Bøker utgitt av Weaver Press

This eighth anthology of twelve short stories from Weaver Press reveals again the range and variety, compassion and humour, irony and tragedy with which Zimbabwean writers observe the world around them. Several writers adopt a tongue-in-cheek approach to the subject: Naishe Nyamubaya takes us behind graphic newspaper headlines with a story of goblins, Jonathan Brakarsh turns the world inside out by constantly reversing our expectations, and Lawrence Hoba draws a situation both ,collateral and incompatible,. It is a characteristic of crime fiction to defy expectation, as Farai Mudzingwa, Bongani Sibanda and Valerie Tagwira do in exploring the ramifications of sudden death. But if we are surprised by some stories, we can only be moved those which draw on the pain and vulnerablity of both the victims and those left behind. Godess Bvukutwa, Isabella Matambanadzo and Donna Kirstein help us to reflect on injustice and loss. Reading this collection of stories, with subjects ranging from tokolosh to tsunami, and from ghosts to goldfish, reminds us that the world is crazier than we think.

In this new collection, Chioniso and other stories, we are once again reminded how Shimmer Chinodya mines his experience for nuggets. Playing with his doppelganger, Godfrey, he looks back on life in Harare, and in Zimbabwe, over the last decade, exploring it from a familial perspective. How does a father cope with a rebellious daughter or a wife he perceives as wayward? How does one mediate traditional gender roles? What to do when status in the form of a car undermines the stability of a marriage? How does one manage a friendship with a new farmer? What moral compromises are demanded by new wealth and political cronyism? And what is the effect of religion on our lives? Have we become more caring and compassionate, or does piety provide a mask, to disguise greed and ambition, and justify a contempt for the poor? This collection of stories will make you laugh, but it will also challenge you to reconsider what it means to be Zimbabwean in the 21st century.

Beyond the Enclave sets out to unravel the contradiction of a country, Zimbabwe, where a rich, diverse resource base co-exists with endemic poverty. One reason lies in the colonial economy, which was predicated on an ideology of white supremacy, creating an enclave formal economy employing one-fifth of the labour force. Yet over three decades after independence, the non-formal segment has become even more entrenched. This book assesses Zimbabwe's economy through three main phases: 1980-90 when a strong social policy framework proved difficult to sustain due to erratic growth, and 1991-96, when 'structural adjustment' demanded a market-driven approach to development. The third phase is characterized by crisis-management leading to policy inconsistencies and reversals. Not surprisingly, such incoherence saw the economy descend into hyperinflation and paralysis in 2007-2008, leading to the signing of the Global Political Agreement in September 2008. In the absence of formal dollarization, economic recovery after the adoption of the multi-currency regime has remained fragile, leaving an estimated 70 per cent of the population outside the banking system. This has further entrenched uneven (enclave) growth as the economy remains locked in a low-income poverty trap. There is a need to facilitate transition towards formality to promote decent jobs. Furthermore, a strategic, developmental role for the state in the economy is now widely recognized as vital for development. Beyond the Enclave argues for a new approach to development in Zimbabwe based on pro-poor and inclusive strategies, which will contribute to the well-being of all of its citizens and wise stewardship of its resources. It offers suggestions on policy formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation in all sectors, designed to promote inclusive growth and humane development.

In this fifth anthology of Zimbabwean short stories from Weaver Press fifteen writers respond to the topic of writing free, and offer their thoughts about how and why they wrote as they did. The stories reflect a wide variety of freedoms: from tyranny, from hunger, from abuse, from the shackles of tradition, and even from the traditional constraints of narrative convention. But there are cautionary tales, too. Political change may be liberating for the adults who suffered for it, but will their children share in the euphoria of new-found freedom? Will a departure from domestic poverty to the calm waters of the diaspora deliver all that was hoped for it? Is the grass always greener beyond the fence of a stifling marriage? Zimbabwe has had more than its share of social and material deprivation in recent years, and people's responses have taken many forms. Writing Free offers an engaging and kaleidoscopic sample of these, and in doing so gives an intimate portrait of a country in transition.

Harare has been pulling people into its environs for well over a century. The city's townships are inhabited by strangers and old acquaintances, hardened old-timers and naive newcomers, who embrace a mixture of languages, traditions and confusions. Wonder Guchu sketches some of these land- and cityscapes, where rumour, reality and urban myth converge. Who was killed to the strains of 'the lion sleeps tonight...'? Where do the ghosts under the bridges live? Who was murdered beside the house with a blue door?

