Who was Dambudzo?
Dambudzo was a writer born in Zimbabwe back when it was called Rhodesia. He was the third child of nine. Dambudzo grew up very attached to his parents, so once his father died in a hit and run accident it was very hard for Dambudzo. On many accounts Dambudzo wrote many different ways that his father died. After his fathers death his family faced much harder times than it had before. They moved to an even worse neighborhood then before and his mother had picked up on prostitution and drugs and Dambudzo decided to move on. He was then accepted into a highly-segregated school, St. Augustine Secondary School. Dambudzo was later expelled for protest against the discrimination, and that is where Dambudzo’s lack of trust for a higher authority began. Once the white government was taken down and it had become a black majority government, Dambudzo still criticized the black government as much as he did the white government. After his expulsion from St. Augustine, he decided to leave the country and go to Britain to attend Oxford University on a scholarship. He was a very heavy drinker and he didn’t eat very much at all. He didn’t fit in very well at Oxford either, life in Zimbabwe was much different than that in Britain, especially the learning style. Dambudzo began skipping classes and drinking more often, this led to him causing many problems like fights and even one allegation of Dambudzo trying to burn his dorm down. The university gave him a choice, to visit a therapist, or be expelled, he chose to be expelled. After being expelled, he found himself living mostly in the streets for the rest of his life, his life dedicated to writing and drinking. He later died at the young age of 35 to an AIDS related illness.
Works
The House of Hunger was a collection of linked stories and two poems. This was very rare at the time it was written and became one of the reasons it was so well renowned. Many of the most famous African writers began respecting Dambudzo for what he had written. Many say that the stories were his own personal accounts also. This novel was appreciated because of his unique writing style.
Black Sunlight was Dambudzo’s second novel. The novel showed Dambudzo’s growing paranoia against the government. The book follows a group of revolutionaries in their revolt. Dambudzo’s writing style is remarkable writing as it is him as the character, becoming very autobiographical.
What was Dambudzo oppressed by?
He was born in a time of racism, discrimination, poverty, and violence, all of which took place in his childhood life. His family was very poor, he went to a very discriminated school and was born into a Zimbabwe that was not yet independent and ruled by a white minority government. Even once the black majority had taken control of the government, he still had problems with those who are in position of power. He still did not respect the government because he saw no change in his country, he saw only change in the black middle class. The lower classes still had to fight for what they needed and often lived on the streets.
How did Dambudzo resist?
Dambudzo spoke out against leaders, not afraid of consequences. He often fought and was not afraid to step down from any fight. Once the white minority government was banished and many people became happy with the black majority government, Dambudzo was still unhappy. He said: “The very thought that someone has got enough power to organise thousands of people’s lives, whether he makes a mistake or not, really horrifies me”. He did not trust anyone in the position of power and began reading about anarchists, and he read of them very seriously. He eventually left Zimbabwe to attend Oxford but upon being expelled he then returned to Zimbabwe later on. The books that Dambudzo wrote had very deep messages of what he felt about the oppression he had faced. So even along with the violence and aggression he used to resist, he also did on a more peaceful level within his writings.
What did Dambudzo leave behind?
Dambudzo inspired many, even before his death. He had been seen, and still is seen as one of the most accomplished African writers. Many Zimbabweans especially decided to write after they saw what Dambudzo did. They wanted to get there feelings out and they decided do it on a piece of paper like Dambudzo. Dambudzo created a new writing style in Africa. Dambudzo redefined African literature, allowing many to expand the boundaries on what they can write about.