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The 2013 Elections in Zimbabwe: End of an Era for Human Rights Discourse?

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  • Cornelias Ncube

Abstract

Many Malawian politicians have exploited religious and cultural discourses, encouraging the discourse of the “God-fearing Malawi nation” while also acknowledging the country as a secular state. This discourse – which most recently underwent further development in the early 1980s when Christians and Muslims, funded by donor money, accelerated their evangelical drives in the context of a one-party Malawi – resonates with a patriarchal, conservative political dispensation. This paper traces the evolution of the “God-fearing nation” discourse in Malawian politics. It posits that the government used the “gay rights issue” as a strategy to disorient human rights activists and donors. Gay rights were de-linked from other civil rights, forcing a binary approach toward gay rights, which were seen by government supporters as “anti-Christian”, “anti-Malawian” concepts. The debate with donors enabled the government to claim “sovereign autonomy” and galvanise the population into an anti-aid mentality (better no aid than aid that supports homosexuality).

Suggested Citation

  • Cornelias Ncube, 2013. "The 2013 Elections in Zimbabwe: End of an Era for Human Rights Discourse?," Africa Spectrum, Institute of African Affairs, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies, Hamburg, vol. 48(1), pages 99-110.
    • Handle: RePEc:gig:afjour:v:48:y:2013:i:3:p:99-110
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    File URL: http://journals.sub.uni-hamburg.de/giga/afsp/article/view/601/599
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Chipiliro Kalebe-Nyamongo, 2010. "Mutual Interdependence between Elites and the Poor," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2010-117, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    2. Chipiliro Kalebe-Nyamongo, 2010. "Mutual Interdependence between Elites and the Poor," WIDER Working Paper Series 117, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
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    Cited by:

    1. Chigudu, Andrew, 2021. "The Changing Institutional and Legislative Planning Framework of Zambia and Zimbabwe: Nuances for Urban Development," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    2. Brian Raftopoulos, 2014. "Zimbabwean Politics in the Post-2013 Election Period," Africa Spectrum, Institute of African Affairs, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies, Hamburg, vol. 49(2), pages 91-103.
    3. Roger Southall, 2014. "Threats to Constitutionalism by Liberation Movements in Southern Africa," Africa Spectrum, Institute of African Affairs, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies, Hamburg, vol. 49(1), pages 79-99.
    4. David Moore, 2014. "Death or Dearth of Democracy in Zimbabwe?," Africa Spectrum, Institute of African Affairs, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies, Hamburg, vol. 49(1), pages 101-114.

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