Statement of solidarity with Dr Sishuwa Sishuwa against unfounded charges of sedition

DiA is proud to share a statement of solidarity with Dr Sishuwa Sishuwa against unfounded charges of sedition that has been put together and signed by academics from around the world. Click here to download a PDF of the statement. To add your signature, email your details in the form “Name, Job Title, Institution” here.

We, the undersigned, as prominent academics across Zambia, Africa and the wider world, are deeply alarmed at credible reports that the University of Zambia (UNZA) historian, Dr Sishuwa Sishuwa, is to be charged with sedition, as the result of an opinion piece he published in the Mail and Guardian (South Africa), on 22 March 2021.

As historians and social scientists who have studied and published in and about Zambia for many decades, we are extremely concerned that the threat of sedition charges is being used to silence the legitimate expression of belief by one of the country’s most prominent early-career scholars. Dr Sishuwa, who has published outstanding and prize-winning research articles in the world’s most prominent African studies journals, is drawing on his research expertise to bring to public attention his concerns about the current direction of Zambian political life. Far from inciting popular rebellion (as the term ‘sedition’ implies), he seeks to address the underlying causes of societal tension as a way to reduce it. We believe it is both his right and his patriotic duty to bring such concerns into the public eye. Article 20 of the Constitution of Zambia guarantees Dr Sishuwa and all other Zambians freedom of expression, that is to say freedom to hold opinions, receive ideas and impart or communicate ideas and information without interference.

As citizens and longstanding friends of Zambia, who have documented the country’s prominent historical role in the political liberation of southern Africa, and its pioneering role in constitutional democratisation, we are worried about the proposed use of an authoritarian tool such as the charge of sedition, and call for any consideration of such charges to be immediately and permanently dropped.

We are further alarmed at the issuance by the University of Zambia of a statement dated 27 April 2021, disassociating the university from its employee Dr Sishuwa. This misleading statement suggests Dr Sishuwa is not currently employed by the university, when in fact he is, as is normal for academic researchers, simply on temporary research leave from it. Indeed, as recently as December last year, UNZA publicly celebrated the achievements of Dr Sishuwa.

All of us have worked at or with colleagues from UNZA, long a prominent university that has, since independence, been a centre of intellectual freedom, often in difficult circumstances. We wholly reject the allegation that Dr Sishuwa is pursuing a ‘personal agenda’ and call on the university to guarantee Dr Sishuwa’s continued employment and his right to academic freedom.

