TV Show Review : Rhodes Series 1996

I just watched the 8 episodes of the Rhodes series that was created in 1996. I encourage everyone to watch it. It looks at the life and career of Cecil John Rhodes, the mining magnate and imperialist. Cecil John Rhodes is often painted as an oppressor, racist and evil man. But Rhodes makes the viewer sympathise with Cecil Rhodes. It humanises him. I would give Rhodes a 9/10. Every episode is well written. The script is impeccable. The acting is realistic. The costumes are flawless and are an accurate portrayal of the 19th century. The cinematography is breathtaking and the soundtracks heighten the sense of adventure. You feel like you are a part of the journey with Cecil John Rhodes. Do watch Rhodes. It is free on Youtube.

With that being said, it is amazing what Rhodes achieved in such a short life. He died at only 43 years old on 26 March 1902. Was he a racist? Yes. Was he an ambitious imperialist? Yes. But he was also a man of his time. If he was alive today Cecil Rhodes would probably be like Elon Musk. To some people like native Africans and white Afrikaners he was the devil incarnate. To English speaking white Africans he was the Anglo-Saxon Messiah. But noone can deny he was a great man. He was one of the few men in history who could mold reality to his will. Rhodes was like Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Constantine and all the titans of history. He could drag destiny by the scruff of the neck. 

Rhodes founded new countries and expanded the British empire. Had he lived longer, I believe he could have united southern Africa into one country. Perhaps southern Africa could be like the United State of America. Southern Rhodesia Northern Rhodesia, Botswana and Malawi would have surely joined the Union of South Africa.

Rhodes left no children, perhaps because he was homosexual. But he left money that funded Rhodes scholarship and built universities. Thus, he has many heirs in those who have benefited from his tireless work. 

Though he is dead and buried in Southern Rhodesia nowadays Zimbabwe, he will never be forgotten. Though the Rhodesia nations he founded and named after him are just a memory, his legacy is immortal. They can remove his statues and rename roads and states named after him, but noone can erase his name from the history books. 

TV Shows that started out good but ended badly

 

A few shows are able to remain interesting and consistent. Sopranos, the Shield, Breaking Bad and the Wire were fun and intriguing from beginning to end. On there other hand there are tv shows that started out great and somewhere in the middle they lost their way and the story got stale.

Vikings

Vikings was and is one of the greatest shows I have ever seen. The opening music theme set the tone and got me at the edge of my seat. Ragnar Lothbrok was one of the most charismatic characters I have ever seen. The actor that played the part did an amazing job. The first three seasons of Vikings were enthralling. There was action, battle scenes, romance, comedy and drama. 

However, after Ragnar dies in a pit of snakes, the series went downhill. The whole story of his three sons looking to avenge the death of their father started well but became nonsensical. I doubt the real Ivar the Boneless crawled on his belly. Looking at the character who played Ivar moving on all fours was unbearable. Then the whole story of the Vikings on Iceland or Greenland was so boring. The series goes to Russia and that was boring as well. Not to mention Bjorn Ironside dying on a horse on the battlefield. 

Vikings should have just stuck to history as much as possible. It would have been interesting seeing the story of Cnut, Harold Bluetooth, Harald Hadrada and even of William the Conqueror. But alas we had to see the Vikings go to America in some nonsensical plot.

The Last Kingdom

Last kingdom followed the story of Uhtred as he navigates between the Anglo Saxons and the Danes and Vikings. But the character who stole the show was Aethelwold. The sniveling villain in Aethelwold was the stand out character. He made the show all the more interesting with his schemes. However, when he dies in season 3 episode 10 the story fell flat and became stale. I had to skim watch season 4 nodding off in the middle. The silliest part of season 4 was when the battle between Uhtred and Edward stops midway. I didn't even bother watching season 5 because it was boring.

Sons of Anarchy

The story of Jax and the motorcycle was great until Clary Morrow died. A story is only as good as the villain and Clay was the bad guy you love to hate. After Clay is killed in season 6 episode 11 the story went downhill. Season 7 was lackluster. The idea of Jax killing his own mother was silly. And Jax committing suicide by riding into a truck was nonsensical. Still a great show though.

Top Boy

The first two seasons of Top Boy was amazing. The show looked at the lives of drug dealers in the Londond borough of Hackney. It was fast pace and unpredictable. Top Boy was like the Wire but in England. However, after the two seasons Top Boy was dropped in 2014 and came back in 2019 after Drake intervened and managed to get Top Boy reinstated on Netflix.

However, seasons 3, 4 and 5 were a struggle to watch. The story archs were repetitive and the acting apart from the lead actors was atrocious. I had to skim watch season 5. With that being said, the ending of Top Boy was great and conclusive. Unlike the Sopranos ending, Top Boy gave the audience closure and we walked away feeling that the bad guys had got their comeuppance. Friends turn on each other and Top Boy shows that crime doesn't pay.

Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones was a juggernaut from season one to season four. Game of Thrones was the greatest thing since slice bread. It took the world by storm and had people get withdrawals between seasons because it was so addictive. 

However, when the show producers ran out of book material Game of Thrones tumbled into mediocrity. The stories made no sense, Tyrion lost his wit, Littlefinger became an idiot and Daenerys turned into a raving lunatic. The plot was so boring and painful to watch and everything was about subverting our expectations. Game of Thrones could have been one of the greatest shows ever but will be forgotten and tossed into the abyss of irrelevance.

10 Historical events that should be turned into movies

I am tired of the Cleopatra films and American slave movies. Every few years they churn out these movies and people are tired of it. I speak on behalf of the whole world when I say we are sick of Cleopatra and slave movies. I will never understand why the following events haven't been depicted on the film. If I had a billion dollars or a magic wand I would turn these historical events into movies.

The Maccabean Revolt 160 BCE

A group of Jewish zealots fight and defeat the Seleucid Greeks. Judah Maccabbee is the Jewish Braveheart.

The Roman Jewish War and the fall of Jerusalem 66-73 CE

A great historical event that still has ramifications to this very day. The destruction of the Jewish temple was a moment that haunted Jews for thousands of years and yet no movie has been made about it. 

