Commercialising the struggle: the organisational and ideological effects of democracy assistance on opposition activism in Zimbabwe

ABSTRACT One of the ways in which opposition activists in Zimbabwe receive funding is through democracy assistance. Focusing on the late 1990s to 2016, this article explores the effect the receipt of such aid had on the ways in which opposition activists organise and on their ideological orientation. The authors show that the availability of such funds contributed to the commercialisation of the struggle whereby opposition activists began to view activism as a way to earn a living. Furthermore, this funding led to a decline in trust, passion and voluntarism among opposition activists. And, finally, dependence on foreign funding resulted in ideological shifts in Zimbabwean opposition parties and organisations whereby radical, left-leaning positions were abandoned in order to secure funding. The authors suggest that local strategies for funding such struggles for democracy must be given greater consideration to promote transformational possibilities and new participatory forms of democracy.