Weaver Press

Strife
by Shimmer Chinodya
Review by Stanley Kwenda

Weekend Gazette
Thursday, 17th April.

IF one looks at the political and economic situation in Zimbabwe at this moment, where citizens voted with both their feet and hearts for what they believed would be a better Zimbabwe, the title of Chinodya’s latest book proves very appropriate.
Strife is Chinodya’s latest book. Though its title aptly explains the obtaining situation in the country, it proves misleading in political terms, as the title does not explain the political situation but rather a different kind of ‘strife’.
The book, which is about the Gwanangara family with an aggrieved ancestor, won the African premier literary prize and the NOMA award.
Strife examines one family’s response to destiny. Tracing the Gwanangara’s roots back over a century, Chinodya interweaves past and present, juxtaposing incidents never forgotten or resolved.
Mhokoshi is a hunter who lives alone in the forests. When he dies, his corpse festers unburied on the savannah plains. His roaming spirit, failing to find rest in the other world, comes back to haunt the living.
Strife is a compelling read about the struggle between modernity and the past. The book does not touch on the larger strife that has rocked Zimbabwe beginning with the arrival of Mzilikazi and the destabilisation of local tribes, Cecil Rhodes and his Pioneer Column, the war against Ian Smith’s Rhodesia, the killings of Gukurahundi and the current political turmoil.
Strife is a ‘must read’ for seeking a deeper understanding of Zimbabwean culture in the 21st century. For me it has been one of the most compelling reads in a long time.