Trampled no more : voices from Bulawayo's townships about families, life, survival, and social change in Zimbabwe.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Moyo, Otrude Nontobeko.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bulawayo (Zimbabwe).

Zimbabwe--History.

Zimbabwe.

History.

Zimbabwe--Economic conditions.

Economic conditions.

Zimbabwe--Politics and government.

Politics and government.

Zimbabwe--Social conditions.

Social conditions.

Physical Description:

vii, 303 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Lanham, MD : University Press of America, [2007]

Summary:

The stories of the Zimbabwean situation, particularly those of the urban townships of Bulawayo, are poignantly narrated through the voices of family members recounting their personal circumstances and what they perceive as the primary factors contributing to their repressed positions in the socioeconomical hierarchy. Using an insider's perspective, Professor Moyo goes behind the scenes in order to dismantle the simplistic "blame game" which asserts that the deterioration of Zimbabwe was caused solely by the current ZANU-PF lead government.

The study details the historical context and interpretations of history, which led to the much-discussed Zimbabwean political and economic crisis. Socio-economic policies that shape, and continue to shape, the complex livelihoods of the Zimbabwean people are also attributed to current and future conditions. The author argues that within the Zimbabwean situation these contributors and their counters have not encouraged the prioritization of the needs of the most vulnerable population groups, but rather, that they have a tendency to hinder their general well-being by limiting fundamental resources such as access to basic necessities, freedoms, affirmation of communality, and individuality. Through the narratives of the Zimbabwean people, Professor Moyo highlights some of the acute strategies they and their families have used to survive as a way to explore future policy avenues that take into account people's "agentiveness" (the capacity to overcome unfavorable conditions by utilizing what little resources are available), Zimbabwe's greatest asset.

Contents:

Trampled No More: An Introduction 1

1 Zimbabwe: The Place and Its People 19

2 Interpreting the Zimbabwean Situation 34

3 A Historical Sketch of Select Policies and Events that Sculpted Zimbabwe 58

4 Bulawayo: A Portrait 92

Ancestors: We, Too, Are People! 121

5 The Scars of a Living Memory: Khulu Nhlathu 125

6 Eking Out a Living from the Spit of a Fly: MaNkomo 142

7 Even amaNyasaranda Belong to Zimbabwe: Edison and MaMlauzi 158

Soldiering On: Rambayi Makashinga! 173

8 I Was a Soldier Once, but Soldering Is Not for Me Anymore: Mdluli 177

9 Soldiering On: MaLunga and Nkosi 189

10 It Is Fear that Keeps the Jackal Barking: MaVundla's Family 202

11 Living with Another Woman's Man: MaBanda 213

The Born Frees: Families and Livelihoods Reconstituted by Transnational Migration 227

12 A Child-Headed Household: Valerie's Family 231

13 Moyo weGreen House 245

14 Transnational Partnerships and Pooled Poverty: MaSibindi's Family 257

15 Dreams Turned to Dust, Immigration That Kills: Sipho's Story 267

Conclusion: On Being Trampled No More 271.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 291-300) and index.

ISBN:

9780761836360

0761836365

OCLC:

148769709