The Bar Kokhba rebellion and the third Roman Jewish War 132 CE

Another moment in history that had great consequences. It led to the exile of Jews from their homeland for thousands of years and the renaming of Judea to Palestine. Problems from 2000 years still affect the world to this day. Simon bar Kochba was another failed Messiah who whilst brave led his nation to ruin. 

The Battle of Tours 732 CE

Charles Martel defeating the Muslims at Tours in 732 saved Europe from Islamicisation. Without that victory history would have been very different and Europeans would be speaking Arabic today. Charles Martel should be honoured for his bravery by making a film about him. Considering how Europe today is being quickly conquered by Muslims via migration it is more important than ever to remind people of the threat that Islam has posed for Europe for a thousand years.

The Zanj Rebellion 883 CE

The Arab slave trade is not talked about enough. Every few years we have movies about the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and the public is tired of these movies. The enslavement of Africans by Arabs happened for a longer period and was far more barbaric than the American slave trade. Millions of Africans were dragged to the Arab world, many were castrated and died from their wounds. The slavery was so horrible that the African slaves fought a war of liberation against the Abbasid Caliphate in 883CE. One Ali Ibn Muhammad led the rebellion that was ultimately crushed by the Arabs. Nevertheless, I hope one day there can be a big budget Hollywood flick about the Zanj Rebellion.

The Voyages of Zheng He 1405

I am honestly tired of seeing kung fu movies that revolve around the over used plot of revenge against a villain who killed the hero's master. There are other subjects from Chinese history to make movies about. Producers can make movies about the lives of Sun Tzu and Confucius. Or Bi Sheng the inventor of the printing press, Wei Boyang the inventor of gunpowder, Shen Kuo the inventor of the compass, Cai Lun the inventor of paper and Zheng He  the explorer. Not every Chinese movie has to be about kung fu and not every Japanese film has to be about the samurai.

In the 15th century the Chinese seafarer Zheng He embarked on seven voyages around the world. While there have been many documentaries on the subject it would be cool to actually see a movie about Zheng Ye who was the greatest Chinese mariner of all time. 

The fall of Constantinople 1453 CE

Turks conquering Constantinople and bringing about the end of the Roman empire is something that should be seen in a movie theatre. The last Roman empire throwing himself into battle knowing he would perish is something that should be captured on film and not just read about. (On a sidenote I still don't understand why there aren't more cities named Constantinople in honour of the fallen city).

The Spanish Reconquest 1492 CE

The greatest comeback in all of history. After 700 years of Islamic rule the Christians retake their land and become an empire. The reconquesta has everything required to make a great movie. It has romance, battles and victory.

The Battle of Vienna 1683 CE

The Battle of Vienna on 12 September 1683 is another pivotal moment in history. It stopped the Ottomans from conquering all of western Europe. John Sobieski leading the cavalry and routing the Turks should be depicted on film for the world to see. The thousand year old rivalry between the cross and crescent ended that day.

The Rise of the House of Saudi 1727

The story of the House of Saudi is an interesting one. I can see a trilogy of movies being made about the House of Saudi. The first movie would be about the Emirate of Diriyah which began in 1727. The second movie would be about the Emirate of Nejd which lasted until 1891. The third and final movie would be about the Emirate of Riyadh and see the rise of Ibn Saudi and the making of the modern Saudi Arabia state. It is amazing how the House of Saudi rose to prominence and turned a desert into a modern country that is safe and prosperous. With all the money the Saudis have there is no excuse to not make a big budget movie about the House of Saudi.

Mafia Prince and Mafia Cops should be made into movies

 It seems like the American gangster genre is dead and buried. In the past few years we have gotten a few films about the gangster and they were all lackluster. The Irishman was overrated and garbage. It was too long and the CGI was not very realistic. People only pretended to like it because it was Scorsese and Pacino and Robert De Niro and Pesci. 

Gone are the days in the 90s when we had Scarface, Goodfellas and Casino. Gone are the early 2000s when we had the Wire, Breaking Bad and the Sopranos. Maybe Hollywood is too obsessed with super hero movies and don't care about the gangster genre anymore.

Nevertheless, there are still many stories to be told in the gangster genre. There is still a fascination with the outlaw who lives by his own rules. One of the few series that I appreciate is Narcos. It does not glorify crime and paints the mobsters as the vicious bandits that they really are. Gomorra was also another television show that was very realistic and did not sugar coat the lives of criminals and showed how pernicious organized crime is to society.

If I could rewind time I would have like to see Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci play John Gotti and Sammy the Bull respectively. If I had a billion dollars or a magic wand I would like to see the movies made about the following books.

Mafia Prince by Scott Burnstein and Phil Leonetti

It is unforgivable that Mafia Prince has not been turned into a movie.  This book should have been put on screen in the 90s. Joe Pesci could have played lunatic mob boss Little Nicky Scarfo and Michael Imperioli could have played his nephew Crazy Phil. The book has every ingredient required to make a great movie. It has action, murder, psychotic violence, dark humour, treachery and redemption. I hope one day Hollywood execs come to their senses and finance this project.

Mob Cops by Greg B Smith

This book should be turned into a movie. Why not? It is about two corrupt cops who worked and killed for the mob. I could easily see Steve Schirripa and Michael Imperioli play the two crooked cops. 

5 Great African leaders who deserve to have movies made about them

 A multitude of movies have been made about Mandela. A few series have been made about Shaka the Zulu. But I hope one day we get to see the story of precolonial African leaders who fought against colonialism and were great and capable rulers. Below are books about the men. 

Sekhukune king of the Pedi

He fought and defeated the Dutch and deserves to be put on screen.

Mzilikazi king of the Ndebeles

He was brave and intelligent. Fought the Zulus, Boers and Griquas and survived. 

Dingane king of the Zulus

Brother of Shaka and king slayer. He resisted the Boers and fought them at Blood River. 

Maqoma legendary Xhosa warrior

He fought against colonialism and participated in the Cape Frontier Wars against the British.

