Course Details in 2026/27 Session

Module Title	LH The Struggle for Zimbabwe: Nationalism, Liberation and the International Community Since the Cold War
School	History and Cultures
Department	African Studies & Anthropology
Module Code	09 39831
Module Lead	Gerald Mazarire
Level	Honours Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 2
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Lecture-10 hours Seminar-10 hours Guided independent study-180 hours Total: 200 hours
Exclusions
Description	The module is a country-specific exploration of the dynamics shaping decolonisation in Africa following the end of the Second World War, the foundation of the United Nations, and the emergence of a bi-polar world divided between the Communist East and the Capitalist West. Students will be taken through the ideological transformations that eventually situated African decolonisation along radical or gradualist/pacifist paths. Zimbabwe, the Rhodesian settler state that took the former route, is an exemplary case of the contradictions of communist liberation philosophies that changed from radical nationalism to armed struggle but also fomented struggles within that armed struggle. Students will learn about the outcomes of the different theoretical and ideological approaches of the various actors in Zimbabwe's struggle for liberation and how this not only gave rise to a protracted war but ultimately to a negotiated settlement involving the key world powers. We will explore the legacies of those broad interests as well as their implications for the survival of Zimbabwe as a post-colonial state forced to continue balancing these vested international interests.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: Critically reflect on African decolonisation in the context of the Cold War era Critically consider the dilemmas of settler states such as Rhodesia, which sought to perpetuate European colonialism in the face of growing African decolonisation Critically debate the ideological differences in the Eastern Bloc countries in their approach to African decolonisation and how they split African liberation movements in Zimbabwe Critically evaluate the conduct of African liberation armies in the liberation war and the legacies they created for a post-independent Zimbabwe
Assessment
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: 1 x 1,500-word written assignment (40%) 1 x 2,000-word written assignment (60%) Reassessment: Re-submission of failed component(s)
Other
Reading List