By Mangosuthu Mbele| I just bought my copy of Mthwakazi Wars Review by Khulu Cont. It took me 1hour 20minutes to go through the 80 paged 3usd book and below is my review.
1. For starters the book is a good initiative and such efforts must be commended and supported.
But I have the following reservations about the book.
1. To begin with, the book cover and appearance doesn’t show any seriousness at all. It has maps which have keys about Red or green colours yet the book is just a black and white print. Page 49
2. The content of the book lacks depth expected from such a great historian. This kills the spirit of parting with money to support our local artist next time.
3. The book has a lot of misleading and historically misplaced opinions which may even distort our true history. In short, it reads like wedge meant to separate Shonas and Ndebeles.
4. Khulu cont on page 43 insinuates that ZAPU was a Ndebele Party. This is misleading. ZAPU was/is a national party even in it’s national executive structure. Such efforts to regionalise ZAPU are ZANUPF tactics meant to trivialise ZAPU contribution to the independence of Zimbabwe ,and Khulu Cont is helping ZANUPF to that regard.
4. Page 57 suggests that Nehanda led the Shona struggle and was sold out by her chiefs as the whites couldn’t have identified her. That is not true. Nehanda was a great rain maker, she later killed her friend, a white man(though she denied till her death) in anger for some reason not linked to war. She started running away, finally handing her self after a year. Which explains her anger and refusal to succumb to Christianity because she mantained her innocence. She had white friends as much as Lobhengula had white friends.
5. Your book Khulu Cont actually puts a divide between Zimbabwean tribes by suggesting that ZANU was a Shona party. This is not true. ZANU had a national appeal as much as zapu had a national appeal.pg 58.
6. Like or not, there is no way one can talk of our history pre or post independence without mentioning the contribution by one RG Muage. Pg 28 makes such a mistake. Mugabe and Nkomo led parties that fought for independence of Zimbabwe. That can not be wished away.
For a 3usd investment, the book is not worth it. It sounds more like unverifiable hearsay than a book meant to enrich our culture and promote oneness of Mthwakazi. Hopefully next time you will do better.
M. Mbele
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