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In this article we examine the evolution of relations between Zambia and Zimbabwe, and the ways in which their relations interact with the international relations of southern Africa. We analyze the impact on these relations of past, recent, and contemporary changes, including colonialism, liberation struggles, independence, uneven economic decline, democratization, structural adjustment programs, and dramatic changes in neighboring countries. Such changes have engendered various forms of cooperation but have also heightened tensions stemming from economic inequality and political uncertainty. The analysis of relations since Zimbabwean independence emphasizes several issue areas, including political-symbolic and strategic relations, several types of economic interactions, and the generation and distribution of electric power. In a future article we will present a quantitative events-data analysis of each of these issue areas. Here we present a historical description of the interactions between Zambia and Zimbabwe, discuss the perspectives on these interactions of policymakers in each country, and relate both interactions and perspectives to the regional context.
Relations between Zambia and Zimbabwe have been close since colonial times. In 1953 the two were incorporated into the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland by the British. The two states have played key roles in the liberation of southern Africa; after its independence in 1964 Zambia was instrumental in the liberation of Zimbabwe, Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, and South Africa, and after its independence in 1980 Zimbabwe became equally instrumental in the liberation of the latter two countries. Zambia gave crucial support to Zimbabwean nationalists in the 1964-1980 period, although it also had conflicts with them. Because one important theme of our analysis is the impact of this history on contemporary relations, we will present the historical background in some detail. The Historical Background of Zambia-Zimbabwe Relations
Zambia and Zimbabwe, formerly Northern and Southern Rhodesia, respectively, were closely connected during the period of colonial rule, having been colonized by British imperial forces, primarily from the south, under the control of the British South Africa Company headed by Cecil Rhodes. This company was the instrument of colonial rule in both Rhodesias until 1923, when Southern Rhodesia gained self-government under the control of the minority white settlers and Northern Rhodesia became a British Protectorate under the Colonial Office, but with substantial settler political influence. The economies of the...