Theatre and drama are very much part of our every day lives. These four plays: Belonging by Mirirai Moyo, When I Meet my Mother by Kathleen McCreery, In the Continuum by Danai Gurira and Nikkole Salter, and Power Failure by Jide Afoylan reveal the dynamism and variety of theatre. They also reveal that from Zimbabwe to Brazil, Nigeria to the USA, societies despite their diversity share many common problems and challenges. Annotated for schools with questions and notes by Rory Kilalea, teachers and students will find this a richly accessible text.

Morgan Tsvangiraiis appointment as Zimbabweis Prime Minister in 2009 followed many yearsi leadership of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trades Unions and the Movement for Democratic Change. How has that experience equipped him for high national office? Does he have the personal, intellectual and political qualities required to be President? In July 2004, as he was awaiting the verdict in his treason trial, Tsvangirai spent several days in conversation with Stephen Chan. Chan was concerned to find out if Tsvangirai was more than emerely a charismatic leader of the oppositioni; if he had ehis own intellectual agenda [and] political philosophyi. His questions were even-handed and astute. eDiscussion by discussion, Morgan Tsvangirai had become more open, more human n less cautious and, paradoxically, more obviously and naturally presidential.i Five years later, having reviewed the events since their discussions took place, Chan writes: eI have not made a saint of him, not even an Atlas. I hope I have not criticized him too much or too unfairly. Probably no one could have done for Zimbabwe what he has.i Citizen of Zimbabwe is a rare and intimate portrait of political leadership in Africa.

This is an introductory textbook on the Zimbabwean legal system. It sets the stage for a comprehensive description of that legal system by opening with some theoretical issues on the nature of law in general, particularly a definition of law, the role and purpose of law in society, the relationship between law and justice and how morality impacts on law. After outlining this theoretical framework, it turns to the Zimbabwean legal system and covers the following key areas: sources of Zimbabwean law, the scope of Roman-Dutch law in Zimbabwe, the law-making process and the role of Parliament, the structure of the courts in Zimbabwe, the procedures in the civil and criminal courts, the legal aid system and the nature of the legal profession. It covers the process of appointment of judges and its effect on the independence of the judiciary. It has a long closing chapter on the interpretation of statutes covering all the rules, maxims and presumptions.

Zimbabwe occupies a special place in African politics and international relations, and has been the subject of intense debates over the years. At independence in 1980, the country was better endowed than most in Africa, and seemed poised for economic development and political pluralism. The population was relatively well educated, the industrial and agricultural bases were strong, and levels of infrastructure were impressive. However, in less than two decades, Zimbabwe was mired in a deep political and economic crisis. Towards the end of its third decade of independence, the economy had collapsed and the country had been transformed into a repressive state. How can we make sense of this decline? How can we explain the 'lost decade' that followed? Can the explanation be reduced to the authoritarian leadership of Robert Mugabe and role of ZANU-PF? Or was something defective about in the institutions through which the state has exercised its authority? Or was it the result of imperialism, the West and sanctions? Zimbabwe's Lost Decade draws on Lloyd Sachikonye's analyses of political developments over the past 25 years. It offers a critique of leadership, systems of governance, and economic strategies, and argues for democratic values and practices, and more broad-based participation in the development process.

A collection of studies about rural people in Zimbabwe: women, traders, food producers, children and labour migrants; what they do, and how they manage their resources - land, capital, knowledge and markets - in competition and co-operation with others. Particular attention is given to the tensions arising between the rural people themselves and other actors in rural development and interested parties, for example the short term need for food and fuel security against sustainable development and the environmental agenda; and the importance of addressing the social dimensions of the increasing technological content in the development process. There is a long essay on poor children in a variety of social circumstances and the ways in which they work, including actual examples of how their time breaks down, the kinds of essential work they undertake, and their attitudes towards their routines. Most of the contributors are sociologists at the University of Zimbabwe.

