This book is a pioneering study of Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo, a Zimbabwean nationalist whose crucial role in the country's anti-colonial struggle has largely gone unrecognized. These essays trace his early influence on Zimbabwean nationalism in the late 1950s and his leadership in the armed liberation movement and postcolonial national-building processes, as well as his denigration by the winners of the 1980 elections, Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front. The Nkomo that emerges is complex and contested, the embodiment of Zimbabwe's tortured trajectory from colony to independent postcolonial state. This is an essential corrective to the standard history of twentieth-century Zimbabwe, and an invaluable resource for scholars of African nationalist liberation movements and nation-building.

Autorentext
Sabelo J. Ndlovu-Gatsheni is Professor at the University of South Africa. His recent publications include Mugabeism: History, Power and Politics in Zimbabwe (Palgrave Macmillan 2015).

Inhalt

1. Introduction: Writing Joshua Nkomo into History and Narration of the Nation.- I. Imperialism, Nationalism, Liberation and Leadership.- 2. The Contributions of Joshua Nkomo to the Liberation of Zimbabwe.- 3. Joshua Nkomo and the Internationalization of Zimbabwe's Struggle for Liberation.- 4. Joshua Nkomo and the Quest for Unity and Peace in Zimbabwe.- 5. The Entrapment of Joshua Nkomo within Global Imperial Snares.- 6. Lancaster House Talks: Timing, Cold War and Joshua Nkomo.- II. Legacy, Diplomacy, Political Philosophy and Fatherhood.- 7. Joshua Nkomo: Nationalist Diplomat, 'Father of the Nation' or 'Enemy of the State'.- 8. Joshua Nkomo: The Trial of a Philosopher of Liberation.- 9. Unearthing the Legacy of 'Father Zimbabwe': A Decolonial Imaginary.- 10. Making Sense of Joshua Nkomo's Political Behaviour: A Sociogenic Approach.- 11. Joshua Nkomo on Land: Exploring His Vision for Land Reform and Land Use in Zimbabwe.- 12. Joshua Nkomo on Transitional Justice in Zimbabwe.- III. Nation-Building, Persecution, Autobiography and Rehabilitation.- 13. Joshua Nkomo and Nelson Mandela: Ideas of Nation and Liberation.- 14. Reconstructing the Self: Hauntology and Spectrality in Nkomo's Autobiography.- 15. Self-Writing and Subjection: Frederick Douglas and Joshua Nkomo.- 16. Father Zimbabwe: Media, Memory and Joshuna Nkomo.- 17. The Immortalization of Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo.- 18. Whose Nkomo Is It Anyway? Joshua Nkomo's Statue and Commemorative Landscape.