Moshoeshoe king of the Sotho

Founder of the Lesotho nation and bulwark against imperialism, Moshoeshoe deserves to have his life put on screen.

Three African Novels that deserve to be made into movies

 It's unbelievable to me how these three books haven't been put on the cinema. Hollywood makes movies about everything but Africans fail to honour their greatest books by depicting them on film. Hopefully one day one of these books will be put on television.

God's case no appeal by Dan Fulani.

Read it when I was a kid and I will never forget it. Awesome story.

Mpho's Search by Sandra Braude

Read it in Literature class in high school. It's a sin that noone made a movie about it.

Joys of Motherhood by Buchi Emecheta

This book brought me to tears they way it ended.

Not finishing A Song of Ice and Fire is the ultimate subversion of expectations

 

A Song of Ice and Fire could have been one of the greatest stories ever told. It found its way onto television via HBO and the world got to witness great story telling in the form of Game of Thrones. For four seasons the world was captivated by the world that George RR Martin had built. We felt like we knew the characters on our screens. We cried for Rob at the Red Wedding and grieved when Ned Stark got beheaded. We felt a mixture of joy and sadness when the wicked Joffrey choked to death. And when David Benioff and Dan Weiss ran out of book material the show became a parody of itself and lost its way. Game of Thrones became all about "subverting expectations" just like George Martin had done to the fantasy genre. George Martin did not want to have heroes in white and villains in black. He wanted morally ambiguous characters where good does not triumph over evil. And thus Game of Thrones became a caricature of that staple. From season 5 to the horrid finale it was all about giving viewers something they did not expect. So we got to see the rape of Sansa, Jaime and Cersei dying under a ton of bricks, Jon killing Daenerys and ultimately Bran becoming king of the Seven kingdoms. I cant blame Dan and David for making a mess of the series when the writer of the story himself is failing to finish the books.

Perhaps George Martin is a fraud and an overrated writer. Maybe he was just a glorified screenwriter who got lucky and stumbled into a great story. Or it could be that George is just a lazy son of a bitch. All he wanted was the fame and money and now that he has it, he does not care about the fans or his magnum opus. Maybe George wrote himself into a corner by adding a host of unnecessary plots and characters and now he has dug himself into a hole and is entangled in plots he cannot unravel. Whatever the reason for his failure to finish the books maybe the fault ultimately lies with the publisher and editor. Why didn't the editor tell George to cut out all the characters and plots and stick to the story? Maybe the publisher should have insisted on George finishing the story or they would give it to someone else to finish it. 

If I was George RR Martin, I would give up on trying to break the norms and attempting to reconstruct the fantasy genre. I would have Jon Snow defeat the Night King, marry Daenerys Targaryen, sit on the Iron Throne and live happily ever after. Everyone likes a happy ending.  But George Martin does not want to do that. He want to recreate the wheel. He wants to subvert expectations.  Unfortunately, that will lead to him not finishing A Song of Ice and Fire which would be the ultimate subversion of expectations.

Many Saints of Newark is fanfiction, not Sopranos canon

 

In 2007 the controversial last episode of the Sopranos, Made in America aired and was the last chapter of the Sopranos universe. Personally, I didn't like how it ended. I think Tony died and there are many signs that Tony got clipped in front of his family as revenge for Phil getting killed in front of his wife and grandkids. Signs like 3 o'clock, the bathroom homage to the Godfather, the orange tiger behind Tony are signs he got killed and the waitress pointing to her head are all signs Tony got shot in the head.

If it was up to me, I would have liked to see either the trial of Tony Soprano and ending the series with Tony of a bus going to jail as Woke up this morning played in the background. Or I would have preferred the same ending but with a gun shot right before the black screen and the member's only jacket man wearing a NY hat showing it was New York behind the hit. I doubt anyone really liked the ending. Perhaps, David Chase wanted an ending that would have people speculating on the meaning for the next 100 years which is what happened. Or maybe Chase wanted an ambiguous ending that would leave an opening for a spin off or movie, neither of which happened. I would have been happy with a spin off about Carmela and the kids or the Lupertazzis where Little Carmine becomes the boss or a spin off where Paulie Walnuts became the boss of New Jersey. 

Did the fans get a sequel or an exciting spinoff? No. 14 years later after the Sopranos ended we got Many Saints of Newark in 2021. And holy shit, that movie sucked. It showed that David Chase never had the makings of a film producer. It seemed Chase never even bothered to rewatch The Sopranos before giving us the half-baked Many Saints. I for one do not consider Many Saints canon, it is fan fiction slop that deserves to be flushed down the toilet and forgotten.

Many Saints is inconsistent with the Sopranos universe and many things contradict  what we learned from the series.

Who killed Dickie Moltisanti?

In the series Tony tells Christopher that his father Dickie was killed by a rogue cop for stabbing an inmate in the eye or something. But in Many Saints, it is revealed that Junior had Paulie kill Dickie because he laughed at him for slipping and falling on his ass. How ridiculous is that? That doesn't even make any sense that Junior would have Dickie killed for such a trivial reason.

Was Dickie a junkie?

Chris tells Tony during a barbeque that his father and Tony's hero was nothing more than a fucking junkie. In Many Saints Dickie is seen drinking a few times but isn't shooting up heroin and sniffing coke like a fucking junkie. So which is it?

If I were to write everything wrong with Many Saints I would have to write a whole book. David Chase clearly forgot how intelligent Soprano fans are. Putting Gandolfini's son in the movie and having Ray Liotta play twins (which was silly and soap opera like) wasn't enough to make a decent movie. Not to mention, the actor playing a younger Silvio Dante which was god awful to watch. Apparently, Chase wanted to make a movie about the Newark riots and the movie head honchos didn't want to unless the movie was about the Sopranos. So David Chase shoe-horned the Newark riots into the Soprano's universe and the movie felt disjointed like trying to ram a square peg into round hole.

