Mario Zamponi is a Full Professor in African and Development Studies, Department of Political and Social Sciences at the University of Bologna, Italy. He is also a member of the Academy of Sciences in Bologna. He researches African countries, currently including Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa, Angola and Malawi. Mario’s main research topics are the political and economic history of contemporary Sub-Saharan Africa, with specific reference to Southern Africa; African political systems and the democratization process; land tenure reform and rural development policies. He has written and co-written several books on these topics.