Introduction: Writing Joshua Nkomo into History and Narration of the Nation

Abstract

This introductory chapter introduces the shifting invocations of nationalism underpinning the changing political identities of Nkomo as one of the leading Zimbabwean nationalist leaders. It tracks the changing representations of Nkomo across the colonial and post-colonial history of Zimbabwe, noting that his death on the 1st of July 1999 became an important occasion for elite reflections on the entire narration of the nation as Nkomo posthumously received the much-contested title of ‘Father Zimbabwe’. This introduction draws from the rich anti-liberation struggle history in general and the autobiography, Nkomo: The Story of My Life, which was published in 1984.