BY SIBESO LISULO

What happens when a university, the very institution tasked with speaking truth to power, cannot afford the cost of its own voice?

This is not a theoretical question but a lived reality for a lot of academics in the Global South. I explore this grim reality in “Navigating Fiscal Precarity and the Erosion of Academic Freedom in an Era of Resource Dependence in Africa: A Zambian Perspective,” recently published in the AAUP’s Journal of Academic Freedom. My findings are based on a qualitative study of thirty academics at the University of Zambia and are grounded in resource-dependence theory. The evidence reveals that academic freedom is being quietly suffocated by financial precarity. The study shows that systemic financial constraints stifle critical discourse and scholarship. The situation at UNZA serves as a cautionary tale for the Global South, demonstrating how a fragile economy can undermine the foundation of independent intellectual expression.

Financial Dependence Systematically Undermines Academic Freedom

The data from in-depth interviews reveals a critical insight: Academic freedom is often rendered inoperative not by formal prohibition but by a sheer lack of material provision. One professor expressed this structural dilemma when he said, “We have the freedom to exercise academic freedom, but we are unable to exercise it, as we cannot even afford to pay for publishing our work.” Therefore, while the right to academic freedom is often constitutionally guaranteed, the capacity for academics to truly realize it is systematically negated by the very institutions meant to support it.

This structural negation of capacity directly fosters an academic culture characterized by caution and strategic compliance. When an institution, such as UNZA, is heavily in debt and relies mainly on state funding, the scope of legitimate scholarly inquiry is inevitably reduced. As a result, research agendas become functionally aligned with the political and economic priorities of the funders. One scholar perfectly captured this precarious situation, describing their academic freedom as “tentative.” This meant it was dependent on external approval and funding continuity. This isn’t just self-censorship; it’s a rational response to systemic financial vulnerability.

The repercussions of this financially dependent system are clearly evidenced in the cases of scholars like Pedro Mzileni in South Africa and Sishuwa Sishuwa in Zambia. Mzileni, for instance, faced institutional discipline after his lecture on land ownership attracted censure from a powerful political lobby. Sishuwa, on the other hand, faced state-level sedition charges for his political commentary that critiqued the political climate under the ruling Patriotic Front government. In both cases, university administrators did not defend the principle of academic freedom. Instead, they became complicit by yielding to political pressure. These are not isolated incidents. They reveal a systemic condition where financial dependence compromises the university’s very integrity and its core mission. The university is meant to be a shield, but it has become the opening through which academic freedom is attacked.

Compounding these severe financial challenges, the introduction of cyber legislative frameworks intensifies the environment of constraint. Zambia’s recent Cyber Security Act (Act No. 3 of 2025) and the Cyber Crimes Act (Act No. 4 of 2025) introduce vague clauses about surveillance and penalties. They institutionalize a mechanism that actively restricts and discourages scholarly critique on sensitive sociopolitical topics in cyberspace. This legally sanctioned contraction of intellectual space merges dangerously with existing fiscal dependency. The looming threat of sanctions or fines, combined with severe financial constraints, may force academics to self-censor and abandon research. Ultimately, this collision of legal control and financial precarity severely restricts both academic output and intellectual freedom.

Beyond State Dependence: Forging a Resilient University

The complex and severe challenges at hand require a thorough multifaceted approach to intervention. Funding diversification is fundamentally a strategic necessity, as the existing model of heavy dependence on state funding leads to significant institutional vulnerability. Universities should actively develop a diverse funding base by collaborating with the private sector, international research foundations, and philanthropic networks to achieve true financial resilience.

Secondly, it is essential to strengthen institutional governance. Effective policies for safeguarding academic freedom necessitate robust implementation strategies and a steadfast dedication from university leadership to uphold them, even in the face of political pressure.

Finally, legal and regulatory protections are essential. National legislation and the constitution must enshrine and explicitly define academic freedom in order to safeguard it. Furthermore, the recently enacted repressive cyber laws in Zambia should undergo thorough judicial and parliamentary scrutiny to avert their exploitation of legitimate academic discourse.

In conclusion, the challenge to academic freedom in the Global South is a contest over the purpose of the university. Will these institutions function as autonomous hubs for critical thought and knowledge production, or will they be instrumentalized by external interests? When scholarship is constrained by fiscal precarity, the intellectual commons suffers a profound loss. Defending the conditions for genuine academic work is, therefore, an imperative for democratic resilience and epistemic justice worldwide.

Sibeso Lisulo is a postdoctoral research fellow specializing in academic freedom at the Johannesburg
Institute of Advanced Studies, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.