This book explores multiple challenges faced by democratization in Southern Africa. Applying a wider lens to the concept of political transition and employing a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches, the contributions gathered here explore residual political cultural practices that hinder democratic consolidation in Southern Africa. Presenting various case studies, the book tackles themes such as the military-political nexus, leadership renewal, constitutionalism, electoral politics, election violence, marginalization of women, civil society and political transition, media framing and transitional justice.

Chapter 1. Introduction. Rethinking political transition in southern Africa: threats and challenges to democratic consolidation (Tendai Chari).- Part I. Military and Political Transition.- Chapter 2. Praetorianism and political transitions in Lesotho: A critique of the Lesotho military (Dylan Yanano Mangani).- Chapter 3. The Military and politics in Zimbabwe, 1970s to 2018 (Gilbert Tarugarira).- Chapter 4. Political leadership in Zimbabwe in the aftermath of the military coup. Change without change? (Mazorodze Washington).- Chapter 5. Military orchestrated leadership change in Zimbabwe and the quest for political transition (Patrick Dzimiri).- Chapter 6. Political transition and (anti)democratic culture in Zimbabwe: Press discourses on the November 2017 Military Coup (Tendai Chari).- Part II. Electoral Politics and Democratisation.- Chapter 7. Fresh presidential election in Malawi, June 2020: Implications on Malawi's democracy (Tiyesere Mercy Chikapa- Jamali).