Zimbabwe: 4: A Country Crumbling?

I’ve only been to one part of Zimbabwe – the most touristy part of the country, Victoria Falls. After reading a bit about Zimbabwe I’m pretty convinced that Vic Falls could in fact be a completely different country. We all probably know a little about the rough colonial and post-colonial history. In the West, it was all about the corrupting of a promising freedom fighter, white farmers getting kicked off their farms, and close to unbelievable inflation.

There seem to be lots of published stories of the post-colonial change from Zimbabwe. Peter Godwin’s When a Crocodile Eats the Sun was the first I read. It has an autobiographic tilt to it – the author is living in the US when he returns to Zim to ailing parents. Its just when things are starting to go bad for white Zimbabweans. But what’s clear is that many whites who have lived in Zim consider the country their home too and want the best for the nation which holds so much promise. His parents don’t want to leave their homes, but are faced with skyrocketing costs and declining health. There’s a nice little ‘twist’ or revelation in the book as the author learns more about his parents.

We Need New Names is probably one of my favourite read so far. And I’m not alone. It’s won a bunch of awards, including being nominated for the Man Booker for Nonviolet Bulawayo. Its the story of Darling – a ten year old girl from a poor family, in a poor town. She has a strong group of friends and together they roam the town, eating guava and anything else they can get their hands on to fill their empty bellies. There are definitely some sad tales, but Darling’s perspective and the way that the book is written is unlike anything I think I’ve read before. I definitely felt like I got a realistic view of life for a large proportion of Zimbabweans on how the political and economic changes were affecting them in everyday life.

Eventually Darling moves to the US to live with family. The book changes quite a bit at this point, but provides another interesting migrant tale – of hope, but also of growing alienation to friends and family back home.

I was able to get through a few books on Zimbabwe – the last being Hairdresser of Harare by Tendai Huchu. About everyday life of a hairdresser and her colleagues in a hairdressing salon who one day have to welcome a new hairdressing ‘star’ to the salon. The new hairdresser is a man, Dumisani, who charms clients and creates new hairstyles. Our protagonist Vimbai initially despised Dumisani, but eventually comes around to his side when he moves in with her and brings her into his extended family. The book is a lot about family, friendships, and the impact of accepted cultural norms about who you can and can’t be. A bit like Baking Cakes in Kigali, it also moves into more controversial subjects in many parts of Africa. In Baking Cakes it was HIV/AIDS, in Hairdresser, homosexuality.