Book Review : Nkomo, The Story of my Life

 After a long time of waiting I finally got my hands on the book Nkomo, the Story of my life. And I must say I was not disappointed. The first chapter grabs the reader by the eyeballs. It begins with Nkomo's escape from the newly dependent Zimbabwe as he is pursued by his political enemies. It is ironic, how the country he had fought for, now turns on him. He reminded me of Snowball in Animal Farm and Trotsky in the USSR. 

After getting you hooked by the action packed first chapter, Nkomo goes back in time and begins narrating his personal life before politics. He talks about his upbringing, his parents and family life. He also delves into the racial politics of the day. In one chapter he explains how whites evicted the black people from their land and how they had to move elsewhere. Nkomo talks about how education was very important to his parents and for a time he wanted to be a traditional doctor but his parents talked him out of it. The boy Joshua Nkomo becomes a man, he encounters the harsh reality of life as black person in a racist Rhodesia. He must endure as he is paid less than a coloured biracial person even if they do the same job. The book takes you on a journey with Nkomo to South Africa where he furthers his studies and returns to Rhodesia as a man. And almost by fate he is swept up in the political turmoil of the day and evolves into a politician. It seems from his retelling, he had greatness thrust upon him.

The second act of the book is Nkomos fight against Rhodesia, Ian Smith and the racist regime. It is by far the most engaging part of the book as Nkomo plays cat and mouse with the Rhodesian intelligence and finally he spends a decade in the prison that only hardens his resolve.

The third act of the book is Nkomo facing betrayal from former allies and he discovers how bittersweet independence is. He is hounded and treated like public enemy number one and must flee the land of his birth. It is quite ironic that is the British who gave him refuge from his African brothers who sought to destroy him.

All in all, it is a very good book and it is not a waste of money to purchase it. The book is a treasure. In a perfect world the book would be turned into a movie for the world to see. Had things gone Nkomo's way, he would be remembered as Nelson Mandela, father of a nation. But it was not to be. Perhaps Nkomo was too naive and kind hearted for the treacherous world of politics. The book ends on a hopeful note that Zimbabwe would be a paradise but decades later Zimbabwe sinks deeper and deeper into the abyss. If there was a time machine, Nkomo and Ian Smith might have agreed to a three state solution. Divide Rhodesia into Mthwakazi for the Ndebeles, Rhodesia for the whites and Zimbabwe for the Shonas. If there is an afterlife, Nkomo might be turning in his grave, shaking his head and maybe regretting having wasted his life fighting for a free Zimbabwe that was not meant to be.