What Now for the Zimbabwean Student Demonstrator? Online Activism and Its Challenges for University Students in A COVID-19 Lockdown

Abstract

University student activism is generally characterized by protests and demonstrations by students who are reacting to social, political, and economic challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic revolutionized university student activism, and closed the geographical space for protests and demonstrations. The pandemic locked students out of the university campus, thus, rendering the traditional strategies of mass protests and demonstrations impossible. The COVID-19-induced lockdowns made it difficult, if not impossible, to mobilise for on-campus demonstrations and protests. It seems the pandemic is the last nail in the coffin of on-campus student protests. This theoretical paper uses a collective behaviour framework to explain the evolution of student activism in Zimbabwe, from the traditional on-campus politics to virtual activism. It discusses the challenges associated with cybernetic activism. The paper argues that, despite challenges, Zimbabwean university student activists need to migrate to a new world of digital technology and online activism. In the migration to online activism, students activists face a plethora of challenges. On top of the already existing obstacles, activists face new operational challenges related to trying to mobilise a constituency that has relocated to cyberspace. Student activists utilize the existing digital infrastructure to advance their politics, in spite of a hostile state security system and harsh economic environment, and other operational challenges.

Addressing the underside of student unrest in South African universities using collegial leadership as approach

“…The root causes of this unrest are complex and varied, but they often include frustration with inadequate resources, poor living conditions, a lack of institutional support, funding support and limited accommodation of student voices in the management process (Aluede et al 2005;Amutabi 2002;Iwara, Kilonzo & Iwara 2018;Muswede 2017;Rhoads 1998). This issue has been extensively researched, and there is clear evidence that it is a real and pressing concern to prove its existence not just in South African institutions but also in other African institutions (Balsvik 1998;Czerniewicz, Trotter & Haupt 2019;Heffernan 2015;Hove & Dube 2022;Nkinyangi 1991). Unfortunately, it does not seem to be going away anytime soon as it continues unabated.…”

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“…From #MeToo (Rentschler, 2018), and Black Lives Matter (Hope et al, 2016), through to Queer (Vaccaro & Mena, 2011) and disability activism (Kimball et al, 2016), students are at the forefront of efforts to reshape society. In the international context, meanwhile, students have been instrumental in myriad efforts, including counter-colonial struggles in Kashmir (Pandit, 2019), anti-Extradition Bill movements in Hong Kong (Tong & Yuen, 2021), and online student activism in Zimbabwe (Hove & Dube, 2022).…”