Obert Mpofu, Self-writing and Decolonising Memory

Panashe E Marufu
Title: On the Shoulders of Struggle: Memoirs of a Political Insider
Author: Dr Obert Moses Mpofu
Publisher: LAN Readers, Bulawayo
Year: 2020

“The victor will always be the judge, and the vanquished the accused.” From Hermann Goring to Winston Churchill, it is a truth universally acknowledged among conquered and conqueror alike that history is the tale of the triumphant. However, incongruously, African national liberation movements, and indeed, the African experience as a whole, have not enjoyed the same universality as the Western historical doctrine.

It is in this spirit that Dr Obert Moses Mpofu’s On the Shoulders of Struggle: Memoirs of a Political Insider champions the African cause — earning its rightful place on the tip of the tongue and the top of the shelf.

Promising depth of understanding and socio-political revelation attributable only to the so-called “political insider”, Mpofu traverses Zimbabwean history, colouring its outlines with an account that straddles the line between witness and participant. Notably, Mpofu reaffirms his loyalty to Zanu-PF, extolling the virtues of the liberation movement and advocating for their preservation throughout the account.

To the uninitiated, Mpofu posits a Zanu-PF indivisible from the central tenets of the liberation movement — with a leadership that is seen to be the very embodiment of such values. In a party faced with the inevitability of generational succession, the account reads as an appeal to the Zimbabwean youth — a pre-emptive “passing of the baton” of sorts. The idea of continuity is also observed by Professor Artwell Nhemachena in his foreword:

“Cast as mere historical trinkets, African national liberation movements must appeal to the African youths whose attention is increasingly captured by neo-liberal institutions and organisations. As it stands, the colonial appetite is not only unsatisfied by the continued looting African resources but also seeks to consume African minds and histories. To this end, Mpofu’s submission offers a relevant counter-hegemonic alternative to this crisis of ideas.”

Ostensibly, Mpofu’s account is cast as a historical retelling — a supplement to Zimbabwe’s colonial and post-colonial history. However, such a simplistic characterisation is remiss. Perhaps unintentionally, and indeed rather paradoxically, Mpofu’s account transcends the prototypical singular story — that of the victor — and establishes a dual narrative: that of both victor and vanquished.

On a reading of Mpofu’s account, it becomes clear that the African conception of victory, and thus our narrative of victory, is largely limited to our struggle for liberation. In the post-colonial context, Zimbabwe’s deepening economic woes have relegated its people from the victorious to the vanquished. Mpofu’s response is a clarion call for African-led decolonial thought, noting:

“. . . most nationalist biographical work has been the reproduction of colonially invented history. This has seen little historiographical input coming from those of us who were in the trenches fighting the same colonial system which now wants to claim a monopoly to telling our story. It is even unfortunate that the late former President, Cde Robert Mugabe, is mainly remembered from the perspective of imperialist scholars, his political opponents and a few of his nationalist counterparts. As such, I write to liberate our nationalist history from imperial capture and narration. Moreover, I write to engage those rarely articulated truths of our political evolution against a backdrop of a highly polarised knowledge ecosystem.”

Ultimately, with a legacy rooted in the very inception of an independent Zimbabwe, Mpofu firmly entrenches himself as a political giant in the chronicle of Zimbabwe’s history. To this end, On the Shoulders of Struggle: Memoirs of a Political Insider is a fitting ode to an illustrious political career, the sheer breadth of Mpofu’s experience and contribution paints a self-portrait inextricably entwined with Zimbabwe’s post-colonial identity. Imbued with fervent loyalty to the values of the national liberation struggle, the account is a catalyst for both historical and contemporary political discourse and a welcome addition to the proliferation of the African narrative.