I would have liked to see the actors who played Johnny boy Soprano and Uncle Junior in the series play those characters in the movie. Maybe if the lead characters were Italian it would have been better. The fans would have preferred a sequel about the young Tony Soprano. We wanted to see Tony and Jackie Snr rob Feech La Manna's card game. But we compromised and watched Tony rob an ice-cream truck and give cones to little kids. We wanted to see Dickie take down a whole New England crew when he took the war up to them. But we compromised and watched Dickie drown his girlfriend in the ocean because she fucked a black guy. We wanted to watch how Tony did his first hit and whack Willy Overalls. But we compromised and watched Tony cross his finger with a corpse whilst Woke up this morning played in the background. We wanted to watch Tony, Sil, Ralph, Jackie Snr and Big Pussy do scores and sell a little pot. But we compromised and watched John Magaro do a bad impression of Sil. See where I'm going.

With all that said, we should all forget about Many Saints of Newark and pretend it never happened. Frankly, David Chase should be depressed and ashamed for making such a garbage movie. The Sopranos should be left alone as it is. We do not need prequels, sequels or spin-offs.

Book Review : Chaminuka Prophet of Zimbabwe by Solomon Mutswairo

 Just finished reading Chaminuka Prophet of Zimbabwe by Solomon Mutswairo. It was written in 1983. It is about Chaminuka, the spirit medium who  It's a good enough read but I had a few problems with the novel. It should not be read as a historical text and thus there are some historical inacurracies. 

Chaminuka seems like a minor character. He appears in less than half of the book. Most of the novel is about other characters and their trials and tribulations. You finish the book without knowing or understanding who Chaminuka was. The writer does not delve into Chaminuka's thoughts and feelings. I did not get a sense of what Chaminuka's motivations were. He just appears on the page like a ghost or an otherworldly figure. Solomon Mutswairo simply writes what was already known about Chaminuka's life and does not really add anything new.

My second criticism is that the writer stuffs a lot of politics and tribalism into the book. Prophet of Zimbabwe seems like an anti-white, anti-Ndebele and pro Zanu pf fluff piece. The Ndebeles come across as one dimensional savages or idiots and the Shona seem like a valiant saints. There is a very strong anti-colonial sentiment in the book where Chaminuka makes prophecies about the destruction of the white colonialists. It is quite obvious that the writer is writing in a post colonial era.

What I did like about Chaminuka Prophet of Zimbabwe is that it does give a glimpse into the life and culture of the Shonas and Ndebele. The writing is good and the book is easy to read. I would give it a 6/10.

https://www.amazon.com/Chaminuka-Zimbabwe-Solomon-T-Mutswairo/dp/0894100025

If you want to know more about Chaminuka watch this entertaining Youtube video.

Or you can check out my version of Chaminuka's life in my book The Prophet Chaminuka.

https://www.amazon.com/Prophet-Chaminuka-Shona-Chronicles/dp/B0CRPLNNCJ

The Genius Philosophy of Team America : World Police

 

Team America : World Police might seem like a silly comedy about puppets at first glance but it isn't. Team America is a movie that transcends comedy. It is a critic about Hollywood, politics and makes fun of everything American. I enjoyed the movie and implore anyone who hasn't watched it to give it a look. It is funny and while you are laughing the truth is injected into your subconscious. 

The best part of the movie is about assholes, pussies and dicks. Dicks just want to fuck all the time. Pussies think everyone can get along. Assholes just want to shit all over everything. Sometimes the pussies get mad at dicks for fucking them but dicks also fuck assholes and if they didn't everyone would be covered in shit. 

The final speech is also a goldmine. Gary explains how the pussies keep dicks in line but sometimes pussies are so full of shit they become assholes. And sometimes the assholes get fucked so much and so hard they become pussies, like the Germans and Japanese after World War 2.

It is an analogy that is apt and can be used to relate to everything from dealing with noisy neighbours to global politics.

Take for example the Israel Palestine conflict. 

Israel are the dicks who just want to fuck all the time, they blow shit up and kill people. 

Palestinians are the assholes who just want to shit all over everyone (Check why they were kicked out of Kuwait and Jordan and Lebanon). 

Liberals and America are the pussies who just want everyone to get along.

Using the Team America philosophy it is clear that Israel must sometimes fuck the Palestinians so they dont shit all over everyone. And sometimes America must keep Israel in line but sometimes America is so full of shit they are like assholes. It is a fine balance that often gets out of line but it is the way of the world.

Another example was South Africa under apartheid and Rhodesia. 

The colonial whites were the dicks who kept the communist revolutionaries in check, the liberal west were the pussies who wanted everyone to get along. In this instance, the pussies forced the dicks to stop fucking the assholes and now everyone is covered in shit. Meaning, the liberals forced the colonialist to stop fighting the communists and now Zimbabwe South Africa and the whole of the third world are shit holes. 

Another example is World war 2. 

The Nazis, the Fascists and the Japanese who were the assholes who wanted to shit on everyone. Chamberlain and the peacemongers were the pussies who wanted everyone to get along. As a result of the pussies, the assholes shat all over the whole world and it was up to the American dicks to fuck up the assholes. 

So in conclusion, one must decided in life whether they want to be a dick, a pussy or an asshole. It is better to be a dick but one needs a pussy to rein in the excesses of the dick. And assholes really serve no purpose and one should never be so much of a pussy they become an asshole. 

And when it comes to electing leaders it is better to vote for a dick than an asshole.

Animal Farm and Zimbabwe Politics

 

Animal Farm by George Orwell aka Eric Blair is one the greatest books ever written. It is a parable about farm animals driving off the farm owner and taking control of the farm. The pigs lead the animal revolution but soon turn on the animals and become the new oppressors. The book ends with the animals failing to see the difference between the pigs and the humans. Animal Farm was really a jab at the Soviet Union and their revolution. The Bolsheviks led the revolution against the Romanov dynasty then turned around and became the new oppressors who may have been worse than the old oppressor. But the theme of new boss same as the old boss is not only relevant to the Soviet Union and the Bolshevik revolution. The freedom fighter turning into an oppressor is a story as old as the hills. It happened when Napoleon became an emperor. It happened when the American founding fathers continued the slave trade and stealing land from the Native Americans. It happened when the Maccabeans became Hellenist. It happened when the free slaves of Liberia became slave owners. It happened after Cromwell had King James executed. It has happened over and over in history and will continue to happen until the end of time. 

