Political Communication in Zimbabwe : Mediations of Power in an African Context

Focusing primarily on different phases of the post-independent Zimbabwean polity, the book draws on trends, practices and frames of reference which are applicable to many an African postcolony. These include the role, place and influence of traditional, non-mediated forms of political mobilisation, the place of discourses of colonial memory (and struggles against colonialism) in contemporary political communication, the place of the media in African society today, the nature and role of the African civil society, the rural-urban divide and the attendant variations in political messaging, the place of orality in African political communication, the role and possible influence of social media in political communication, among other factors.

Political Communication in Zimbabwe contributes to the emerging scholarly work on theorising political communication in non-Western contexts.

Focusing primarily on different phases of the post-independent Zimbabwean polity, the book draws on trends, practices and frames of reference which are applicable to many an African postcolony. These include the role, place and influence of traditional, non-mediated forms of political mobilisation, the place of discourses of colonial memory (and struggles against colonialism) in contemporary political communication, the place of the media in African society today, the nature and role of the African civil society, the rural-urban divide and the attendant variations in political messaging, the place of orality in African political communication, the role and possible influence of social media in political communication, among other factors.

The book draws on archival research, in-depth interviews with former and current political players, political journalists, and civil society players), multimedia document analysis, and other secondary literature. As such it is an important read for students and scholars of political communication, politics and the media, and politics in Africa.