Weapons in Conflicts: Cases of Mazowe and Shamva, Zimbabwe

Abstract

The Mazowe and Shamva districts in Zimbabwe have been embroiled in political conflicts that have left people injured, dead, traumatized, and property destroyed. The conflicts have often involved weapons of various types and with differing capabilities. They were seen to be perpetuated by various interested groups: former liberation war fighters, youth, traditional leaders, and the security sector. This study looked at the various types of weapons that were used in various conflicts, their capacities, and parties involved. Through a mixed approach design, an exploratory research was conducted in the two districts that focused on traditional taboos as a conflict resolution mechanism. One hundred and thirty-five participants were selected through snowball and emergent sampling methods to satisfy formal interviews and focus group discussions. These methods were complemented by archival material. The conclusion of the study noted that conflicts escalate intensely in election eras—to some extent, confirming three hypotheses that elections perpetuate social and political hostilities, local political parties believe in violence as a best conflict resolution mechanism, and that weapon carrying was meant to perpetuate violence in defense of a political party ideology.