Siwila, Lilian Cheelo.Yesaya, Priviledge.2025-08-082025-08-0820242024https://hdl.handle.net/10413/23888Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.This study interrogates the multifaceted phenomenon of electoral violence in Zimbabwe, particularly within the context of the theological responses of the Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations (ZHOCD). Anchored in a historical narrative of political violence that began in the colonial era [i.e. political violence following the 1965 Unilateral Declaration of Independence and war of independence] and was adopted by independent Zimbabwe for use in contemporary electoral practices [i.e. marked by euphoria (1980-1990); decline (1990-2000); crisis (2000-2010); hope (2010-2020); skepticism (2020- 2017-2025)]. The struggle for independence is referred to by Kriger as a struggle within struggles, leading to persistent escalation of violence since 1965, and later in 1980, re-assigned into the electoral landscape. Zimbabwe, a republic since 1965, professes to have a predominance of Christianity at 85% (Zimbabwe Demography and Health Survey, 2015). Nonetheless, the escalating cases of electoral violence cast doubt on the accuracy of the claim. If that's the case, then who is violating, and who is being violated during electoral disputes? There is a conspicuous gap in the scholarly discourse regarding religious institutions' engagements, particularly the ZHOCD, in addressing election-related violence, as highlighted by scholars such as Ndlovu-Gatsheni, Kriger, and Dube, among others, who have all examined the intricate dynamics of political conflict and its implications in Zimbabwe. While extant literature has extensively documented the political underpinnings and socioeconomic ramifications of electoral conflict in Zimbabwe, there is a notable amount of work that examines how churches can respond to these crises. The Christian demography is justification enough for the church’s involvement, but its theology, which is expected to guide how members ought to behave in a political context, has been found wanting, raising questions on the type of Kairos theology the ZHOCD must offer on electoral violence. The study posits that the ZHOCD and its constituent bodies have considerably influenced the electoral landscape of Zimbabwe through vigils, pastoral letters, and joint publications like the Zimbabwe We Want (2006) and The Elections We Want (2023). These communiques and documents emphasize on peace, dialogue, justice, and reconciliation to counter the prevailing culture of violence during electoral cycles. Utilizing a literature-based methodology, the research synthesizes various theological perspectives and strategic analysis of the ZHOCD’s previous engagements during pivotal electoral moments in Zimbabwe’s history [i.e. 2000/2 and 2005/8/9]. The study uses the Kairos principles in public theology that advocate for grassroots engagement and active participation in electoral discourses. The use of ZHOCD in transformative dialogues with political parties, electoral administrators, home affairs (especially the police and prison service), chiefs and church leaders to promote peaceful electoral contests at grassroots levels is of particular interest for this study. Thus, the study, given the ZHOCD’s national vision in the ZWWD (2006), the EWWD (2023), and the recent publication on Ecumenical Christianity (2024), aims to elucidate more actionable pathways for the ZHOCD to engage with political parties in Zimbabwe to minimize violent practices during elections. Ultimately, the study proposes the Kairos election theory as a sustainable theory for election violence in Zimbabwe.enCC0 1.0 Universalhttp://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/Zimbabwe heads of christian denominations.Election violence.Kairos theology.Peace building.Political landscape.Thesis