''Significant Silences'' and the Politics of National Reconciliation in Chater' s Crossing the Boundary Fence

Abstract

The article explores Patricia Chater's Crossing the Boundary Fence (1988) within the framework of Macherey's (1978) concept of "significant silences". I argue that in her representation of the decolonisation of Zimbabwe, the writer circumvents pertinent areas that are central to any discussion of the colonial history of Zimbabwe and the liberation war against colonialism. Among the areas the text is silent on is the role of white people in institutionalising racism in the colony and the contributions of ZAPU and the Ndebele during the war of liberation. These silences are informed by a reconciliation agenda which makes silence integral to its realisation.

Opsomming
In hierdie artikel verken ek Patricia Chater se Crossing the Boundary Fence (1988) binne die raamwerk van Macherey (1978) se begrip van "betekenisvolle stilswye". Ek voer aan dat die skrywer in haar uitbeelding van die dekolonialisering van Zimbabwe relevante areas omseil wat die kern vorm van enige bespreking van Zimbabwe se koloniale geskiedenis en die vryheidsoorlog teen kolonialisme. Daar heers stilswye in die teks oor die rol van witmense in die institusionalisering van rassisme in die kolonie en die bydraes van ZAPU en die Ndebele gedurende die vryheidsoorlog. Hierdie stilswye word ge'inspireer deur 'n versoeningsagenda wat stilte 'n integrale deel maak van die realisering daarvan.