And so the Animal Farm story is applicable to Zimbabwe formerly known as Rhodesia. The characters are as follows

Tongogara or Chitepo was Old Major

Farmer Jones was Ian Smith

Mugabe was Napoleon

Joshua Nkomo was Snowball

After Tongogara or Old Major died the Africans won their revolutionary war and kicked out Ian Smith or Farmer Manor, there was a tussle for power between Mugabe or Napoleon and Nkomo as Snowball. Nkomo is defeated and flees into exile though unlike the pig Snowball he does return. Nevertheless, the tyranny of the pigs is similar to the tyranny of Zanu pf after the so called independence. The revolutionaries exploit the Zimbabwean people to such a point there is no difference betweeen the freedom fighters and the oppressors. All Zimbabweans can do is look on as the Zanu pf elite walk on two legs, mimic the former colonial masters and get fat from the ill gotten wealth.

Funnily enough, the Animal Farm saga replayed itself again in Zimbabwe politics decades later. The characters are

Mugabe was Farmer Jones

Mnangagwa was Napoleon

Saviour Kasukuwere was Snowball

The politics in Zimbabwe are quite similar to what took place in the Soviet Union. After Lenin died, a power struggle between the brainy Trotsky and the brawny Stalin took place and Stalin took power. Likewise, after Mugabe's death, the brawny Mnangagwa overcame the brainy Professor Moyo who went into exile like Trotsky did.

After decades of corrupt rule Zanu pf became fragmented and Mugabe became the villain and tyrant. Mugabe as farmer Jones was kicked out by his underlings and Mnangagwa as Napoleon became the ruler whilst Kasukuwere as Snowball fled into exile. The Zimbabwean public was duped into believing Mnangagwa would be better than the former tyrant but time has revealed that there is little difference between the liberator and the oppressor. Once again the common Zimbabwe folk are on the outside staring in and failing to tell the freedom fighter and tyrant apart. The lesson one learns from Animal Farm is to never trust or place faith in politicians and leaders because they will ultimately let you down. Like Mark Twain famously said, politicians are like diapers. They should be changed often and for the same reason.

I wrote a short story that is similar to Animal Farm the Animal Ranch that deals with the same ideas of freedom, oppression and betrayal. Buy it now. Link below.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CXMH9RWW

Book Review : Path of Blood: Rise and Conquests of Mzilikazi by Peter Becker.

 This is a fantastic read that should be turned into a movie. It is about Mzilikazi son Mashobane, king of the Matabele nation. Mzilikazi is one of the handful of African warriors who emerge from the Mfecane wars of the early 1800s that saw the wars of Shaka cause havoc across pre-colonial South Africa. Mzilikazi is born to a small chiefdom and is caught between the conflict between Zwide of the Ndwandwe and Dingiswayo of the Mthetwa. Dingiswayo is beheaded and Mzilikazi picks a side and becomes a trusted friend and general of Shaka who later becomes king of the Zulu. For whatever reason, Mzilikazi rebels from Shaka's rule and heads north to create his own kingdom but he will have to fight against Boers, Griquas and Zulus as he journeys. Path of Blood is action packed and paints a picture of a highly intelligent, ambitious, brave and yet cruel African warrior and king. Peter Becker is a natural writer. Every sentence holds the reader captive and the mind does not wander as you turn the pages. It is simply a delight. 

It amazes me that there has not been a series or movie about Mzilikazi similar to the one about Shaka that was created in the 80s. Mzilikazi is the student who outperforms the master. He lived longer than Shaka and created a nation that has lasted to this day in Zimbabwe. It is a shame that in Zimbabwe he is not as honoured by the ruling party as Shaka is in South Africa. Hopefully that changes one day and a holiday is set aside on the date of his death on 9 September.

With that said, get a copy of Path of Blood. You will not regret it.

https://www.amazon.com/Path-Blood-Rise-Conquests-Mzilikazi/dp/0713910089/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Book Review : The Jefferson Bible by Thomas Jefferson

 Jesus of Nazareth is one of the most compelling figures in history. A simple carpenter from a one horse town became the son of God, king of the universe and the redeemer of mankind. Not according to Thomas Jefferson, one of the founding fathers of America. It is very fitting that a man named Thomas would be a Doubting Thomas. Jefferson clearly does not believe in miracles and works of wonder that defy the laws of the universe. In the Jefferson Bible Jefferson cuts out all the miracles and supernatural occurrences. Jesus is stripped bare of his super powers. In the gospel according to Thomas Jefferson he was not born of a virgin. He was not the son of God. He did not walk on water and he most definitely did not rise from the dead. 

I found the Jefferson Bible to be more interesting than the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke and John. As an agnostic, I feel the Jefferson Bible paints a more realistic picture of who Yeshua really was. He was most likely, the bastard son of a Jewish woman who was initially the follower of John the Baptist. Then after John is beheaded, Yeshua begins his mission to teach his disciples and the common Jewish peasants about the coming of the kingdom of God. Perhaps he was a con artist or maybe he was a schizophrenic mad man. Did Jesus incur the wrath of the temple establishment or did his teachings get him in trouble with the Roman establishment? How much of the words in the new testament were his own and how many were later added? Was the story of Yeshua a game of Chinese telephone that spun out of control and gave birth to a religion? Will we never know. 

Back to the Jefferson Bible. The Jesus of this book comes across as a philosopher, a social activist, a deep and complex figure. A witty banterer and a thorn in the side of the rich and corrupt. This portrait of Jesus is probably closer to the real Jesus than the water walking and water to wine making Jesus of legend. He is more like Gandhi and Martin Luther King and ultimately faces the same consequences they did. He became a martyr. The end of the Jefferson Bible is sad and tragic for there is no Sunday resurrection and no ascension into heaven. The Jesus of the Jefferson Bible dies a gruesome death and is buried and that's where the story ends. There is no happy ending and that is more poignant and leaves the reader in a state of moaning. 

