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.
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