The Nucleation of White Zimbabwean Writing
Abstract
Considering literature as a system in dialogue with non-literary systems, this article discusses the ways in which white writing in Zimbabwe finds itself marginalised from mainstream Zimbabwean literature owing to monological approaches which see the literary system as uniform, static and closed. Feeding from, and into, political, media and literary discourses on belonging, these approaches accomplish the nucleation of the system by imposing various forms of nuclei in the form of Rhodesian/colonial sensibilities and allegiances which white writing supposedly has. While it is true that some white narratives exhibit strong affinities towards the colonial past, it should also be noted that such narratives are only part of the system and resultantly the system should not in any way be reducible to this or any other segment. Enucleation is proffered as an alternative conceptualisation of the literary and cultural system in that it redeems systems from the demands of sameness and stasis. The place white writing occupies in Zimbabwe’s post-2000 cultural landscape, for instance, serves to illustrate how questions of memory and heritage always involve the intertwining of several cultural forces.
Opsomming
Hierdie artikel oorweeg literatuur as 'n stelsel in dialoog met nie-literêre stelsels en bespreek die maniere waarop blanke skryfwerk in Zimbabwe dit in ’n gemarginaliseerde posisie van hoofstroom Zimbabwiese literatuur bevind as gevolg van monologiese benaderings wat die literêre stelsel as eenvormig, staties en geslote beskou. Hierdie benaderings put uit en lewer op hul beurt weer bydraes tot politieke, media- en literêre gesprekke oor verbondenheid, en bereik daardeur die nukleasie van die stelsel deur verskeie vorme van nukleï in die vorm van Rhodesiese/koloniale gevoelens en verbande waaroor blanke skryfwerk skynbaar beskik af te dwing. Ofskoon dit waar is dat sommige blanke narratiewe sterk affiniteite jeens die koloniale verlede vertoon, moet ’n mens ook daarop let dat sulke narratiewe slegs ’n deel van die stelsel is en gevolglik moet die stelsel nie op enige manier tot dít of enige ander segment gereduseer word nie. Enukleasie word voorgehou as ’n alternatiewe konseptualisering van die literêre en kulturele stelsel in die sin dat dit stelsels van die eise van soortgelykheid en stase verlos. Die plek wat blanke skryfwerk in Zimbabwe se kulturele landskap ná 2000 beklee, illustreer byvoorbeeld hoe kwessies van herinnering en nalatenskap altyd met die onderlinge ineenstrengeling van verskillende kulturele magte gepaardgaan.
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