Definitely worth the read. I would give it a 10/10.

https://www.amazon.com/Jefferson-Bible-Thomas/dp/1503032051

Book Review The Great Betrayal by Ian Smith

 Ian Smith was the Prime Minister of Rhodesia during the war of liberation known as Chimurenga. He was the man who broke ties with United Kingdom in 1965 under UDI. To some he is a hero and and a vanguard against communism and barbarism. To others he was vicious racist whose hands drip with blood. So it is fair to say he was and still is a controversial figure. To this day, his name is still alive and well amongst both black Zimbabweans and ex-Rhodies. The ruling government Zanu pf continues to blame all the failings on Smith and the Rhodesians whilst some of the younger Zimbabweans feel Smith was right all along and was a prophet who predicted the disaster that black rule would bring. 

Smith seems to have been right about a lot of things but his prophecy about a 1000 year Rhodesia was not fulfilled. After the war that lasted from about 1966 to 1979, Zimbabwe was born and Mugabe and his comrades did not waste time in getting their hands bloody and their pockets full of ill gotten wealth. Gukurahundi, the Ndebele genocide was just the beginning of Zimbabwe's troubles, followed by droughts, corruption scandals, economic downturn, costly military adventures in the Congo, stolen elections, chasing away white farmers and finally millions of Zimbabweans escaping poverty and hunger into South Africa and all over the world. So history has vindicated Ian Smith and he had the last laugh. 

Luckily for historians, Smith wrote his biography The Great Betrayal in 1997. I read it and thoroughly enjoyed the book. The young Ian Smith is a sport enthusiast, a lover of all things British, a brave war pilot who narrowly survived World War 2, a statesman and a politician. He reminds me a lot of Eddard Star from Game of Thrones, an honorable man, perhaps too honorable for his own good. Despite his valiant efforts, Rhodesia was destroyed by communist thugs and many good men died in vain trying to prevent the inevitable black rule. 

Enoch Powell once said that all political careers end in failure. And this is true for Ian Smith. When all its said and done Smith failed to keep Rhodesia alive. After reading his autobiography I had a few thoughts and questions:

Why didnt Ian Smith hang Mugabe when he had the chance? Ian Smith had Mugabe arrested and jailed for eleven years. Why did he not eliminate him when he had the opportunity? Was he afraid of the international community? All of Africa and the world was against Smith and Rhodesia. Offing Mugabe and his other leaders wouldn't have made any difference.

Why didn't Smith just agree to democratic rule and avoided an unneccesary war? To me it seemed, Ian Smith was a relic of a bygone era. He failed to see the changing winds and adapt to it. Smith wanted his cake and wanted to eat it too. He wanted to enjoy the fruits of cheap black labour and deny the black majority full participation in Rhodesian life. The days of colonialism were over and black rule was inevitable. Smith was merely delaying the inevitable and swimming against the tide. If he had granted self rule much earlier like in Northern Rhodesia, many lives could have been saved and the post colonial anti-white sentiments could have been avoided.

Why didn't Ian Smith try to join the Union of South Africa? Okay, that wasnt realistic nor was the offer made but that would have been a better outcome than Mugabe's regime. Rhodesians had been offered the option to join South Africa in 1923 and foolishly said no. Many ex-Rhodies wound up in South Africa anyways so they should have joined South Africa when they had the chance.  

Why didnt Ian Smith try to create a tiny Rhodesian ethnostate? Ian Smith could have tried to create a mini-Rhodesia just like Orania and Western Cape are trying to do today. White Rhodesians only numbered a maximum of 300 000. They did not need to control the whole country. All they needed was a region or province. A three state solution could have been fair. A separate state for Ndebeles in Matabeleland, a state for Shonas and a state for Rhodesians. 

Nevertheless, it is a waste of time to engage in should have, could have games. The past is the past and what's done is done. Rhodesia was a miracle. A handful of gutsy white men created a civilisation out of wilderness in less than a century. It wasnt perfect but it was good enough. There were positives and negatives to colonialism and I feel the positives outweigh the negatives.

Unfortunately, Ian Smith will be remembered as the man who failed Rhodesia despite giving it his all. His autobiography ultimately lays the blame on United Kingdom and South Africa. But when it's all said and done the fault lies at the foot of the Rhodesians. United Kingdom and South Africa were looking out for the own interests and did not owe Rhodesia anything. Perhaps, Rhodesia needed a ruthless Pinochet or Francisco Franco to keep the communist rabble at bay. Maybe Ian Smith was too honorable and too nice of a man to deal with Mugabe and his gang.

With that being said, get a copy of The Great Betrayal. It is a fascinating read though it is a tragedy that makes one sad upon finishing it. 

https://www.amazon.com/Great-Betrayal-Memoirs-Douglas-Smith/dp/1857821769

Chaminuka the Black Jesus

One of the most prominent Shona prophets is Chaminuka aka Pasipamire Tsuro. He was born circa 1808 and was killed in April 1883 by Ndebeles on the orders of King Lobengula. It is said that he was a man of peace and a miracle worker who could make rain. Chaminuka was a healer who cured people's sicknesses and it is said he was a prophet who predicted the coming of colonialism and the downfall of King Lobengula. He is venerated today by Shona people in song and poetry.

Chaminuka has many things in common with Jesus of Nazareth.

Both were spirit mediums in a sense. Pasipamire Tsuro is said to have been possessed by the spirit of Chaminuka. Jesus was possessed by the Holy Spirit.

Chaminuka was a healer of sickness and so was Jesus.

Chaminuka was a miracle worker who could command the rain to fall. He could speak to wild animals. Jesus was also a wonder worker who could stop storms and he also spoke to pigs.

Chaminuka was a man of peace and Jesus was a man of peace.

Chaminuka foresaw the destruction of the Ndebele kingdom. Jesus foresaw the destruction of the Jewish Temple.

