Strategic Review for Southern Africa, Vol 37, No 2 Book Reviews
reflection on how the presence of China can benefit the majority in the
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bique does not remain an exporter of raw materials and importer of
finished goods, such as is often the case in the relations between Africa
and the West.
The book has the merit of introducing a new understanding of
China in Africa through solid research which was at times challenged by
difficult access to information. Notwithstanding this, the authors were able
to demystify several misconceptions around the Chinese presence in
Mozambique. They, furthermore, took the opportunity to bring forward the
voices of the oppressed.
Irrespective of all its merits, the book regretfully fails to give a
message to Africa on how to deal with foreign investors and manage its
resources sustainably for future generations.
Zefanias Matsimbe
Department of Political Sciences
University of Pretoria
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Mlambo, Alois S, A History of Zimbabwe. Cambridge: Cam-
bridge University Press, 2014, 277 pp.
A History of Zimbabwe is one of the most recent publications which
provides a straight forward and coherent account of Zimbabwean history
from the pre-colonial to the post-colonial state. The rationale for this book,
as outlined (p 7) is to provide an accessible, informative, single volume
on Zimbabwean history and politics for learning institutions.
The first chapter is introductory and chapter 2 gives a foundational
reading of the rise and fall of pre-colonial states, (c.900-1900). The
chapter is situated within the late 20th century debate on whether Africa
had a history prior to its contact with Europeans. Outlining the early
states from Mapungubwe (1040-1270), Torwa/Rozvi (1450-1685) and the
Ndebele on the eve of British conquest, the book demonstrates that
Africa had organised and functional political systems. Chapter 3 and
chapter 4 focus on colonial conquest in 1890, African resistance and the
organisation of the colonial economy and society until 1953. In particular,
chapter 4 outlines the development of the colonial state from the British
South Africa Company's (BSAC) rule to a modern state. This develop-
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Strategic Review for Southern Africa, Vol 37, No 2 Book Reviews
ment is analysed simultaneously with colonial racial attitudes and the
realities of colonial exploitation which lay the foundation for the post-
1950s political confrontations.
Chapter five, six and seven cover the Federal years, Nationalist
Movements and the Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI), re-
spectively. The antecedents of African political organisation in post-
conquest Southern Rhodesia were elitist proto-nationalist movements
which took the form of mutual-aid, self-help and ethnic-cultural organisa-
tions during the interwar years. These organisations only took a national
outlook after the Second World War. The transformation of African
political movements from sectorial to a national agenda and the radical-
isation of their approach in the post-1945 period were in response to an
increasingly intransigent colonial state and its unyielding attitudes
towards racial integration. The failure of racial partnership and UDI in
1965 undermined chances of political compromise leading to armed
conflict which intensified in the 1970s. The book outlines the cost of war,
political impasse and the role of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU)
in bringing about a negotiated settlement at Lancaster in 1979 which
ushered a new constitution for independent Zimbabwe in 1980. This
section demonstrates Mlambo's experience in knitting the critical dots of
Zimbabwean political history to come up with clear and flowing narrative.
Chapter 8 of the book outlines the critical junctures of the Zim-
! .- 7 (
economic development from the socialist experiment of the 1980s to the
Economic Structural Adjustment Programme (ESAP) of the 1990s,
political turmoil and state sponsored terror (Gukurahundi) in Matabele-
land and Midlands provinces, and Zimbabwe's role in both regional and
international cooperation. The economic failures of the first two decades
of independence and the concomitant civil and political opposition to the
ruling ZANU-PF party set the tone for the multifaceted crisis of the post
2000 period which Mlambo covers in chapter 9. The cataclysmic collapse
of the Zimbabwean economy begun with the land invasions in 1998,
leading to an almost total collapse of the country's productive capacity
and provision of social services by 2008. Mlambo captures the differential
response to the Zimbabwean crises between African/South African and
Western countries. While the latter considered Zimbabwe as a pariah
state for its political crisis and human rights abuses, the former remained
silent on the alleged abuses. In 2008, South Africa under the Southern
Africa Development Community (SADC) mandate facilitated the Govern-
ment of National Unity (GNU) between ZANU-PF and the MDC. Con-
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Strategic Review for Southern Africa, Vol 37, No 2 Book Reviews
cluding chapter 10 attempts to hazard a guess at Zimbabwe's future
prospects. While the author is not skeptical, he recognises the pitfalls that
stand in the way of socio-political reforms and economic recovery in Zim-
babwe.
Zimbabwean history and its teaching are at a critical phase where
the country's troubled political landscape has engendered a state driven
patriotic and sometimes parochial interpretation of history. Mlambo gives a
clear historical record, equips students with historical facts and provides a
platform for students to engage with the past. He identifies the forces that
shaped Zimbabwe's recent lived experiences and the pattern of their
development with a view to understanding the country's present situation.
For example, the timeline of historical benchmarks and profiles of some of
the notable figures in Zimbabwean history (pp xv-xxxiii) are critical in
teaching history having increasingly been distorted in dominant inter-
pretations. In addition, the book captures historiographical debates at
different periods, and feeds them into inter- and intra-racial complexities of
Zimbabwean struggles. Mlambo succeeds in balancing historical facts
and their interpretation without being voluminous.
Mlambo uses his many years of experience to clearly link the
colonial and post-colonial Zimbabwean struggles on the land question
and how land policies have precipitated multi-layered crises and re-
sponses. While works on the role of protest literature and music
(Chimurenga music) in Zimbabwe exist, very few historical accounts
include these to any considerable degree. In contrast, Mlambo shows
how they have transformed over time (pp 170-6"""-246). Through the
music of Oliver Mtukudzi and Thomas Mapfumo the book reflects
transforming perceptions in Zimbabwean society. This social-cultural
aspect of history adds to an understanding of the socio-political and
ideological discourses of the time.
However, the book chapters are uneven in length. Chapter 4 on
colonial economy and society from 1890 to 1953 is arguably the best in
terms of detail and analysis (pp 52-119) but also much longer. Chapter 5
on the Federal decade (1953-1963) is too short (pp 119-128) to capture
the complexities of the period and skims the surface. Overall, chapters 5
to 7 concentrate on politics from the 1950s to independence in 1980 but
at the expense of economic developments. While this period under-
standably constituted the 'turbulent years' and is critical to students of
politics, it was necessary to explore the economic underpinnings which
informed the politics. As a result, the book's style of analysis changes from
a socio-economic one (chapter 4) to socio-political (chapters 5 to 7), and
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Strategic Review for Southern Africa, Vol 37, No 2 Book Reviews
reverts to socio-economic (chapters 8 and 9). These minor criticisms,
notwithstanding, A History of Zimbabwe is the best single authored book
on Zimbabwean history and will contribute most significantly to the
designing of history and political curricula in learning institutions. Beyond
this, Mlambo's long years of experience provide an accessible account to
other interested readers who wish to understand the complexities of a
post-colonial state in the modern era.
Ivo Mhike
Centre for Africa Studies
University of the Free State
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