elections
“The court of public opinion has spoken,” a reader of the BSR wrote to me this morning as he petitioned “the good Lord to...
BSR: Election Time and the Return of Mugabe
When Robert Mugabe died in September 2019, the man who ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years had made sure that he wouldn’t go down without...
BSR: Turning from the regime while gaslighting the opposition
One of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s advisors, Trevor Ncube recently announced that he had resigned from the Presidential Advisory Council (PAC). In comments made at...
BSR: Understanding the Geography of State Power
This article examines power and how it is distributed within the Zimbabwean state. It challenges the traditional conception of the state, arguing that it...
BSR: What happens when ZANU PF faces an existential threat
As the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) basks in the glory of its early gains across the country, it is important to remember that...
BSR: Who wants to stop the by-elections?
Tortoises on fence posts
As the country prepares for by-elections scheduled for the end of this month, there is yet another sighting of the proverbial...
BSR: Why the “political story” matters in electoral competition
This article makes the case for the importance of the political story in the life of a political party. The political story is aspirational....
BSR Special: Yellow Sunday – Some observations on the CCC’s Star Rally
Soon after the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe delivered a judgment that was to have long-lasting effects on the geography of opposition politics in the...
BSR: Gaslighting, Moral Hazard and Change Management
Gaslighting in politics
You have been in a situation where someone has abused you but later, as you argue your case, they tell you that...
BSR: Plight of the Zimbabwean teacher
On Wednesday, I received a message on social media from a colleague. “When will Magaisa write something about the plight of teachers in Zimbabwe?”...