An analysis of European Union (EU) aid to Zimbabwe from 1980 to 2000

Abstract

According to Walter Rodney in his book, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, the pillaging of resources in third world countries created a master servant relationship between the developed countries and the developing countries. For him, “Africa went into colonialism clutching a hoe and came out of it clutching the same hoe.” This indicates that Africa did not benefit from colonialism and the trend has continued even after independence. In Zimbabwe, the (EU) has been one of the major players in the aid industry and this study reveals whether its presence has yielded positive results or it has exercabated the situation. The problems that Zimbabwe is facing today are partly a result of EU activities which centre around regime change through illegal sanctions and the sponsoring of anti government civil and political organizations. It is the contention of this writer that the EU deviated from its mandate of offering official development assistance to Zimbabwe to sponsoring subversive activities. This study traces Zimbabwe-EU relations from 1980 to 1990 when relations were still cordial and then from 1990 to 2000 when issues of structural adjustment programmes and other conditionalities such as good governance and human rights began to take centre stage. The last period is from 2000 to 2008 when open confrontation began to surface especially over elections and the land reform programme.Therefore the most important question asked is whether EU aid in all its various forms has enhanced the fortunes of the people of Zimbabwe or not.