The nexus between militarization and corruption in Zimbabwe

The thesis explores a contemporary African entrapment trend through analyzing the nexus between the intensified militarization and the rising levels of corruption in Zimbabwe. To add to contentious academic debate on corruption, the study sought to inform an evidence-based understanding of a web of localized corruption tactics which emerged with the dawn of the Second Republic in Zimbabwe. The study goes beyond neopatrimonialism literature to empirically examine the shadowy scale and nature of corruption tactics being employed in Zimbabwe. The nation's fragility is typical of the perpetual decay of norms-based governance at the mercy of the military. Consequently, a fragile state with a militarized executive tends to neutralize and weaken good governance structures such as the judiciary, legislature and civil society. Corruption is not new in Zimbabwe, but after the 2017 military coup, the evident military cronyism in political appointments to serve economic interests of the elite, which was somewhat clandestine under Mugabe's rule, coincided with rising levels of corruption. An amalgam of purposive and quota sampling was used in this study, which are non-probability sampling techniques used to purposively select participants from relevant sectors such as governance, academia and the media to grasp the kleptocratic tactics, patronage networks which blossomed after 2017. The study observed that the development of private networks linked to the state have formed parasitic elements with hedonistic kleptocratic tactics that have deteriorated the formal state capacity. In this case a hoard of existential crises worsened by corruption form a variety of internal contradictions which act as obstacles of development and democracy. KEYWORDS: Militarized State, Corruption, Mnangagwa, Development, State Fragility