Signatories

1. Professor Rita Abrahamsen, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Ottawa
2. Dr Michael Aeby, Research Associate, IDCCPA University of Cape Town & University of Edinburgh
3. The African Studies Association of Africa
4. Professor Akosua Adomako Ampofo, University of Ghana, and President of the African Studies Association of Africa
5. Professor David M. Anderson, Professor of African History, University of Warwick
6. Professor Kate Baldwin, Associate Professor of Political Science, Yale University
7. Professor Robert Bates, Eaton Professor Emeritus of the Science of Government, Harvard University
8. Dr Nicole Beardsworth, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Pretoria
9. Sarah Bellows-Blakely, Research Fellow in Global Intellectual History, Freie Universität Berlin
10. Dr Eloïse Bertrand, Research Fellow, University of Portsmouth
11. Dr Chaloka Beyani, Professor of International Law, Law Department, London School of Economics and Political Science.
12. Professor Catherine Boone, Department of International Development, London School of Economics and Political Science
13. Professor Michael Bratton, Emeritus Professor of Government, Michigan State University
14. Caesar Cheelo, Research Economist – Trade and Customs Division, COMESA Secretariat 
15. Professor Nic Cheeseman, Professor of Democracy, University of Birmingham
16. Dr Grieve Chelwa, Postdoctoral Fellow, The New School
17. Geoffrey Chibuye, Independent 
18. Professor Simukai Chigudu, Associate Professor of African Politics, University of Oxford
19. Dr Isaac Chinyoka, Centre for Social Science Research, University of Cape Town
20. Roy Clarke, former lecturer in Education at the University of Zambia, 1979-89, political satirist at the Post Newspaper 1996-2009
21. Dr Michaela Collord, Junior Research Fellow, New College, University of Oxford
22. Leila Demarest, Assistant Professor of African Politics, Institute of Political Science, Leiden University
23. Dr Kim Yi Dionne, Associate Professor of Political Science, UC Riverside
24. Professor Gregor Dobler, Institute for Social and Cultural Anthropology, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
25. Professor Lindiwe Dovey, Professor of Film and Screen Studies, School of Arts, SOAS University of London
26. Dr Boniface Dulani, Senior Lecturer in Political Science, University of Malawi
27. Dr Jonathan Fisher, Reader in African Politics, University of Birmingham
28. Dr Alastair Fraser, Department of Politics and International Studies, SOAS, University of London
29. Dr Elena Gadjanova, Lecturer in Politics, University of Exeter
30. Courtney Hallink, PhD student, University of Cambridge 
31. Professor Antoinette Handley, Department of Political Science, University of Toronto
32. Dr Anne Heffernan, Assistant Professor in Southern African History, Durham University
33. Sacha Hepburn, Leverhulme Early Career Fellow, Birkbeck, University of London 
34. Professor Samuel Hickey, Professor of Politics and Development, University of Manchester
35. Marja Hinfelaar, Director of Research and Programmes, Southern African Institute for Policy and Research
36. Professor Alan Hirsch, Emeritus Professor of Public Governance, University of Cape Town
37. Dr Dan Hodgkinson, Leverhulme Early Career Fellow, University of Oxford
38. Professor Kristine Höglund, Department of Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University.  
39. Dr Chris Huggins, Assistant Professor, School of International Development and Global Studies, University of Ottawa
40. Professor Faizel Ismail, Professor of Public Governance, University of Cape Town
41. Zenobia Ismail, Research Fellow, Governance and Social Development Resource Centre, University of Birmingham
42. Samson Itodo, Yiaga Africa 
43. Professor Hambaba Jimaima, Department of Literature and Languages, University of Zambia
44. Diana Jeater, Associate Dean, Department of History, University of Liverpool
45. Dr Will Jones, Senior Lecturer in International Relations, Department of Politics, International Relations and Philosophy, Royal Holloway, University of London
46. Dr Walima Kalusa, Senior Lecturer in African History, University of eSwatini, and former Head of the Department of History, University of Zambia
47. Lillian Kamusiime, Independent
48. Victor Kanyense, Indeepndent Social Scientist & Development Specialist 
49. Professor Chammah J. Kaunda, Assistant Professor of World Christianity and Mission Studies, Yonsei University
50. Kalaluka Kapungu, Citizen of Zambia
51. Stephen Kamugasa, Independent Researcher
52. Rita Kesselring, Senior Lecturer at the Institute for Social Anthropology, University of Basel
53. Aikande C. Kwayu, Honorary Research Fellow, Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
54. Stephanie Lämmert, Researcher, Max Planck Institute for Human Development
55. Professor Miles Larmer, Professor of African History, University of Oxford
56. Professor Baz Lecocq, Chair African History, Institute for Asian and African Studies, Humboldt University of Berlin
57. Professor Staffan I. Lindberg, Director, V-Dem Institute, of Political Science, University of Gothenburg
58. Sworo Nelson Henry Lo’boka, Africa Call, South Sudan
59. Dr Terrence Lyons, Associate Professor, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, George Mason University
60. Professor Adrienne LeBas, Associate Professor of Government, American University
61. Dr Reuben A. Loffman, Lecturer in African History, Queen Mary University of London 
