| dc.description.abstract | The study is an investigation on the concern by some section of the Western European
social commentators that sub-Sahara, including Zimbabwe, offers a conducive environment
for terrorists’ safe haven’. Further complicating this predicament is these accusers, allege
that region’s security sector, does not have an effective counter-terrorist strategy. In fact,
their conclusion was that African Union’s (AU) counter-terrorism policy is not working. It
is on this background that the enquiry was interested in establishing Zimbabwe’s prepared
to combat the threat of terrorism and extremism.
An understanding of the concept of terrorism, albeit the failure by historians on terrorism to
come up with a standard definition, was identified by many authors, falling mainly into what
they termed ‘sub-state terrorism’ which is divided into five categories: (a) social
revolutionary terrorism, (b) right-wing terrorism, (c) nationalist-separatist terrorism, (d)
religious extremist terrorism, and (e) single-issue terrorism. According to the proponents of
sub-state terrorism, each type tends to be associated with its own social-psychological
dynamics.
Regarding the objectives of the study, the enquiry was to: (a) analyse the international
counter-terrorism legal instruments, African Union’s Counter-Terrorism Strategy, and that
of SADC; (b) determine the level of extremist/terrorist threat facing SADC countries vis-àvis
the region’s capacity to effectively respond to such threats; and lastly (c) establish
Zimbabwe’s preparedness to counter terrorism and extremism.
The AU’s guiding policy framework on counter-terrorism was established to be the Algiers
Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism, 1999, which the majority of the
African states ratified. The threat of terrorism and extremism besides being a destabilising
factor in the Equator regions of Africa namely; Western, Sahel/Maghreb, and Eastern
regions, similar threat developments have been reported in the SADC region especially
Zambia and South Africa where the Muslim jihad-led terrorism is instigated by al-Qaeda
and al-Shabaab terrorism gangs.
Zimbabwe, together with the rest of the member states of SADC, are reported to have
sought to fight all facets of terrorism through regional cooperation. The regional body has
thus identified the international dimensions of terrorist being the ones among others, which
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range from terrorist recruitment and training, financing, and operations that include sleeper
cells operatives and human traffickers. As a result, the region’s combat posture necessitated
the formation of regional statutory bodies like; Migration Dialogue for Southern Africa
(MIDSA), Inter-state Defence and Security Committee (ISDSC), Inter-state Politics and
Diplomacy Committee (ISPDC), Ministerial Committee Organisation (MCO) and the
Committee of Intelligence and Security Services for Africa (CISSA) Southern Region
among a host of other counter combat initiatives which Zimbabwe is a member.
Regarding Zimbabwe’s preparedness in terms of institutional and legal frameworks, it was
established that the country has since enacted laws that help curb the threat of terrorism and
extremism-related activities. The laws are; Foreign Subversive Organisations Act Chapter
11: 05, Emergency Powers Act, Unlawful Organisation Act Chapter 11: 13 (1980), and ‘the
Post and Telecommunication Services Act Chapter 12:02 (1988), mentioning these few. The
study also established that the SADC Harmonised Regional Strategy to curb extremism and
terrorism emanating from the illegal migration, smuggling of migrants and trafficking of
persons was being mooted whose operationalisation will help Zimbabwe’s combat
readiness. Zimbabwe is established to have further shown some resolve in its fight against
the threat of terrorism and extremism, by its institutionalisation of Inter-Ministerial and
Inter-Security Services Committees. These Committees meet regularly to strategise on the
way forward to combat the alluded threat(s). | en_US |
