AFI Podcast: Job Sikhala on Zimbabwe’s Democratic Struggle, Political Repression, and Resistance

Job Sikhala is a Zimbabwean lawyer, opposition politician, and pro-democracy activist whose career spans student politics, parliamentary service, legal advocacy, and opposition organizing. A founding figure in the Movement for Democratic Change, he represented St Mary’s and later Zengeza West in Parliament. His political activism has brought repeated arrests and detention, including 595 days in pre-trial custody. After leaving the Citizens Coalition for Change, Sikhala became chairman and chief facilitator of the National Democratic Working Group.

In this interview, Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Job Sikhala discuss Zimbabwe’s continuing struggle against authoritarian rule, comparing the democratic activism of Sikhala’s generation with contemporary youth politics. Sikhala examines social media, changing political values, historical efforts to establish one-party rule, and threats of dynastic governance. He also reflects on repeated political persecution, including 595 days of pre-trial detention, arguing that imprisonment strengthened rather than diminished his commitment to democratic change and political resistance in Zimbabwe.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen is the Lifestyle and Finance Writer and Editor for A Further Inquiry with more than 400 published articles in the outlet. He is the Founder and Publisher of In-Sight Publishing (ISBN: 978–1–0692343; 978–1–0673505) and Editor-in-Chief of In-Sight: Interviews (ISSN: 2369–6885). He writes for International Policy Digest (ISSN: 2332–9416), The Humanist (Print: ISSN, 0018–7399; Online: ISSN, 2163–3576), Basic Income Earth Network (UK Registered Charity 1177066), Humanist Perspectives (ISSN: 1719–6337), Vocal, Medium, The Good Men Project, The New Enlightenment Project, The Washington Outsider, rabble.ca, and other media. His bibliography index can be found via the Jacobsen Bank at In-Sight Publishing. He has served in national and international leadership roles within humanist and media organizations, held several academic fellowships, and currently serves on several boards. He is a member in good standing in numerous media organizations, including the Canadian Association of Journalists, PEN Canada (CRA: 88916 2541 RR0001), Reporters Without Borders (SIREN: 343 684 221/SIRET: 343 684 221 00041/EIN: 20–0708028), and others.

Photo by Scott Douglas Jacobsen

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