UPSC Prelims 2002 Q39: Current Affairs – International Conflicts & Security
The main reason for unrest and violence in Zimbabwe in recent years is due to
- (a) conflict between different native ethnic groups
- (b) prolonged crisis over land reforms
- (c) economic crisis due to continuous drought and famine
- (d) power struggle between political groups of white European settlers and native black community
Answer: (b) prolonged crisis over land reforms
Explanation
Main reason for unrest and violence in Zimbabwe
| Cause | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Prolonged crisis over land reforms | Yes — from 2000 the land seizures from white farmers under Mugabe led to violence and economic crisis |
| Conflict between native ethnic groups | Present (Shona and Ndebele), but not the main recent cause |
| Drought and famine | A contributing factor, not the root cause |
| Power struggle between white settlers and native blacks | Whites are only a tiny minority and hold no real power |
Unrest in Zimbabwe in the early 2000s centred on the land reform programme: violent occupation of white-owned farms, which led to political violence and economic collapse. The question asks for the main reason in recent years, which was the land-reform crisis.
Answer: (b) prolonged crisis over land reforms.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Ethnic tensions exist but were not the main driver of the recent unrest.
- (b) CORRECT. The land reform crisis drove the unrest and violence.
- (c) Incorrect. Drought worsened matters but was not the main cause.
- (d) Incorrect. White settlers no longer hold political power in Zimbabwe.
Key point
Zimbabwe: independence 1980, Lancaster House land provisions, fast-track land reform from 2000, hyperinflation after.
Remember
Zimbabwe's crisis: land reform dispute from 2000.
Common mistakes
- Choosing ethnic conflict, a common explanation for African unrest.
- Blaming only drought and famine for the unrest and violence.
- Thinking white settlers still run the state.
Exam tip
Zimbabwe + recent unrest = land reform and Mugabe.
Sources
- The Hindu — Zimbabwe land reform coverage, 2001-02
- Britannica — Zimbabwe history