The Dyadic Intersection of Student Politics and Liberation Ideology: University Students in Zimbabwe’s War of Liberation, c.1966–1979.

Abstract

Abstract

The liberation of Zimbabwe from colonial rule was the result of collective efforts by various actors across the globe. However, the historiography of this struggle has predominantly emphasized the role of combatants engaged in direct military confrontation, thereby marginalizing the contributions of other social groups, such as students, whose activism played a role in advancing the path to independence. Using resistance theory as an analytical framework, this study explores the complex relationship between university student politics and African nationalism in the struggle against colonial rule in Rhodesia from c.1966 to 1979. The analysis focuses on student activism at the University of Rhodesia (now the University of Zimbabwe), which was the only university in the country at the time. The study seeks to address two key questions: (1) What role did student politics play in shaping African nationalism during Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle? and (2) How did student activism contribute to the broader anti-colonial resistance in Rhodesia? The findings illustrate that student politics, particularly among African students, was deeply intertwined with the ideology of African nationalism, which was rooted in the socio-political realities of marginalized African communities. The study argues that student political engagement functioned as a microcosm of the broader national political landscape, reflecting and reinforcing the dynamics of the liberation struggle.