SACRIFICING DEMOCRATIZATION FOR THE SAKE OF NEPAD. SOUTH AFRICA'S RELATION WITH ZIMBABWE IN THE EARLY 2000'S

Abstract:

This article delves upon Zimbabwe’s 2002 suspension from theCommonwealth of Nations and the relentless efforts of South Africa and other peers to get that suspension lifted, in the context of continuous rebuttals from states such as the UK and Australia. The research piece touches primarily upon the underlying motives for the said suspension, as well as the reasoning behind the bandwagoning of nations on the ongoing issues plaguing Zimbabwe in the early2000s. Furthermore, it tangentially covers themes such as: the balance within theCommonwealth, global North versus South interpretations of democracy – and the realities they produce, and the rationale of two-sided post-colonial narratives.

Keywords:

international relations, international organizations, (post)colonialism,democracy, diplomacy, foreign policy;