In the context of AIDS and a declining economy, one strategy for children to ensure their own livelihood is to engage in domestic employment. Here, Michael Bourdillon presents the findings of research based on interviews and discussions with child domestic workers in Zimbabwe. It looks at the circumstances that pushed them into employment, the hardships and humiliations they face therein, as well as the benefits they derive, including, in some cases, education. Most children wanted improvements in their living and working conditions. They did not want to be stopped from working, perceiving that this would worsen their already harsh lives. While child domestic wok is problematic, and often lays children open to various types of abuse, it can also offer critical support and patronage to very disadvantaged children.

Gender studies in Zimbabwe have tended to focus on women and their comparative disadvantages and under-privilege. Assuming a broader perspective is necessary at a time when society has grown used to arguments rooted in binaries: colonised and coloniser, race and class, sex and gender, poverty and wealth, patriotism and terrorism, etc.The editors of Manning the Nation recognise that concepts of manhood can be used to repress or liberate, and will depend on historical and political imperatives; they seek to introduce a more nuanced perspective to the interconnectivity of patriarchy, masculinity, the nation, and its image.The essays in this volume come from well-respected academics working in a variety of fields. The ideals and concepts of manhood are examined as they are reflected in important Zimbabwean literary texts. However, if literature provides a rich vein for the analysis of masculinities, what makes this collection so interesting is the interplay of literary analysis with chapters that provide a critical examination of the ways in which ideals of manhood have been employed in, for example, leadership and the nation, as a justification for violent engagement, in the field of AIDS and HIV, etc. Manning the Nation: Father figures in Zimbabwean literature and society sets the stage for a fresh and engaging discourse essential at a time when new paradigms are needed.

All twenty-seven papers in this collection share a concern to promote a 'holistic' ecological approach to farming. They survey a range of ecoagricultural topics: soil management, integrated pest management, farming systems, institutional supports and barriers, all with specific reference to Eastern and Southern Africa. The papers reflect some of the variety of indigenous knowledge, current research and training efforts that will contribute to agricultural renewal in Eastern and Southern Africa. The volume is one of five of the output of the Environmental Capacity Enhancement Project - a four year project involving participants from thirteen African countries.

The sequel to the award-winning Writing Still, this new collection of stories paints an engaging - and sometimes challenging - picture of contemporary life and concerns in Zimbabwe. Like its predecessor, Writing Now combines well-established writers - Chinodya, Mupfudzi, Eppel, Chingono - with several new voices. Although the stories emerge from lives of economic hardship and privation, their tone is by no means uniformly. Zimbabwean writers continue to demonstrate that sharp humour and surreal fantasy can grow from the bleakest of roots.

The contributors to the book, all Zimbabweans by birth or by adoption, argue that although this is not a sustainable policy in the long run, it may persist in the shorter term. To break the deadlock requires an understanding of the processes that have brought the country to its present state. The essays pose and respond to a range of questions concerning politics, the land, the environment, economics, civil rights, torture, the opposition, the press, Robert Mugabe, and the ideologies informing the decisions of those in power before and since independence. Contributors include Brian Raftopoulos, Godfrey Kanyenze, Emmanuel Manzungu, and Chido Makunike.

The Uncertainty of Hope by Valerie Tagwira, a novel which Charles Mungoshi calls 'an astonishing debut'. Through the various and complex lives of Onai Moyo - a market woman and responsible mother of three children, and her best friend Katy Nguni - a vendor and black-market currency dealer - we are given an insight into the challenges that face those who only survive by their wits, their labour and their mutual support. In doing so Tagwira aptly captures how precarious the future is for the inhabitants of Mbare, Zimbabwe in 2005. The story of these two close friends is situated in a high-density suburb. However, the author also introduces a much wider cross-section of Zimbabwean society: Tom Sibanda, a young business man and farmer, his girlfriend, Faith, a law student, Tom's sister Emily, a health professional, and Mawaya, the ostensible beggar. With depth and sensitivity, Tagwira pulls these many threads into a densely woven novel that provides us with of some of the many faces of contemporary Zimbabwe.

Julius Chingono?s short stories and poems illuminate the everyday world of his native Zimbabwe: the buzzing townships, and the rural homestead. Depicting characters who face poverty, tragedy and violence with strength and courage, the author brings a ready humour to otherwise bleak situations, and a sharp eye to events and encounters in the country. Chingono?s acute awareness of the many absurdities of the society in which he lives ensure his place as a life-affirming chronicler of its development.