The Sunday News
Brian Maregedze
Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo: Politics, Power and Memory is a 2017 publication edited by Sabelo J Ndlovu-Gatsheni at the climax of revisionist historiography in Zimbabwean history.
Alternative views from the state narrative and or from what are called “commissar scholars” are positioned in a way to study the life and times of Joshua Nkomo beyond Robert Mugabe narratives. The eighteen chapters in this thick volume, 458-page book are also drawn from 18 reputable scholars on Zimbabwean history. Nkomo’s autobiography, The Story of My Life motivates the majority of book chapters in this seminal work although other perspectives, contributions go beyond the autobiography. Structurally, there are three parts of the book, with the initial focusing on Imperialism, Nationalism, Liberation and Leadership; while the second part deals with Legacy, Diplomacy, Political Philosophy and Fatherhood and lastly; Nation-Building, Persecution, Autobiography and Rehabilitation. More interesting is that, this review comes at a time when Sabelo J Ndlovu-Gatsheni presented a Memorial Lecture on Joshua Nkomo at the Midlands State University on 7 June 2019 titled, In memory of Umdala Wethu: African Intellectuals, African Developmental University and African Futures.
The first chapter by S J Ndlovu-Gatsheni orients the reader through an overview of the whole book, thematically summarising the key issues covered in the book. Also notable is that the chapter partly derives from Gatsheni’s earlier works on Joshua Nkomo (Ndlovu-Gatsheni 2007; 2009; Ndlovu-Gatsheni and Willems 2010). Nkomo’s experiential struggles with the minority colonial government as well as the trials and tribulations he encountered early in post independent Zimbabwe is well noted. In chapter two and three, Martin Rupiya and E M Sibanda consecutively pays attention to the political life of Joshua Nkomo in the liberation struggle of Zimbabwe. The way Nkomo founded and led the revolutionary movements and internationalised the anti-colonial struggle is also well engaged with the challenges encountered. The chapter dealt more with Nkomo’s achievements rather than “foibles” as existing literature on his personality have made considerable steps in advancing such narratives. The story of a trade unionists is traced from 1947, rising through the ranks and founding of political parties which is interpreted within the birth of African nationalism.
The fourth chapter by Kenneth Tafira engages with Nkomo as a peace builder and unifier. Drawing this standing based on the various negotiating steps he undertook including the Lancaster House Agreement of December 1979, which eventually saw the country reaching a ceasefire and attaining its independence. Although the armed struggle was waged in order to attain independence under the leadership of Joshua Nkomo within the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZPRA), the Zapu military wing, was compelled by circumstances which bear witness to colonialists’ unwillingness to let freedom come to Africans without bloodshed. Pathisa Nyathi also engaged with the various meetings that the nationalists pursued including Nkomo in their efforts to see independence and freedom of Africans being achieved using non-violence. A detailed reading of the Lancaster House Talks with the Cold War crisis issue situates Nkomo as a strong political figure in his lifetime. During the same phase under critical review depending on the Zimbabwe Review publications, Tafira exposes how Nkomo gained names such as Mdala Wethu (Our Father), Chibwechitedza (slippery stone), Father Zimbabwe, Big Josh among others.
Furthermore, the decolonial scholar Gorden Moyo evinces Nkomo deploying deconstruction and reconstruction as a “decolonial prophet” and a redemptive nationalist figure in Zimbabwe (p. 115). Nkomo is also placed among African “patriarchs” on Pan-Africanism who include, Sylvester Williams an imperative driver of the movement; Cheikh Anta Diop, Leopold Sedar Senghor; Frantz Fanon who is argued to have unveiled the life of the “wretched of the earth”; Julius Nyerere; Kwame Nkrumah; Kenneth Kaunda and Steve Biko who is well remembered for the redemptive black consciousness. Martin and Phylis Johnson are accused of being agents of “commissar scholars” through praise texts found in nationalists’ historiography of the 1980s. Their texts are arguably responsible for sidelining and also marginalising Nkomo to the periphery in power dynamics and the making of Zimbabwe especially in their inventive role of “hero-stories” thereby producing “patriotic histories” favourable to Robert Mugabe’s leadership. In the end, Nkomo is represented as a “victim” of both the Empire and the comrades he fought with side by side in dismantling the colonial regime.
The main observable leit motif set out in this chapter is that of unmasking Western and Eastern Europe’s deceit and hypocrisy in the decolonisation of Zimbabwe. The duality of Nkomo as hybridised based on titles of “Father of the Nation” and “Father of Dissidents” is resultant of colonial matrices of power that he found himself enmeshed and entrapped in (p. 118). Guided by decoloniality, Blessed Ngwenya in chapter nine has almost similar undertones as he sort to unearth the legacy of “Father Zimbabwe.” Nkomo’s humanism and or efforts to seek peace instead of violence proffers interesting insights to the book. Despite being viewed and or misread as a coward after the 1963 Zapu-Zanu split, he remained humble to the end as he never sort revenge to people who sort to pull him down politically.
– To be continued next week
