Short Biography
Joshua Chakawa is a Senior Lecturer at the National University of Lesotho in the Department of Historical Studies. Born on March 23, 1974, in Zimbabwe, he has established himself as a distinguished academic with a rich background in African history and historiography. He is married and currently resides at SRR101, Staff Residence, NUL, Lesotho. You can reach him via phone at +26656260475 or +26662597997, or email at j.chakawa@nul.ls or samaita1974@gmail.com.
Education
Joshua Chakawa earned his Doctor of Philosophy (History) from Midlands State University in 2015. His thesis focused on Abel Muzorewa’s Security Force Auxiliaries during and after Zimbabwe’s war of liberation in Hurungwe District. He also holds a Master of Arts in African History from the same university, where his research examined the environment and ZIPRA guerrilla warfare in Zimbabwe from 1973 to 1979. Additionally, he has a Post Graduate Diploma in Education from Zimbabwe Open University and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Zimbabwe.
Experience
Joshua Chakawa has extensive teaching experience, having served as a Senior Lecturer at the National University of Lesotho since 2022. Before this, he was the Chairperson of the History Department at Midlands State University from 2016 to 2022 and a Senior Lecturer there since 2017. His teaching career began in 2006 at Kwekwe Polytechnic College, Zimbabwe, and he has taught numerous courses at various institutions.
Research Interests
Joshua Chakawa specializes in African history, focusing on themes such as oral traditions, political economy, environmental history, and the military’s role in governance. His ongoing research includes the study of oral history in Africa and advanced research methods in history.
Awards and Recognitions
Joshua Chakawa has received several national and international recognitions. He has been an External Examiner for HEXCO’s National and Strategic Studies and the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Zimbabwe. He also served as the Regional Chief Examiner for Ordinary Level History with the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council from 2003 to 2012. Notably, he played a key role in establishing new academic programs at Midlands State University, approved by the Zimbabwe Council of Higher Education.
Publications
Joshua Chakawa has contributed to several scholarly publications. Here are some highlights:
Book Chapters:
“Entangled borderlands: Effects of the 1977-1992 Mozambican civil war on border communities in Zimbabwe” in Lived Experiences of border communities in Zimbabwe: Livelihoods, conservation and civil war (2023)【Springer Geography, pp. 135-147】.“Borderland problem: Cabo Delgado insurgency in Mozambique, 2017-2021” in Mozambique is Burning: Islamic insurgency in Cabo Delgado (2022)【Africa Institute of Culture, Peace, Dialogue and Tolerance Studies and Midlands State University Press, pp. 17-35
“Making Sense of Political Coalition: Inside Zimbabwe’s Government of National Unity of 2009-2013 and its Aftermath” in Zimbabwe: The Mighty Fall of a type of Nation-State (2019)【Africa Institute for Culture, Peace, Dialogue & Tolerance Studies, pp. 236-245】.
Journal Articles:
“Sickness, death and burial during the COVID-19 pandemic in Lesotho: changing faces of cultural norms” in African Identities (2024)【DOI: 10.1080/14725843.2024.2371579, pp. 1-15】.
“Violence Against Holy Objects in Zimbabwe’s War of Liberation: Selected Experiences from the Catholic Church” in The Fountain – Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies (2023)【Vol.7, Issue 1, pp. 246-263】.
“Headman Mzilawempi’s eviction from Rhodesdale Estate in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and the struggle for restoration of lost status—1953-2021” in The Dyke (2022)【Volume 16, Number 3, pp. 1-21】