The End of an Era? Robert Mugabe and a Conflicting Legacy

Yaya Fonye Odette

Description

Arguably, one of the most polarising figures in modern times has been Robert Gabriel Mugabe, the former President of the Republic of Zimbabwe. The mere mentioning of his name raises a lot of debate and often times vicious, if not irreconcilable differences, both in Zimbabwe and beyond. In an article titled: ‘Lessons of Zimbabwe’, Mahmood Mamdani succinctly captures the polarity thus: ‘It is hard to think of a figure more reviled in the West than Robert Mugabe… and his land reform measures, however harsh, have won him considerable popularity, not just in Zimbabwe but throughout southern Africa.’ This, together with his recent ‘stylised’ ouster, speaks volumes to his conflicted legacy. The divided opinion on Mugabe’s legacy can broadly be represented, first, by those who consider him as a champion of African liberation, a Pan-Africanist, an unmatched revolutionary and an avid anti-imperialist who, literally, ‘spoke the truth’ to Western imperialists. On the other end of the spectrum are those who – seemingly paying scant regard to the predicament of millions of black Zimbabweans brutally dispossessed of their land and human dignity since the Rhodesian days – have differentially characterised Mugabe as a rabid black fascist, an anti-white racist, an oppressor, and a dictator. Drawing on all these opinions and characterisations, the chapters ensconced in this volume critically reflect on the personality, leadership style and contributions of Robert Mugabe during his time in office, from 1980 to November 2017. The volume is timely in view of the current contested transition in Zimbabwe, and with regard to the ongoing consultations on the Land Question in neighbouring South Africa. It is a handy and richly documented text for students and practitioners in political science, African studies, economics, policy studies, development studies, and global studies.

Informations

• Publié par: Langaa RPCIG
• Date de parution: 17 septembre 2018
• Nombre de lectures: 4
• EAN13: 9789956550043
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

EDITED BY
Munyaradzi Mawere,
THE END OF AN ERA?
Ngonidzashe Marongwe
Robert Mugabe and a Confl icting Legacy
& Fidelis Peter Thomas Duri
Arguably, one of the most polarising fi gures in modern times has been Robert Gabriel
Mugabe, the former President of the Republic of Zimbabwe. The mere mentioning of
his name raises a lot of debate and often times vicious, if not irreconcilable diff erences,
both in Zimbabwe and beyond. In an article titled: ‘Lessons of Zimbabwe’, Mahmood
Mamdani succinctly captures the polarity thus: ‘It is hard to think of a fi gure more
reviled in the West than Robert Mugabe… and his land reform measures, however
harsh, have won him considerable popularity, not just in Zimbabwe but throughout
southern Africa.’ This, together with his recent ‘stylised’ ouster, speaks volumes to his
confl icted legacy. The divided opinion on Mugabe’s legacy can broadly be represented,
fi rst, by those who consider him as a champion of African liberation, a Pan-Africanist,
an unmatched revolutionary and an avid anti-imperialist who, literally, ‘spoke the
truth’ to Western imperialists. On the other end of the spectrum are those who –
seemingly paying scant regard to the predicament of millions of black Zimbabweans
brutally dispossessed of their land and human dignity since the Rhodesian days – have
diff erentially characterised Mugabe as a rabid black fascist, an anti-white racist, an
oppressor, and a dictator. Drawing on all these opinions and characterisations, the
chapters ensconced in this volume critically refl ect on the personality, leadership style
and contributions of Robert Mugabe during his time in offi ce, from 1980 to November
2017. The volume is timely in view of the current contested transition in Zimbabwe,
and with regard to the ongoing consultations on the Land Question in neighbouring
South Africa. It is a handy and richly documented text for students and practitioners in THE END OF AN ERA? political science, African studies, economics, policy studies, development studies, and
global studies.
Robert Mugabe and a Confl icting Legacy
MUNYARADZI MAWERE is a Professor in the Simon Muzenda School of Arts,
EDITED BY
Culture and Heritage Studies at Great Zimbabwe University.
Munyaradzi Mawere, Ngonidzashe Marongwe, & Fidelis Peter Thomas Duri
NGONIDZASHE MARONGWE is a Lecturer in the History and Development
Studies Department, Simon Muzenda School of Arts, Culture and Heritage Studies,
Great Zimbabwe University
FIDELIS PETER THOMAS DURI is a Senior Lecturer of History in the
Department of Archaeology, Culture and Heritage, History and Development Studies
at Great Zimbabwe University.
Langaa Research & Publishing
Common Initiative Group
P.O. Box 902 Mankon
Bamenda
North West Region
Cameroon

The End of an Era?
Robert Mugabe and a
Conflicting Legacy




Edited by

Munyaradzi Mawere,
Ngonidzashe Marongwe &
Fidelis Peter Thomas Duri




















Langaa Research & Publishing CIG
Mankon, Bamenda Publisher:
Langaa RPCIG
Langaa Research & Publishing Common Initiative Group
P.O. Box 902 Mankon
Bamenda
North West Region
Cameroon
[e-mail]
www.langaa-rpcig.net



Distributed in and outside N. America by African Books Collective
[e-mail]
www.africanbookcollective.com