Chaminuka was a clairvoyant who predicted the coming a new age that being colonialism. Jesus was a prophet predicted the coming of the kingdom of heaven.

Chaminuka run afoul of the ruling hegemony that being the Ndebele and was killed by them. Jesus offended the Roman empire and was executed by them.

If you would like to know more about Chaminuka's life and death, get my book The Prophet Chaminuka.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CRPLNNCJ

Tovera the ancestor of the Shona people

Tovera is the ancestor of the Shona people. He is like the Abraham to Shonas. My grandfather used to tell me about this Tovera. He came from the north, somewhere in the land of Tanzania and settled in present day Zimbabwe. He is known for three things:

Totems

It is he who had many children and gave them the totem names such as Shumba lion, Nzou elephant and Shava Eland. Perhaps Tovera understood evolution, and the idea that men evolved from animals and that is why he called his children after animals. Maybe, he understood that man is one with nature and the animals world and wanted his descendants to appreciate the natural world and have reverence and respect for animals. It is also possible Tovera understood the stars, the zodiac and gave out the animal names as a form of cosmology. Whatever the reason, the totem system is still alive and well amongst the Shonas. They use it know who their relatives are and to know where they came from. 

Tsumo proverbs

My grandfather told me Tovera was a wise man who taught his children the tsumo proverbs that Shonas use to live wise and productive lives. Proverbs such as rume rimwe harikombe churu/ one man cannot surround an anthill and mimba haibve negosoro/pregnancy cannot be terminated by a cough, and nhamo yemumwe hairambirwe sadza another man's problems are not reason to refuse food have been amongst the Shona people for centuries. The tsumo wise sayings have been passed down from generation to generation from Tovera. Thus Tovera is like our King Solomon.

Great Zimbabwe

According to my grandfather, it is Tovera who built Great Zimbabwe, the town that had granite walls, stone carvings and the Conical Dome. Legend has it that Tovera was the first king of the land known today as Zimbabwe. He was a wealthy king who traded gold and ivory with the Arabs from the coast. My grandfather told me that Tovera is buried under the conical tower.

So one day I decided to write down the story that my grandfather told me about Tovera. If you would like to know more about Tovera and the Shona people, check out my four part series, The Shona Chronicles. Link below.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CLKVWY4T

Snowfall ending sacrificed character development for poetic justice

 Snowfall was one of the greatest tv series about the drug trade and inner city crime dramas I had ever seen. Every episode for six seasons was a cliff hanger, with twists and turns that furthered the plot. Viewers saw Franklin Saint go from an innocent kid working in a grocery store to becoming a major narcotics trafficker. Even after the show creator John Singleton passed away, the show continued and did not skip a beat.

However, for some reason Snowfall has failed to garner the same respect as the Wire. Even though Franklin Saint is every bit as intelligent and as ruthless as Marlo Stanfield and Avon Barksdale. I feel that Snowfall dropped the ball in the finale. A few things did not make sense in the ending. 

Why did Franklin Saint bring his mother to the safe house where he was torturing Teddy Mcdonald? Franklin was an intelligent guy, there was no reason to have his mother in there. What purpose did it serve? Obviously the writers had to get his mother in place to shoot and kill Teddy, thereby landing in jail. That was a sloppy job by the writers. 

Another thing that made no sense was why the writers made it so easy for Franklin Saint to storm the place where Kane was holding Louie hostage. And why didnt Kane just shoot Jerome and Louie without getting himself shot in the process. 

Finally, the ending that saw Franklin become a hobo and a drunk was nonsensical. The writers sacrificed character development for poetic justice. They wanted Franklin to become like his drunken father and to show that he could not escape his genetic destiny. But Franklin ending up a half-mad alcoholic went against his character. All of a sudden a guy who never abused alcohol or drugs becomes a drug addict is unbelievable.

If I was a writer in Snowfall, I would have had Franklin lose all his money and then followed his mother's advice. He should have gone back to college, graduated and then gone to have a legitimate job like becoming a pilot and become a law abiding citizen. At least there would have been a moral lesson that would have been consistent with Franklin's character. 

For botching the finale, Snowfall will not be on the Mount Rushmore of crime dramas with Sopranos, the Wire and Breaking Bad. 

Book Review : The Shona and their Neighbours by DN Beach

 The book the Shona and their Neighbours by DN Beach is almost like a sequel to his other book the Shona and Zimbabwe 900-1850. Shona and their Neighbours  summarises most of the things covered in the first book but it does look at the history of the Shona after colonisation and post colonisation. What I learnt from this book is that the rivalry between the Shona and the Ndebele has been exaggerated. DN Beach believes Rhodesian propagandists embellished the Ndebele raids on the Shona. It was in the Rhodesians interests to portray the Shona as helpless cowards who were saved from extinction at the hands of the brutal Ndebele by the white colonialists. DN Beach illustrates that many Shona chose to be independent from Ndebele and refused to pay tribute. The Muzhuzha village is one example of Shona people who were successful at beating back the Ndebele warriors. The book shows that the Shona were not peaceful people who happened to be victims of the violent Ndebele. The Shona also fought amongst each other and raided and killed other Shonas. One example of a violent Shona group are the Hiya clan that raided and killed other villages up and down the plateau. 

The relationship between the Ndebele and Shona was not always cold and hostile. After the defeat of Lobengula many of the Shona slaves/captives chose to stay with the Ndebele than returning home. In fact, the Shona joined the Ndebele in fighting the war of 1896 that led to the consolidation of power by the Europeans. The book also notes that not all Shona and Ndebele fought against the British and many of them helped the whites against the other Africans.

DN Beach also stresses that Great Zimbabwe was in fact built by the Shona and without help from foreigners. Once again he rebuffs the Rhodesian propaganda that the Shona were incapable of building such an impressive structure. Radio carbon dating shows that the monument was built from 1250.

