Student activism in a time of crisis - Zimbabwe 2000 - 2010: A tentative exploration

Abstract

The  article  examines  student  activism  in  Zimbabwe  between  2000  and  2010  to  investigate  how  Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown and political challenges influenced the nature and forms of student responses. While conceding that student activism was not as well-coordinated and as unified as it had been in earlier periods of Zimbabwean history, it argues that student activism, nevertheless, continued despite relentless efforts by state agencies to violently stifle student protests and also in spite of the debilitating  economic  problems  confronting  the  students.  It  is  argued  that  the  lack  of  unity  among  students  can  be  explained  in  part  by  the  lack  of  consensus  among  students  regarding  the  challenges  facing them and how to resolve them. It can also be seen as a result of the fact that students belonged to  different  and,  sometimes,  antagonistic  political  parties  resulting  in  a  fractured  student  movement  that could not speak with one voice. Finally, the article contends that despite facing serious economic hardships,  which  partly  fuelled  their  discontent,  students  did  not  focus  only  on  economic  grievances  but married these to wider socio-political issues and regarded their struggles as part and parcel of the national fight for good governance and democracy.