ISBN-10: 9956-550-86-8
ISBN-13: 978-9956-550-86-9


© Munyaradzi Mawere, Ngonidzashe Marongwe &
Fidelis Peter Thomas Duri, 2018




All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, mechanical or electronic, including photocopying and recording, or be
stored in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission
from the publisher


List of Contributors


Munyaradzi Mawere is a Professor in the Simon Muzenda School
of Arts, Culture and Heritage Studies at Great Zimbabwe University
in Zimbabwe. He holds a PhD in Social Anthropology, Master’s
Degree in Social Anthropology, Master’s Degree in Development
Studies, Master’s Degree in Philosophy, a B. A (Hons) Degree in
Philosophy and several professional certificates. Before joining this
university, Professor Mawere was a lecturer at the University of
Zimbabwe and at Universidade Pedagogica, Mozambique, where he
has worked in different capacities as a Senior Lecturer, Assistant
Research Director, Postgraduate Co-ordinator, and Professor. He is
an author of more than 70 books and over 330 academic publications
with a focus on Africa straddling the following areas: poverty and
development, African philosophy, society and culture, democracy,
politics of food production, humanitarianism and civil society
organisations, urban anthropology, existential anthropology, cultural
philosophy, area studies, experimental philosophy, environmental
anthropology, society and politics, decoloniality and African studies.
Some of his bestselling books are: Humans, Other Beings and the
Environment: Harurwa (Edible stinkbugs) and Environmental Conservation in
South-eastern Zimbabwe (2015); Theory, Knowledge, Development and Politics:
What Role for the Academy in the Sustainability of Africa? (2016); Democracy,
Good Governance and Development in Africa: A Search for Sustainable
Democracy and Development, (2015); Culture, Indigenous Knowledge and
Development in Africa: Reviving Interconnections for Sustainable Development
(2014); Myths of Peace and Democracy? Towards Building Pillars of Hope,
Unity and Transformation in Africa (2016); Harnessing Cultural Capital for
Sustainability: A Pan Africanist Perspective (2015); Divining the Future of
Africa: Healing the Wounds, Restoring Dignity and Fostering Development,
(2014); African Cultures, Memory and Space: Living the Past Presence in
Zimbabwean Heritage (2014); Violence, Politics and Conflict Management in
Africa: Envisioning Transformation, Peace and Unity in the Twenty-First
Century (2016); African Philosophy and Thought Systems: A Search for a
Culture and Philosophy of Belonging (2016); Africa at the Crossroads:
Theorising Fundamentalisms in the 21st Century (2017); Colonial Heritage,
Memory and Sustainability in Africa: Challenges, Opportunities and Prospects (2016); Underdevelopment, Development and the Future of Africa (2017), and
Theorising Development in Africa: Towards Building an African Framework of
Development (2017); African Studies in the Academy: The Cornucopia of
Theory, Praxis and Transformation in Africa? (2017); GMOs, Consumerism
and the Global Politics of Biotechnology: Rethinking Food, Bodies and Identities
stin Africa’s 21 Century (2017); Human Trafficking and Trauma in the Digital
Era: The Ongoing Tragedy of the Trade in Refugees from Eritrea (2017); The
Political Economy of Poverty, Vulnerability & Disaster Risk Management:
Building Bridges of Resilience, Entrepreneurship and Development in Africa’s
st21 Century (2018); and Jostling Between “Mere Talk” and Blame Game?
Beyond Africa’s Poverty and Underdevelopment Game Talk (2018).

Fidelis Peter Thomas Duri is a Senior Lecturer of History in the
Department of Archaeology, Culture and Heritage, History and
Development Studies at Great Zimbabwe University. He is a holder
of a PhD in History from the University of the Witwatersrand in
Johannesburg, South Africa. He has published a number of books
and articles which focus on environmental history, socio-cultural
dynamics, subaltern struggles, African border studies, and
Zimbabwe’s socio-political landscape during the colonial and
postcolonial periods. In addition to reviewing a number of scholarly
articles, he has also edited books such as Resilience Amid Adversity:
Informal Coping Mechanisms to the Zimbabwean Crisis during the New
Millennium (2016) and Contested Spaces, Restrictive Mechanisms and
Corridors of Opportunity: A Social History of Zimbabwean Borderlands and
Beyond since the Colonial Period (2018). He is also a member of the
editorial boards of international journals which include the Zimbabwe
Journal of Historical Studies and the International Journal of Developing
Societies.

Ngonidzashe Marongwe is a Lecturer in the History and
Development Studies Department, Simon Muzenda School of Arts,
Culture and Heritage Studies, Great Zimbabwe University located in
Masvingo City, Zimbabwe. He holds a PhD in African History from
the University of the Western Cape (UWC), South Africa. He is a
past Andrew Mellon Foundation Doctoral Fellow at the Centre for
Humanities Research, UWC (2009–2010 & 2012); and a SEPHIS
fellow at the Centre for the Study of Culture and Society, Bangalore, India (2011). His research interests include African governance,
political violence, gender, military history and terrorism.
Ngonidzashe has edited several books such as Myths of Peace and
Democracy: Towards Building Pillars of Hope, Unity and Transformation in
Africa (2016); Vi