iarjhssIARJHSSIARJHSS2708-6267https://doi.org/10.47310/iarjhss.2021.v02i02.021Essential Part of Peace Negotiations Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration in ZimbabweShadreckP.M.MakombeJournal for Governance and Peace, ZimbabweOver the past four decades, Zimbabwe’s disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) process has played a central role in the transition from armed liberation struggle to post-conflict stability. Although initially designed to manage weapons and restore security, DDR aimed to transform former fighters into productive community members and promote long-term human security. However, Zimbabwe’s DDR was shaped by the exclusion of the United Nations from the independence transition and the reliance on a British-led oversight mission after the 1979 Lancaster House Agreement. The integration of the ZANLA, ZIPRA and Rhodesian Security Forces was complicated by deep hostilities and mistrust. By the 1990s, institutional weaknesses and poor reintegration support left nearly 25,000 ex-combatants unemployed, prompting politicized mobilization through the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association. Veterans increasingly leveraged their identity for political influence, at times engaging in protests and electoral violence. Comparative cases from Namibia and South Africa show similar reintegration failures, where inadequate support triggered protests, social problems and security concerns. Overall, the evidence highlights that incomplete or poorly designed DDR programs can generate long-term instability and renewed conflict pressures.