War Veterans and Violence in Zimbabwe

An outline of Zimbabwe's violence and war veterans’ issues is given in this document. The study illustrates the scope, prevalence, and repercussions of the different roles that veterans of war and veterans of violence play in transitional cultures. Demobilization, demilitarization, reintegration, and rehabilitation procedures were not carried out correctly in Zimbabwe, as shown by militarized masculinity and its effect on violence. Conflict occurred in Zimbabwe at several points between the 1980s and the beginning of the 2000s. Part of the larger transition from war to peace was the development and implementation of post-conflict disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) for former war veterans. However, DDR failed to accomplish this goal in every instance, and within ten or so years after its deployment, there were varying security and stability repercussions. It is more likely that war veterans may turn to violence if there is no comprehensive psychological reintegration program to help them cope with the psychological trauma of the conflict and change their expectations and attitudes.