I have to complete reading two books soon. Both published this year (2026).
I am not reading them simultaneously, otherwise the authors would get upset.
And for the fact that I could not practically do it anyway.
One of the new books is by Professor Mhoze Chikowero.
The other by Percy Zvomuya.
The one by Prof Chikowero is titled, "The Military Entertainment Complex. Chimurenga Afrocentric Making of Zimbabwe."
The other one is by Blah Percy Zvomuya and is a biography of Robert Mugabe titled "Robert Mugabe: The Black Victorian".
Both are very interesting books because they trigger in most Zimbabwean academic, public or even wannabe intellectuals a curiosity via not only their give book titles but also peer reviews from a generation of Zimbabweans that still respect intellectualism and intellectual effort.
Not only in history, sociology, political science but also arts (music, art, literature), anthropology, economics, economic history, religious studies, or languages and linguistics.
Admitedly these intellectuals are getting fewer because there is a general assumption that intellectualsim does not pay (literally).
Nor does it have a neo-liberal celebrity cultural market that can be paraded on for example CNN/BBC/AlJazeera or social media platforms for eyeballs, views or clicks.
All in order to fit a particular global narrative that is neither critical or progressive.
And defined in a populist Trumpian 'pub' or 'religious and 'racist' conversation sense.
So I have to read these two new books by Prof Mhoze and Bla Percy in defence of a necessary African intellectualism.
One that cannot be allowed to dissipate at the alter of populist neo-liberal and inorganic intellectualism.
My intended reading of the books however does not take away necessary or relevant critiques of their work from other cdes who may have different views on their subject matters.
Instead it reinforces not only their commitment to their organic intellectualism but also their willingness to air their views.
Even if senior officials from the Zimbabwean government may get upset.
Moreso as a counter to not only a national but global necessity in the wake of regressive, repressive and revisionist global historical narratives.
Including those that intend to wish away African global being, historicity and in the populist present, in the name of fighting immigrants or 'building racist walls' along borders to prove a false superiority complex.
But is also a given that the corporatisation of intellectualism is among us.
We now generally have an understanding that to be defined as an organic thinker for your society or the world, one has to fit into a neo-liberal praxis.
And use phrases such as the 'ease of doing business' as an entry point to being smart in order to get away with the murder of trampling upon the poorer working classes in society.
Almost in Dickensian fashion when he wrote about Mr. Pip!
Or our very own Marechera when he wrote rather graphically about "The House of Hunger" in relation to his experiences in colonial and largely Christian Rhodesia at the height of our liberation war for the independence of Zimbabwe.
But there are increasing moments where we are losing a necessary intellectualism about and with the existence of the current Zimbabwean state.
Moments in which we are overdoing religion as linked to corporatism to the extent that we have become too individiualistic and beholden to the worst vestiges of the same said attendant individualistic materialism.
In all of its populist, social media driven culture as owned by global technofeudalists such as Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerburg and others.
But I am going to read the books I have from Prof Chikowero and Cde Percy as cited above because as Africans we will always need to think deeper about our societies.
Their origins, history and their future(s).
And their placement in contemporary global politics and power contestations post not only our independence struggles but also post the Cold War and the newly touted 'multi-polar, neo-liberal world' with China's complicity.
This is something that requires a defense of African intellectual thought that may be found in books/academic works but more significantly beyond ephemeral podcasts or social media posts.
And to link younger African generations to the necessity of organic intellectualism as of old via for example, Nyerere, Cabral and Lumumba.
A people centered intellectualism beyond chasing the US dollar where in its monetary source of origin, intellectualism is no longer respected let alone enough to influence politics unless it is racist and populist.
Anyway let me get back to reading these two new books by Prof Chikowero and Bla Percy Zvomuya at respectable and seperated thought pace.
*Takura Zhangazha writes here in his personal capacity
No comments:
Post a Comment