http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/OpEd/comment/Martin-Meredith-a-British-writer-who-knows-his-Africa-/-/434750/2028988/-/6ibumz/-/index.html

‎

In praise of Martin Meredith, a British writer who knows his Africa - Comment

I first met Martin Meredith through his 1979 book, The Past is Another Country: Rhodesia 1890-1979.

In it, one gets acquainted with the troubled history of the country we now know as Zimbabwe: its occupation by a band of marauders sent by Cecil Rhodes in South Africa; the relentless subjugation of the natives and their exclusion from any meaningful economic activity except as servants of the white settlers; the hypocrisy of the "reluctant imperialists" in London, who pretended not to know what their kin were up to; the rise of black nationalism and the cutthroat rivalries among the nationalists; the liberation war, and finally Independence in 1980.

It was then, and it certainly remains today, an important document for anyone who wants to understand the nefarious nature of British imperialism and its ramifications in Southern Africa, as well as anyone who wants to get the feel of the deprivations the people of Zimbabwe had to endure, and maybe understand a little what informs Robert Mugabe.

I caught the bug, so the next time I saw the author's name, I simply grabbed the book and boarded my flight to start reading. It was Mugabe: Power and Plunder in Zimbabwe (2002), a not-so-flattering portrait of Comrade Bob and his stranglehold on his country's politics, economy and destiny, his penchant for violence and the unbridled corruption of absolute power.

In 2005 Meredith published The State of Africa, in which he reviews the performances of the post Independence African political classes, with their extraordinary egos and foibles. He takes no prisoners and allows for very few sacred cows in this tour de force, which captures our continent in all its beauty and frailty. Not only the usual suspects such as Eyadema, Bokassa, Mobutu, but also some icons such as Nkrumah, Nyerere and Lumumba come under a harsh spotlight in this truly important record of our being.

Then I got hold of Diamonds, Gold and War: The Making of South Africa (2007). Simply staggering. It captures the whole story of Cecil Rhodes and the greed that drove him and his fellow brigands in Southern Africa. The book is a must read if you want to understand the glitter that drives the South African economy till this day, and why even the ANC government, erstwhile liberators, will murder striking miners, as we saw at Marikana a year ago.

(Plus, anecdotally, you will pleasantly discover that Umslopogaas, so beloved of every kid who ever read King Solomon's Mines, was a real man, who actually marched with the author Rider Haggard on some of those "pacification campaigns" against the Zulus).

So, I am partial to this British journalist and writer who knows Africa well, having worked here for a long time. So, when recently I saw his new book, Born in Africa, I did not think twice. In it, I followed the history of the search for the origins of humankind from the 19th century to the present and the various theories attaching thereto.

Meredith relates the painstaking work that was done by dogged and indefatigable searchers such as Louis Leakey — the white Kikuyu — and his family members in Kenya, Tanganyika and Ethiopia, and such impossibly colourful individuals as Robert Broom in South Africa.

Martin Meredith chronicles the bitter rivalries, jealousies and backstabbing among the palaeontologists, palaeoanthropologists, palynologists — get yourself lost in the terminologies — and other fossil hunters jostling for fame and fortune. Even Louis Leakey and his son, Richard, do not come across as exactly buddy-buddy.

But finally, it seems settled that the earliest human being, the common ancestor of the entire human race, lived in Africa, which gives us the bragging rights in one huge area.

Which we maybe should be celebrating, although it does raise this small question: If Africa is indeed the cradle of humankind, what happened to keep us so backward?

I ask an even bigger question: Born in Africais sold at Nairobi (JKIA) and Entebbe airports. But why does the same book — same edition, same cover, same font sizes, same typos — cost 35 American dollars at JKIA and only 15 dollars at Entebbe?

Jenerali Ulimwengu is chairman of the board of the Raia Mwema newspaper and an advocate of the High Court in Dar es Salaam. E-mail: ulimwengu@jenerali.com

In praise of Martin Meredith, a British writer who knows his Africa - Comment - www.theeastafrican.co.ke
http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/OpEd/comment/Martin-Meredith-a-British-writer-who-knows-his-Africa-/-/434750/2028988/-/6ibumz/-/index.html