62. Professor Gabrielle Lynch, Politics and International Studies, University of Warwick. 
63. Dr Ainara Mancebo, Research Scholar, Ronin Institute
64. Hugh Macmillan, Research Fellow, University of Oxford
65. Kuukuwa Manful, PhD Researcher, SOAS, University of London
66. Professor Robert Mattes, Professor of Political Science, University of Strathclyde
67. Monte McMurchy, Rector American Christian Liberal Arts University Congo—UCI
68. Professor Henning Melber, Nordic Africa Institute; University of Pretoria; University of the Free State
69. Kelvin Mmabwe, University of Zambia Lecturers and Researchers’ Union
70. Robert Molteno, formerly Lecturer in Political Science and Public Administration, University of Zambia, 1968-1976
71. Dr Duncan Money, Researcher, African Studies Centre, University of Leiden
72. Jason Mosley, Research Associate, African Studies Centre, Oxford University
73. Steriah Mudenda, School of Education, The University of Zambia
74. Hassan Mudane, Lecturer, Department of Political Science, City University of Mogadishu.
75. John Munkombwe, Lecturer, Institute of Distance Education, The University of Zambia
76. Dr Patience Mususa, Senior Researcher, Nordic Africa Institute
77. Victor Mutelelekesha, Contemporary Artist, Founder of The Lusaka Contemporary Art Centre
78. Jean Mwape, Citizen of Zambia
79. Dr Mack Ndawana, IFP Subject Lead, Centre for Academic Language and Development, University of Bristol
80. Youngson Ndawana, Lecturer in Media Studies, University of Zambia
81. Professor Manenga Ndulo, Professor of Economics, University of Zambia
82. Professor Muna Ndulo, Professor of Law, Cornell University
83. Daniel Munday, PhD Candidate, University of Birmingham
84. Dr Bruce Mutsvairo, Professor of Journalism, Auburn University
85. Chantry Mweemba, International Relations and Human Rights expert
86. Olívio Nkilumbu – Professor, Politólogo e Consultor Político, Magistério Mutu Ya Kevela e Universidade Óscar Ribas
87. Nanjala Nyabola, Independent Researcher
88. Dr Robert Nyenhuis, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Cal Poly Pomona
89. Dr Ken O. Opalo, Assistant Professor, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University 
90. Dr Dan Paget, Lecturer in Politics, University of Aberdeen
91. Dr Michael Panzer, Adjunct Professor in History, Marist College
92. Dr Lazlo Passemiers, Senior Lecturer, University of the Free State, South Africa
93. Dr Justin Pearce, Research Fellow Global Soldiers, University of Sussex
94. Professor Didier Péclard, Associate Professor of Politics and African Studies, University of Geneva
95. Dr Iva Pesa, Assistant Professor Contemporary History, University of Groningen
96. Professor Anne Pitcher, Department of Political Science, University of Michigan
97. Professor Daniel Posner, Department of Political Science, UCLA
98. Dr Deborah Potts, Emeritus Reader in Human Geography, King’s College London
99. Professor Lise Rakner, Professor of Comparative Politics, University of Bergen
100. Professor Brian Raftopoulos, Research Fellow, University of the Free State
101. Elelwani Ramugondo, Chairperson of the Academic Freedom Committee, University of Cape Town
102. Cleopas Sambo, Lecturer, Department of Social Work & Sociology, University of Zambi
103. Dr Sara Rich Dorman, Senior Lecturer in African Politics, University of Edinburgh
104. Professor Oliver Saasa, Professor of International Economic Relations & Chancellor, Mulungushi University
105. Pamela Towela Sambo, Lecturer, School of Law, University of Zambia
106. Dr Edalina Rodrigues Sanches, Assistant Professor, ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon (Portugal) 
107. Dr Jenna Sapiano, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Monash Gender, Peace and Security Centre (GPS), Monash University
108. Professor Chris Saunders, Emeritus Professor of Historical Studies, University of Cape Town
109. Nicolai Schulz, Postdoctoral Researcher, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin
110. Dr Laura E. Seay, Assistant Professor, Department of Government, Colby College
111. Dr Marcia C. Schenck , Professor of Global History, University of Potsdam
112. Professor Jeremy Seekings, Professor of Political Studies and Sociology, University of Cape Town
113. Professor David Simon, Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK
114. Eunifridah Simuyaba, Lecturer, University of Zambia 
115. Dr Neo Simutanyi, retired Senior Lecturer in Political Science, University of Zambia and Executive Director, Centre for Policy Dialogue
116. Doreen Sitali, School of Public Health, University of Zambia
117. Dr Lahra Smith, Associate Professor, African Studies Program & Department of Government, Georgetown University
118. Christian von Soest, Lead Research Fellow, Head of Peace and Security Research Program, German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA)
119. Dr Morris Szeftel, Senior Lecturer Emeritus, Political & International Studies, University of Leeds
120. Professor Blessing-Miles Tendi, Associate Professor in African Politics, University of Oxford
121. Dr Robin L. Turner, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science, Butler University
122. Bridget Bwalya Umar, Senior Lecturer, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Zambia
123. Professor Peter VonDoepp, Dept. of Political Science, University of Vermont
124. Professor Nicolas van de Walle, Professor of Government, Cornell University
125. Dr Michael Wahman, Assistant Professor, Michigan State University
126. Martin Waithaka, Independent