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Introduction: Writing Joshua Nkomo into History and Narration of the Nation

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Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo of Zimbabwe

Part of the book series: African Histories and Modernities ((AHAM))

Abstract

This introductory chapter introduces the shifting invocations of nationalism underpinning the changing political identities of Nkomo as one of the leading Zimbabwean nationalist leaders. It tracks the changing representations of Nkomo across the colonial and post-colonial history of Zimbabwe, noting that his death on the 1st of July 1999 became an important occasion for elite reflections on the entire narration of the nation as Nkomo posthumously received the much-contested title of ‘Father Zimbabwe’. This introduction draws from the rich anti-liberation struggle history in general and the autobiography, Nkomo: The Story of My Life, which was published in 1984.

This introduction draws partly from my earlier work on Nkomo (Ndlovu-Gatsheni 2007; Ndlovu-Gatsheni 2009; Ndlovu-Gatsheni and Willems 2010).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa

    Sabelo J. Ndlovu-Gatsheni

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  1. Archie Mafeje Research Institute, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa

    Sabelo J. Ndlovu-Gatsheni

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Ndlovu-Gatsheni, S.J. (2017). Introduction: Writing Joshua Nkomo into History and Narration of the Nation. In: Ndlovu-Gatsheni, S. (eds) Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo of Zimbabwe. African Histories and Modernities. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60555-5_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60555-5_1

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