Student Politics and Activism in Zimbabwe: The Frustrated Transition

TitleStudent Politics and Activism in Zimbabwe: The Frustrated Transition
Publication TypeJournal Article
AuthorsZeilig, Leo
JournalJournal of Asian and African Studies
Volume43
Issue2
Pagination215-237
ISSN0021-9096
AbstractStudent activism has made an important contribution to the struggle for democracy in Zimbabwe. In the first years of independence students were among the most fearsome defenders of the regime. Three broad periods of student activism can be identified. The first pro-government period was followed by a violent break with the regime in 1988, the second period saw students declare that they were `the voice of the voiceless'. With the onset of structural adjustment programmes in the early 1990s, the privileged status of students in higher education was rapidly eroded. The third period emerged after 1995 as student activism converged with the urban revolt that was beginning to shake Zimbabwe. This article assesses the role of student activism in Zimbabwe.
URLhttps://doi.org/10.1177/00219096080430020501
DOI10.1177/00219096080430020501
Short TitleStudent Politics and Activism in Zimbabwe