Fighting and writing during Zimbabwe's interregna: Part I–A morbid murder

ABSTRACT:This article started out as a review essay reflecting on how three books (Kanyenze 2022; Mpofu 2021; and Fontein 2022) illustrate Zimbabwe's interregna influence on the scholarly pursuits of economics, political philosophy, and anthropology in that country. But a murder got in the way. Its interpretation by those representing Zimbabwe's two political poles as either an assassination or quotidian horror inspired further investigation within the ambit of the 'morbid symptoms' of the interregna only subtly suggested by the academic books ready for review. The brutal killing of a single mother in Zimbabwe's biggest township became indelibly imbued with political competition and thus provided what I had planned to be an illustrative introduction to the review article. However, Moreblessing Ali's death soon became more than that: my pursuit of the discursive conflict– and physical violence around it–became a micro-political example in itself of Zimbabwe's macabre interregna. That the case had not been officially resolved as the August 2023 election approached indicated its importance. The election took place as these words were heading to press. Yet another suspect victory, this time of 52.6% for ZANU-PF's Emmerson Mnangagwa as president and 44% for Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change, was announced on August 26 (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission 2023). Thus, the Moreblessing Ali murder has become a good proportion of Part I of a two-part series. The start of this paper presents a thumbnail outline of Zimbabwe's current political and economic situation–a conjuncture of sorts. Theoretical arguments on 'interregna' follow. The last section pursues the ideologies and politics of Moreblessing Ali's political death. Part II will include the review article, further theoretical considerations of Zimbabwe's interregna, and how August's election fits in with these discussions.