Zimbabwe

Struggles-within-the-Struggle (1957-1980)

eBook, 282 pages

Published April 16, 2015 by Chandiwana Sithole for Rujeko Publishers (Pvt.) Ltd.

ISBN:
9780797419353
ASIN:
B00WA8RE54
4 stars (1 review)

This book is about the contradictions and infighting that occurred in the Zimbabwe liberation movement from 1957 to independence in 1980. The focus is on ZAPU, ZANU, FROLIZI, ANC/UANC, and the Zimbabwe Patriotic Front (ZPF), as well as the part played by the Frontline States in these contradictions. The book also discusses such tragic events as the death of Herbert Chitepo and others on account of the "Struggle" and the "Struggles-within-the-struggle". The book is intended for both the consumer and producer of politics in Zimbabwe and beyond.

2 editions

reviewed Zimbabwe by Masipula Sithole

Important work, limited in scope

4 stars

A very critical & insightful work of political science/organizational theory that explains the internal conflicts among leaders of Zimbabwe's nationalist independence movement through the 1960s & 1970s. The author was a participant & so has important “insider” knowledge.

I shared plenty of quotes that I found helpful, so here are some limitations: • A fairly exclusive focus on the elites. This was presumably by design, but I'm still glad I read a book focused on the grassroots movement before this one & plan to read at least one more. • It's all a bunch of (very violently) squabbling cis men - there's not even a cursory acknowledgment of gender oppression despite the fact that I can only think of one person (Fay Chung) the author mentions at all who was neither a cis man nor one of his relatives. There's default “he” throughout in reference to political actors in the …

Subjects

  • Politics and government
  • National liberation movements
  • Zimbabwe African National Union