The book I feel is to hard on the Rhodesians. DN Beach fails to look at the positive  side of colonialism. There was a massive increase in the African population after colonialism but DN Beach begrudgingly gives the credit to the Rhodesians for medicine and the lowering of infant mortality. He makes no mention of literacy rates and infrastructure brought by Rhodesia. Beach criticises the Rhodesians for the "appalling work conditions" of Shona workers and the dispossession of land. I felt that the Rhodesians were acting just like the Shona and Ndebele had done to each other for decades and centuries. 

DN Beach then writes about the war that came about as a result of the said exploitation of the black population. Beach is suspicious of the motives of the Rhodesians in allowing more middle class blacks to vote and have more rights. He sees it as a ploy to prevent the inevitable uprising of the black population. The book glosses over the violence done by Zanu and Zapu in their quest for power.

After Rhodesia is no more and Zimbabwe is now liberated DN Beach deals with the problems of poverty that plagued post colonial Zimbabwe. I found it troubling that he never dealt with the Gukurahundi genocide and describes it as a "civil war". However, the book was written in 1994 and Beach predicts the troubles that would plague Zimbabwe. In 2024 Zimbabwe is a hell hole where a third of the population has fled into exile escaping a shattered economy. 

Overall, the Shona and their Neighbours is a decent book. It is not as good as its predecessor but still worth a read. I will give it a rating of 7/10.

https://www.amazon.com/Shona-Their-Neighbours-Peoples-Africa/dp/0631176780/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=Bw6YY&content-id=amzn1.sym.cf86ec3a-68a6-43e9-8115-04171136930a&pf_rd_p=cf86ec3a-68a6-43e9-8115-04171136930a&pf_rd_r=138-2848075-3008423&pd_rd_wg=dNYOI&pd_rd_r=99085643-f4c4-473b-83e8-d52743cb5057&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk

If you are interested in knowing more about Shona culture, check out my book series The Shona Chronicles on Amazon. Link below.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CLKVWY4T?binding=paperback&ref=dbs_m_mng_rwt_sft_tpbk_thcv

Book Review : The Shona and Zimbabwe 900-1850 by DN Beach

 So I finally got my hands on the book The Shona and Zimbabwe by DN Beach. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in Shona history. In fact, the book should be mandatory reading to school children. I learnt a lot of things that had never been taught to me in school. 

I do not know much about DN Beach but the footnotes at the end of the book, show he undertook thorough research before writing the book. He uses archaeology, written history and a bit of oral tradition to weave together the historical narrative of the Shona people. As a white person, he did somehow remain fair and neutral. There was no patronising and biased approach to African history. He writes about Shona people with respect and the book is devoid of a condescending tone that is prevalent in many books about Africans written by Europeans.

What I learnt about the Shona people is that they actually did not enter the plateau now called Zimbabwe from the north. Beach believes that the ancestors of the Shona people actually came from the Drakensberg mountains in search for farming land and grazing pastures. He calls this community the Kutama culture. These ancestors of the modern Shona people displaced the Khoisan who had been living in the land since 500 BC and mixed with the early iron age people who he believes were the ancestors of the Venda. 

According to Beach five innovations made the late iron people very successful : pottery, mud and pole huts, iron smelting, agriculture and keeping farm animals. This led to larger numbers of people and this explains the constant need to migrate from one place to the other.

I also learnt that the so called Gumanye culture led to the people who created Great Zimbabwe and the Leopard Kopje people are the ancestors of the Kalanga people. DN Beach credits the Shona people with the building of the Great Zimbabwe walls. He believes it was built by the rulers to separate themselves from the common folk. According to Beach it was built from 1250 until 1550. The elite at Great Zimbabwe became rich from tribute they exacted from gold and ivory trade with Muslims at the coast. At some point Great Zimbabwe became so populated the people began to migrate to other parts of the plateau. It is these people who built the Khami ruins and founded the Mutapa kingdom.

I also learnt from the book that ancient Shona did not originally worship Mwari. They worshipped a god called Umbe or Murungu. Mwari was later worshipped by the Rozvi and was accepted by other people. DN Beach also doubts the narrative that Mutota existed. He believes the story of Mutota leaving Great Zimbabwe in search of  salt is merely oral tradition. DN Beach goes into detail into the politics of the Mutapa kingdom and their dealings with the Portuguese that ends in wars, chaos and the fragmentation of the Mutapa kingdom.

DN Beach then focuses on the Torwa state but little is known about them because the Portuguese hardly dealt with them. According to Beach the Kalanga were the population living in the Torwa state. They built walls and stone towns similar to Great Zimbabwe and the leaders may have been somehow related to the Great Zimbabwe elite. Long story short, the Torwa are conquered by the Rozvi under Changamire Dombo. The book says that it was after the conquest the people therein took the name Karanga and it became Kalanga. Later on a break away group of Kalanga left and created the Hwange dynasty that ruled the Nambya. I also learnt that the Lemba people are actually not a lost tribe of Israel but a mixed race of people descended from Arabs who had children with Shona people.

The book ends with the Shona being conquered by the Nguni tribes. Although according to Beach the decline began before the arrival of the Ndebele. It was because there was no more gold and ivory to trade. The Shona had mined all the gold they could with the technology they had and had nearly hunted the elephants to extinction. Thus by 1700 the Shona were no longer as wealthy as they were and had devolved into wandering clans fighting for land. Had the Shona kings indulged in the lucrative slave trade they would have created a lot of wealth. But according to Beach and historical records the Mutapa kings did not participate in the slave trade. It is also important to note that the term Shona was not used for much of Shona history. The Shona people referred to themselves by their totems. The word Shona came about as a term used by the Ndebeles for Shona people. Furthermore the terms Zezuru, Manyika, Kore Kore are very recent terms used to Shona to refer to themselves.

The Shona and Zimbabwe 900-1850 is a great book and read it if you can. Link below.

https://www.amazon.com/Shona-Zimbabwe-900-1850-Outline-History/dp/0841906246

If you want to know more about Shona culture check out my series The Shona Chronicles on Amazon. Link below.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CLKVWY4T?binding=paperback&ref=dbs_m_mng_rwt_sft_tpbk_thcv