Maravi

(HERALD) Zimbabweans must author own history

Zimbabweans must author own history

THE only way to avoid a “weapons of mass deception” regarding our history is to ensure that we the people are its own authors.

When we write our own history factually, we ensure that there are no loopholes for misinforming. Revisionist historians might also try to distort issues and events, but, as long as there are primary sources, those who seek the truth will always refer to those sources.

However, when the primary sources are not available, and people continue to rely on oral evidence in the age of writing, then there is a serious problem.

Hildegarde faced this historical challenge while writing a piece on the 44th commemoration of the battle of Sinoia (Chinhoi). Since this was a well-known historical event, there was every need to verify some of the information, especially the names of the seven gallant heroes who fought that battle on April 28,1966.

Here is why the writer had problems. There were three sources. All the three had seven names. The first source had the following names: Simon Chimbodza; Christopher Chatambudza; Nathan Charumuka; Godwin Manyerenyere; Peter; Ephram Shenjere and Daniel Guzuzu.

The second source had the following names: Simon Chimbodza; Christopher Chatambudza; Nathan Charumuka; Godwin Manyerenyere; Arthur Maramba; Ephraim Shenjere and David Guzuzu.

The third source had the following names: Christopher Chatambudza; Simon Chingozha Nyandoro; Chubby Savanhu; Godfrey Manyerenyere; Arthur Maramba; Godwin Dube and David Guzuzu.

The discrepancies in the three lists are quite apparent. After wide consultations, and for purposes of progress, names on the third list were used.

Nomenclature was key to the liberation struggle. That the seven could have used variant names was quite understandable since the young men and women who joined the liberation struggle assumed new names.

However, the million-dollar question was: Though there is agreement on the number seven, were these one and the same people? The names used, were they their family names or they were their liberation war names?

Why has the anomaly not been rectified, 44 years after the famous battle? This historical problem is not confined to the Battle of Chinhoyi. Libraries, as custodians of the nation’s literary assets do not have the answer, and neither do they have meaningful collections on the war of liberation, written by Zimbabweans.

Not that they do not want to have these narratives as part of their collections. Their answer was that, “there are very few historical books on the war of liberation. The bits and pieces of material that we sometimes have are journal articles, which in a number of cases are not written by Zimbabweans historians, let alone the men and women who fought the war”.

These questions led to more questions. However, before posing other questions, this writer moved around bookshops in Harare’s Central Business District to check on the availability of locally published books and other multi-media materials on the war of liberation.

If the historical narratives were available it was important to see who the authors were: war veterans; Zimbabwean citizens with a passion for history or foreigners?

It was a very unpleasant surprise, which confirmed the situation in most libraries. With the exception of a few autobiographies, there is nothing on the history of the liberation struggle to write home about.

There is hardly any historical text on the Second Chimurenga. None at all! However, this writer is aware of various historical texts on the First Chimurenga, and that these are historical narratives written by non-Zimbabweans.

The absence of historical texts on Zimbabwe’s revolutions means that both Zanla and Zipra combatants have not seen it important to ensure that the history of the liberation struggle is properly recorded, published and organised for public consumption. The same with war collaborators (the Mujibhas and Chimbwidos); the restrictees and detainees, for the war had various elements.

Over the years, the education system has produced a critical mass of competent writers who can carry out the research and produce the material. This is a responsibility that cannot continue to be ignored.

Thirty years after independence, there should not be a dearth of historical texts on the war of liberation, and the primary producers of those texts should be Zimbabweans.

People in academia understand very well the importance and/or difference between primary and secondary sources. Thirty years after independence, there should be blockbuster movies and documentaries, using these primary sources for scripting.

If we cannot be the primary producers of our historical narratives, who should do it for us, and at what price - both literally and figuratively? If we continue to have gaps on historical accounts, how should the anomaly be addressed?

But more importantly, how will this impact on future generations? Why have both Government and the publishing industry not prioritised the writing of Zimbabwe’s history?

The following are excerpts from Jonathan T Chin, a global history student on http://ezinearticles.com/ on the importance of history, which should help Zimbabweans understand the need to professionally record historical events, all the time.

When we study about what has happened in the past, we always look at important figures, important events, important groups, ideas, and movements. History is so broad that it can include everything from what has happened in Latin America, China and Europe.

Learning about history is important because some of it should be common knowledge. By knowing a bit about what has happened in our world, you can help see why things are the way they are as of know, what will happen in the future, how great minds work, how evil people work and much more. It doesn’t hurt to know too much about history.

One basic importance of history is to know enough to do well because your knowledge of it is tested. It can be in the classroom, it can be in the UN, or for a historian meeting. If you do not know enough, then you put yourself at risk of not achieving what you can…

“When you understand history, you understand basic concepts and ideas. You will learn about cause and effect, relationships and human nature. Since history is mainly about what causes the next event or action, people can clearly understand how things are related to one another.

When you also know about history, you can understand what it really means to be in someone else’s shoes. We all live our own separate lives and choose to be affected by what we see around us. We can take action or we can remain passive.

When you read about the history of various countries, you can understand the pain, the joy and more that people feel when they do something difficult or amazing. You can understand what it means to have no food, or what is means to be rich and without love.

Just like reading a book, history is a big book filled with many real stories. Know you can picture what it is like to live in China during communism or what it means to be an American.

By understanding history, you can understand why things are they way they are right now. Many of the past events and histories in the world have shaped what we are as of now.

By understanding what has happened in the past and the current situation of today, we can better understand what can happen in the future. By looking at what has happened, we can understand what we should avoid and what we should make better.

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Labels: HISTORY, NEOCOLONIALISM

posted by MrK @ 4:27 PM