Transnational Public Spheres and Deliberative Politics in Zimbabwe: An Analysis of NewZimbabwe

Abstract

For a democracy to function there is the need for healthy argumentative public discourse between the ruled and the rulers. In this case ‘consideration of arguments for and against a policy or idea’ (Schneider, 1997, p. 8) is encouraged as, according to Habermas, public opinion formulation is ‘a grave and serious responsibility’ (Green, 2010, p. 120) that leaders need to adopt in democratic governance. Kelsen (1961) further adds that public opinion is the centrepiece of democracy or, as argued by Barber (1984, p. 171), ‘strong democratic legitimacy … [is anchored on] ongoing talk’. Agre (1989) also argues that dialogue is one of the first obligations of citizenship. It should take place not only in the formal political setting of society but also informally among ordinary citizens in the town halls, traditional media and, of late, new information and communication technologies like the Internet and satellite television. This chapter looks at the practice of deliberative politics in Zimbabwe as mediated through the Internet. This is no easy feat because the contours of Zimbabwe’s political cleavages are intricate and difficult to negotiate for various reasons. What is conspicuous, however, is the intervention of the Internet in political communications in a society where there has been a dearth of ‘ongoing talk’ between the ruling elite and the citizenry in general.