Joshua Nkomo: Politics, Power and Memory

Joshua Nkomo: Politics, Power and Memory

First published on Sunday News Zimbabwe

 30 JUN, 2019 - 00:06

By 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.

The late Dr Joshua Nkomo

Again, in chapter eight William J Mpofu flows in the same path of revisionist interpretation as Nkomo is positioned under the various trials he encountered in the story of the liberation of Zimbabwe. 

Above all, Nkomo is interpreted as a philosopher of liberation who envisioned peace and dialogue rather than violence in conflict resolution. Philosophers of liberation as described by Enrique Dussel (1985) are men and women of flesh, blood and bone whose intellectual and social sensitivity, love for life and freedom compel them to rebel against domination of any form. 

The vocation of the philosophers of liberation is not only to humanise and liberate the dehumanised victims of oppression such as colonised peoples, but it is also to humanise and liberate the oppressors such as the colonisers who are entangled in the inhuman condition of being racist haters and exploiters (p. 194). By doing so, Mpofu argues, Nkomo defeated the colonial government and “Machiavellian tactics” to undermine and humiliate him.

Timothy Scarnecchia examines the role of Joshua Nkomo as a diplomat. Scarneccia argues that no much research has been carried out by historians on Nkomo focusing on his diplomatic roles except many studies prior his 1974 release from prison. 

Beyond that, Morgan Ndlovu tackles the various representations on Nkomo using a socio-genetic analysis based on his political life as a product of a particular sociocultural background.

In addition to that, Rudo Gaidzanwa explores Nkomo’s struggles with colonial employment policies, entrepreneurship, ideas about land and land reform in independent Zimbabwe. Chapter 12 as enunciated by Everisto Benyera carters for the need to appropriate Nkomo’s role in transitional justice for full liberation in Zimbabwe. According to Benyera, Transitional Justice entails (2014: 336):

“At a different level, it is concerned with the choices, mechanisms, and the quality of justice implemented by states emerging from episodes of gross human rights abuses such as, civil wars and totalitarian rule, to respond to past oppression and injustice while constructing a new future based on democracy and the rule of law.”

As such, Joshua Nkomo is situated beyond binaries of “Father Zimbabwe” or “Father of Dissidents” and many other titles, tags.  

The last section of the book, part three addresses issues co-authored by Ndlovu-Gatsheni and Busani Mpofu making a comparative analysis of Joshua Nkomo’s idea of Zimbabwe with Mandela’s idea of South Africa. Their political consciousness, and their conceptions of liberation mainly through a comparison of their autobiographies: Nkomo: The Story of my Life and Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom, respectively.

The Chapter by Sylvester Dombo is an attempt to investigate how the memory of the liberation struggle icon is being appropriated supposedly for nation building. 

Among other issues, Dombo also sought to draw from the press how the issue of honouring Nkomo was covered by the various newspapers in the country. 

What kind of stance did the newspapers take and with what implications for their readership? Dombo paid attention specifically to the issue of the statues that were to be erected to honour Joshua Nkomo in Harare and Bulawayo. 

The study is also situated within the discourses of contested pasts and contested memories. The theme of immortalisation is pursued by Henry Chiwaura. 

The chapter achieves affirming that Nkomo’s immortalisation through several symbols and representations is not about the past as it is intend to shape current discourses within the society. 

The well-documented conflict with Robert Mugabe soon after independence also has an impact on the way Nkomo is memorialised and immortalised in Zimbabwe. Nkomo appears in songs, books and academic articles. Buildings and schools are also named after him. Thabisani Ndlovu further delves into the topic of statues, particularly the one mounted in Bulawayo at the intersection of 8th Avenue and Main Street. 

Drawing on heritage theories, particularly heritage interpretation, the chapter analyses government and counter-government narratives of Joshua Nkomo’s statue(s).

Notwithstanding the above, it’s notable that a number of spelling flaws frequent the passages of this long edited book project. For instance, the ZPRA ordnance and ZPRA ordnance was instead of “ordinance and was” respectively are not well written (p. 22). 

The introductory chapter by Sabelo Ndlovu-Gatsheni was partly uninterestingly written, “The Chap. 3 and The Chap. 4 . . .” as if it was not appropriate to just write Chapter 3 then address the issues raised (p.37-38). There is also lack of spacing on “leadership of” on page 53, rather, it is written “leadershipof.”

All in all, the shortcomings found in the book are of less significance as Joshua Nkomo survives political toxicity in independent Zimbabwe. Perhaps, the very fact that he was not the President of independent Zimbabwe opened doors to the celebratory tone found in this seminal revisionist text. The spirit of Joshua Nkomo lives on 20 years after he passed on.