Zimbabwe’s Reconfigured Political Economy: Implications in Research, Theory, and Public Policy

Description

Since about 2000, especially with the Fast-Track Land Reform Program (FTLRP), then a few years later ‘indigenization policy’ Zimbabwe’s political economy has undergone a very complex and multifaceted transformation. This complex transformation was characterized by Professor Raftopoulos as the ‘re-configured political economy’ and the political economy that has unraveled since then is dominated by highly informalized processes of accumulation. This informality is evident in rapid periphery-urbanization; informalized mining (‘chikorokoza’); transportation systems (‘mushika-shika’); insecure land tenure for resettled farmers; cross border trading; the ‘tuck shop’ and ‘pavement’ economy; money changers (‘siphateleni’) seeking arbitrage from volatile currency inflation; informal money lenders (‘chimbadzwa’). This complex transformation has implications in the way researchers, policy makers and intellectuals approach understanding Zimbabwe. The intellectual and public policy lens that dominated the 1980s, 1990s  and partly in the early 2000s that focused on ‘linear’ on democracy and governance contestations are no longer adequate to grasp these transformations and how they interpenetrate the political power matrix. These changes are to be found in – rapid informalisation of the economy.

The changes in Zimbabwe’s political economy since 2000 have had profound impacts on the field of social sciences. Scholars within disciplines such as economics, political science, sociology, rural and urban planning, anthropology, economic history, political economy and development studies have been prompted to reevaluate their approaches, methodologies, and research agendas in response to these developments.

Overall, the progress and challenges in Zimbabwe’s political economy since 2000 have stimulated interdisciplinary research and debate within the social sciences. Scholars have engaged with a wide range of issues, drawing on diverse theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches to deepen our understanding of Zimbabwe’s complex socio-economic and political realities.

We welcome contributions from scholars working on Zimbabwe’s reconfigured political economy with the purpose of advancing the following objectives.

• Foster cross-disciplinary dialogue on Zimbabwe’s political economy.
• Evaluate the impacts of recent socio-economic and political changes.
• Identify priority areas for future research.
• Generate policy-relevant insights for inclusive development and social justice.
• Empower young scholars by providing a platform to showcase their work.

Early career researchers (Post Graduate Students) are encouraged to apply. Contribution can focus on, but not necessarily limited to, the following themes:

1. How the Natural Resources and Mining landscape has been impacted by the reconfigured political economy. One may focus on, the mining sector and economic development, resource governance and revenue management, environmental impacts of mining activities, artisanal small-scale miners (ASMs)/Chikorokoza
2. How has Social Policies and Human Development been impacted by the reconfigured political economy. One may focus on, education and health sector reforms/changes, social protection and poverty alleviation strategies, gender and social equity issues.
3. How has Economic Reforms and Policies been impacted by the reconfigured political economy. One may focus on, fiscal and monetary policies, financial challenges/money changers, public sector reform and privatization, emergence of Savings clubs and SMEs, tuck-shop economy and cross border trading.
4. How has Agriculture and Land Policy been impacted by the reconfigured political economy. One may focus on, the outcomes of the land redistribution program, agricultural productivity and food security, sustainable land management and rural development
5. How has Urbanisation, Housing and Urban Transport. been impacted by the reconfigured political economy. One may focus on, urban growth and housing policies, housing cooperatives, Informal settlements and urban poverty, urban transport.
6. How has Migration and Diaspora Engagement. been impacted by the reconfigured political economy. One may focus on, patterns and impacts of migration, engagement with the Zimbabwean diaspora, remittances and their economic implications.
7. How has Technology and Innovation. been impacted by the reconfigured political economy. One may focus on, the role of technology in economic development including education, digital transformation and e-governance, online work/gig economy and technology hubs.

The workshop will be held in-person under the auspices of the Young Scholars Initiative (YSI Africa working group) and the Institute for Public Affairs in Zimbabwe (IPAZ) in Harare on 14-15 November 2024.

Papers presented at the workshop will be published either in an edited volume or a special issue.

We invite interested scholars to submit: (1) an abstract (250 words max.); and (2) a one-page Curriculum Vitae (CV) via the application link.

For more information contact: tauraic@ipazim.org and cc peteruledy@gmail.com  ediesb@ipazim.org and  foraffairs.zim@gmail.com

The application deadline for submission of the abstract and CV is 31 August 2024. The email address for submission is symposium2024@ipazim.org.

Notification of acceptance: 10 September 2024.

Successful applicants must submit a full paper by 31 October 2024.