It is always, or rather, it should always be a cause for concern to see the monopoly of violence in any country completely controlled by a few citizens. All countries have a security sector that protects citizens from both internal and external threats. This security sector is composed of institutions that work together to protect country and people.
These arms of the state should play a managerial and oversight role in making sure that the security sector does its work efficiently, transparently, legally and with integrity. The coup was a bold exhibition of how control of the monopoly of violence in Zimbabwe was not in civilian hands, but in the hands of army generals.
He promised to hold free and fair elections in Zimbabwe. He also went on to appoint one of the coup generals,, as both vice president and minister of defence. This left some, like me, wondering: who exactly was in charge? Chiwenga was now in a position to deploy the military, either as acting president or as minister of defence.
In a shocking move that further convinced Zimbabweans of the alleged military capture, the army was deployed to help police control the demonstrations. This meant the integrity and independence of the ZEC was being questioned. The opposition had demanded electoral reforms before the elections, but the ZEC had refused. This had implications for the integrity of the legislature, which is composed of a contested Zanu-PF majority.
State collapse is defined as “the breakdown of government authority in maintaining law and order. It is often used to describe extreme situations in which state institutions are no longer able to function”.According to the constitution, Zimbabwe must hold its next elections by 31 July 2023.
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