Mutambara’s book gives insight into blacks’ struggle

Mutambara gives insightful glimpse of the struggle of blacks in the colonial era.

The Shona novel, which was posthumously launched at Book Café by DPM Mutambara, was written in the 1960s and only published 51 years later after the white regime deemed it “unsuitable” for publication.
It brings to light issues like low payment for blacks and unnecessary taxes like “Poll Tax” that were charged during the colonial era.

The novel was returned with several comments that wanted the author to alter some of the content in the book.
Part of the report from the then Southern Rhodesia African Literature Bureau reads; “The reading of books successfully published by this bureau would be an invaluable guide to you as the sort of standard required for publication”.

This implied that the whites were not willing to give blacks a platform where they could express their grievances.
All that was set for publication was supposed to meet their (whites) “standards”.
As a sign of his stealthiness, Mutambara did not bend to the wishes of the white man and refused to change the content.

The book looks at the role played by the church and white rulers (mudzviti) in oppressing the people.
It shows the journey of Tulani Nziramasango from the time he was in Zimbabwe, travelling to South Africa before his return.
To show how much white people suppressed their workers, Nziramasango was denied salary increment by his employer. The employer would only increase the salary after five years.

Nziramasango runs away from his employer during a trip to South Africa to find better work.
Just like many blacks during those years, he finds work in a carpentry shop where he works very hard rising through the ranks to become the foreman.

He saves enough money during the stay in South Africa.
The author, Philemon Mutambara was a teacher by profession.
He was born in Mutare and did his primary education at Chiramba and Mutambara Primary School.
He then enrolled at Goromonzi Secondary School where he graduated with a first class Cambridge school certificate.

He later went to Fort Hare University where he attained a BA degree in English and Geography from Rhodes University.
He later got another Post-Graduate Certificate in Education.
Mutambara did not, however, live to see an independent Zimbabwe.
He died in 1968.