Chronicle Editor
Brian Maregedze, Book Review
Re/membering Robert Mugabe: Politics, Legacy, Philosophy, Life and Death arguably fits into hegemonic hagiographies on Zimbabwe’s pasts.
Also notable in this 2021 publication are the humanist centred narratives and or anthropocentric interpretations in the framing of Cde Robert Mugabe’s legacy. The book also sets out to argue that Cde Mugabe the politician, “left a history and a legacy deep-rooted in the anti-colonial path.”
More critical being that the book collection “draws inspiration from Homi Bhabha’s concept of re-membering defined as an approach to join together dismembered past(s) by the colonised in making sense of their history and reclaiming their future” (p. xv). Nine-teen scholars converge as they critically engage with the politics, legacy, philosophy, and death of Cde Mugabe in a book organised into fourteen chapters.
The Afrocentricity giant, Professor Molefe Asante wrote the preface to this book. Interestingly in acknowledging Gukurahundi genocide, the learned Professor of Afrocentricity studies points to imperial designs in the conflict without necessarily situating the political factional fights which dated back to the liberation struggle.
As such, an element of silencing politics of the day in early formative days of Zimbabwe’s independence are notable simultaneously playing out.
While Gukurahundi is viewed to have ended by the signing of the Unity Accord in December 1987, it remains a popular topic in present day Zimbabwe. Statesmanship however, can be attributed to Cde Mugabe and Cde Joshua Nkomo for ending the episode of the time.
The first chapter by Richard R. Mahomva delves into what he calls an Afro-centric approach to re-membering Robert Mugabe with the “objective to challenge the imperialist philosophical immortalisation of the late former Zimbabwean Head of Sate.” Such an academic exercise arguably led Mahomva to fall into the trap of binaries of pro or anti-western interpretations on Robert Mugabe. A rather objective point of enunciation equally locates Cde
Mugabe within everyday conversations in post 2000s articulated for instance by Innocent Dande (2020).
Chapter 2 authored by Tendai O. Chikara et.al deploys literary works to analyse post-2000 literary creatives on issues surrounding Cde Mugabe. In the same vein, chapter 3 by Nelson Mlambo and Jairos Kangira examines the omnipresence of Cde Mugabe in everyday life as depicted by literary works. In spite of the pitfalls which befell ordinary people in post-2000, resilience mechanisms are also articulated evincing hope and audacity in the time of crisis.
Chapter 4 written by the trio of Collen Sabao, Emaculate Mvundura and Oiva Sikwaya Nauyoma critically reflects on two inaugural speeches, one from Cde Mugabe in 1980 which was conciliatory in tone while the other being in 2013 exhibiting the diplomatic evolution towards hostility between Zimbabwe and Britain, United States of America, and other western countries. As such, unlike the conciliatory tone in 1980, “hostility, blame mongering” and attacks on many western countries became the order of the day as well as worsening of bilateral relations.
Chapter 5 offers refreshing and at the same tumultuous historical lenses into Zimbabwe’s language policy and planning issues as authored by Isaac Mhute, Ernest Chakaza and Hugh Mangeya.
These scholars demonstrate the failed efforts to decolonise language policy by pedestalising indigenous languages Shona and Ndebele to the same status with English (the colonial language). This did not go done well as there was resistance from educationists and academics at the time.
A positive aspect credited to Cde Mugabe is that of Amendment No. 20 Chapter 1 Section 6 of the 2013 Constitution which reversed all that and acknowledges 16 languages as official in Zimbabwe.
Chapter 6 deals with the musical side of Cde Mugabe with Richard Muranda, Wonder Maguraushe and Weston Chimbudzi. By examining and discussing Cde Mugabe’s softer side, the authors argue that liberation war songs, interaction with the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Police Band, exhibited on graduation ceremonies reinforce the view that he deployed music to consolidate his political hegemony simultaneously dealing with political opponents.
Chapter 7 by Chipo Chirimuuta and Magret Jongore offer critical reflections beyond Cde Mugabe on the land question. These two experienced scholars assume Cde Mugabe’s land reform to be pro-peasants.
In chapter 8, Dr Obert Mpofu calls for the need to celebrate Cde Mugabe as a champion of Zimbabwe’s continued fight against colonialism. Dr Mpofu locates demonisation discourses on Cde Mugabe with coloniality of power dynamics.
In chapter 9, Lenin Tinashe Chisaira aptly argues for inadequacies in articulating the so-called Cde Mugabe’s political philosophy as a result of his critical analysis in his political, historical, and ideological journeys.
Chapter 10 by Lawrence Mhandara examines the role played by the regional bloc SADC in the political life of Robert Mugabe at the same time exposing some failure from the opposition party led by Morgan Richard Tsvangirai then.
In chapter 11, Avoid Masiraha contributes to narratives surrounding the last days in power of Cde Mugabe by arguing that his downfall was not a sudden turn of events to political precipice but rather longue durée (long term).
In chapter 12, the trio of Hugh Mangeya, Isaac Mhute and Ernest Jakaza offer a discursive analysis on the end of Cde Mugabe’s rule from the vantage of ‘common people’ by way of archiving and analysing social media circulated jokes-
WhatsApp particularly. As such, the chapter argues that the circulated jokes evince a multiplicity of histories and imagination of Cde Mugabe and the November 2017 events. The same scholars in chapter 13, deploying Appraisal
Theory to critically examine the representation of factional politics within ZANU PF under Cde Mugabe from news reporting of The Herald and Daily News.
Finally, chapter 14 Collen Sabao, Moses Magadza and Tendai Owen Chikara comparatively analyse the framing of Cde Mugabe in British Newspapers and Zimbabweans newspapers upon his death. The British newspapers framing of Cde Mugabe as a murderer, despot, and tyrant is interpreted along Zimbabwe-Britain historical relations with the later being a former coloniser. On the other hand, Zimbabwean newspapers framing is interpreted along media polarity in the country.
Edited by Collen Sabao, Richard Runyararo Mahomva and Lawrence Mhandara (2021), Leaders for Africa Network Publishers
Brian Maregedze is an author, historian, and columnist. For feedback, email; [email protected]
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