This article critically examines the core tenets of Marxism as the ideological foundation underpinning the liberation struggle in pre-independence Zimbabwe. The guerrilla warfare waged by liberation fighters aimed to dismantle colonial rule and establish a government committed to representing the interests of the majority. The primary objective of the insurrection, as articulated by the guerrillas, was to overthrow the white minority regime, which had been widely condemned for perpetuating racial inequality, social injustice, and the expropriation of indigenous land. These structural injustices served as the main catalysts for the armed struggle. Prior to independence, the freedom fighters envisioned a society founded on equality, communism, and peace—marked by equitable land redistribution and the prudent management of national resources by a people-centered government.
This article argues that the revolutionary ideals championed by the guerrillas were ultimately unfulfilled. The decolonial process, characterized by violent conflict and widespread destruction of infrastructure, failed to deliver the transformative outcomes it promised. Employing Marxist theory as its principal analytical framework, and drawing extensively on Shimmer Chinodya’s Harvest of Thorns and Child of War, the article challenges the narrative that the aspirations of the liberation struggle were realized.

Authors:
Sifiso Sibanda, North-West University, South Africa

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Sifiso is currently an English Lecturer at North-West University, Faculty of Education, School of Language Education, Mafikeng Campus, South Africa.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Friday Schedule

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