GAZA @dngaru

The shrinking space for democracy in Africa Authoritarians are gaining ground in an era of more transactional diplomacy Financial Times Opinion piece 7th August 2026 Nelson Chamisa, a Zimbabwean opposition figure who has twice run for president, was recently in London to drum up support for his democratic cause. “Democracy is not instant coffee,” he said of the difficulty of unseating Zanu-PF, the ruling party that has misgoverned Zimbabwe for much of the time since independence in 1980. But Chamisa and others must face the reality that prospects for democracy are shrivelling across Africa. The continent reached a high-water mark of regular, if imperfect, elections in the first decade of the century when a combination of western cajoling and popular pressure pushed ruling parties to cede democratic ground. Since then, civic space has shrunk dramatically as the outside world shrugs its shoulders. Coups, which had all but disappeared, have returned with a bang. There have been more than a dozen successful putsches in the past decade. Equally, many leaders have learnt to game the process through constitutional and electoral manipulation and suppression of free speech. In Chamisa’s Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa, who replaced Robert Mugabe as president in 2017, used violence to secure victory in 2018 and 2023 elections. Now he is leaving nothing to chance. Parliament has amended the constitution to extend his mandate to 2030, raising fears the 83-year-old could be president for life. Zimbabwe is far from an isolated case. In Tanzania, a country rarely associated with outright repression, security forces last October killed hundreds of young people protesting against a widely criticised election in which opposition leaders were locked up. They included Tundu Lissu who is currently being tried on trumped-up treason charges. In neighbouring Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, 40 years in power, has chased one democratic pretender Bobi Wine into exile and jailed another, veteran opposition leader Kizza Besigye. The visibly frail Besigye, 70, collapsed in court last week. The nasty trend is spreading. Western countries once linked aid to at least a nod at democracy. With aid budgets slashed, they have lost leverage. The US, whose own democratic norms are strained, makes little pretence of preferring to deal with democrats. In the Democratic (sic) Republic of Congo, where the US hopes to cut deals for critical minerals, President Felix Tshisekedi has taken the hint that he can safely push for an unconstitutional third term. New powers seeking resources and influence in Africa, from China to Gulf states and Russia, have little interest in democratic freedoms. The only strong constituent for democracy in Africa is Africans themselves. Surveys by Afrobarometer, a polling group, show consistently high demand for democratic rule. In a landmark 2024 poll, 66 per cent of respondents said they preferred democracy to any other form of government; 80 per cent rejected one-man rule. Opposition to military rule weakened in some countries including Mali and Burkina Faso where it has been installed. Still, 66 per cent rejected rule by junta across the 39 countries surveyed. Some argue democracy is unsuited to poor countries divided along ethnic lines. They point to authoritarian Rwanda and Ethiopia, relative success stories. One could just as easily mention the authoritarian catastrophes of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Eritrea. Over the long run, some of the best-performing economies have been more-or-less functioning democracies including Botswana, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mauritius and Senegal. Even Nigeria and South Africa, hardly shining economic success stories, are better off for being democratic. Throughout it all, most Africans have kept the faith that democracy is better than the alternative. Some like Besigye and Lissu have paid dearly for their conviction. They deserve our support.

@DerekR96786 @TheeBLCKBARBI @GlobalSouthNew Oh my boy shit country? Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 is black government, black managed farms, black managed economy everything is black! Our children will be proud of Mugabe one day for taking the land. Bob Marley, Marcus Garvey must be proud blackman is running tings in Zimbabwe!

@TheeBLCKBARBI @GlobalSouthNew Efficiency & productivity is the reason over 70% of IPhone is being made in China, sad 30% pass rate is producing more stupid people where they cannot see collapse of economy growing at 1% over 5 years. Black South Africans cannot match Zimbabweans on efficiency & productivity

@Mukoma_C @ny_emman @KMutisi Cheap labour? Efficiency and productivity South Africans cannot match Zimbabweans, forget about politics.

So Mai Patati remanded in custody until August 12 for continuation of bail hearing. I am told she is also pregnant with twins.

@DrK3819 @TembaMliswa Zvigananda are in control, Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 is now lawless.

I am not sure whether you are aware that wearing camouflage remains a criminal offence in #Zimbabwe.

Sabhuku Temba P. Mliswa @TembaMliswa

14 hours ago

Every now and then I find time to engage in gardening. Watering the grass and assisting in the field. It’s one of my own unique ways of therapy.

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@ZimViral The is no freedom in Zimbabwe period!

“Parliament yemu Zimbabwe yakazara madofo” ~ Ngwere

@nickmangwana Mnangagwa don't want to compensate victims of August 2018 shootings he want to pretend he respect court? Mnangagwa is cruel.

@BBCWorld With climate change devil 😈 is fighting green energy? I thought this was was fake news 😕

PLEASE RETWEET TO HELP SAVE THE LIFE OF THIS ONE YEAR OLD GIRL. Naomi Chigwada is battling for her life and needs an urgent medical operation in India because the medical facilities in Zimbabwe are unable to perform the life-saving liver transplant she urgently needs. Donate whatever you can to help this little girl. gofundme.com/f/help-naomi-g…

Black South Africans looting a shop owned by a foreigner ... isn't the food from foreigners shops no longer poisonous as they used to claim? 🤔

@Shayzar @DonaldDanieloh @KMutisi @matinyarare @edmnangagwa Look at Harare road street lights do you think as potential investor are you attracted to invest in that city not forgetting @JMafume as a mayor. Kunzwi dam is yet to be completed then currency instability Zanu can wake up say ZIG and US$ is gedye gedye we are our own enemy

@advocatemahere ZANU PF hudobi dobi urikubva kupi and she doesn't look dobi-dobi 😭

@CrimeWatchZW @MaiZuKitchen @PoliceZimbabwe @MoPSEZim @MoPSEZW Zanu @zanupf_patriots is to blame coup de'tat brought indecipline in Zimbabwe 🇿🇼. Mnangagwa and ZVIGANANDA are destroying the country the is no reason to respect institution including schools because Chivharo and Henretta can get away with crimes easily. #MnangagwaMustGo

WATCH | A video shows a group of high school students from Glen Norah ganging up on a student from another school. This incident needs to be addressed as soon as possible before someone gets seriously hurt. @PoliceZimbabwe @MoPSEZim @MoPSEZW

WATCH | Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume explains why parking fees have not been reduced to US$0.50 per hour, despite Statutory Instrument 41 of 2026, which came into effect on 2 March 2026 and capped standard parking fees at US$0.50 per hour, down from US$1. 🎥CVN News Link to the full interview available below!

@CrimeWatchZW Arrogance of people who don't need vote to stay in power @JMafume know he will be a mayor until 2030 no one is going to recall him or remove because School Of Ideology is now his back up to power. Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 is gone to dogs 🐕. Incompetent Jacob cannot not attract investors

@baba_nyenyedzi @KMutisi will thank Mnangagwa for diaspora remittance. Diaspora remittance have contributed to GDP more than Zanu Pf ZVIGANANDA!