Friday, 20 June 1986: A Shakespeare Evening & Book Publishing in Zimbabwe

Monday, August 4, 2:30PM, Hillcrest Community, Halfway House, South Africa

While staying at the Emissary Community house in Harare in June, I went to see a movie of Shakespeare’s Henry V with Verity Mundy and her friend Kay.  The movie was L-O-N-G, and it was hard to follow the British accents. It was shown in the British Embassy, and the women had their handbags searched for weapons and bombs at the door.  During intermission, some old Jewish lady was complaining about the search to a friend, so I turned to her, smiled and said, “Of course you were searched.  You look like an Arab terrorist to me.”  I don’t think she was prepared to be confronted by an American smart-alek. 

Source:  https://kimthompsonauthor.com/movie-night-henry-v-1944/

Afterwards, we adjourned to Kay’s for tea.  She is a late 30’s, attractive blonde with a couple of kids.  She lives in a very nice home (unheated, of course) and recently started a local book publishing house. 

One of my first questions to Kay was obvious:  “How tough is it to publish books in this country given the potential for pissing off the government with politically incorrect material?”  She replied that it isn’t all that bad.  Admittedly, most of their material is apolitical, but they are currently working on a very controversial book.  They’ve told a contact in the government about it and are keeping him abreast of the contents.  Kay doesn’t think they’ll have any problems.  Another obvious question was how a publisher can make a profit publishing books for such a limited market as Zimbabwe.  Apparently, there’s not much competition as most other local publishers concentrate on textbooks.  They are satisfied with a small profit from small press runs. 

I asked both Kay and Verity a question I raised often during my trip through Zimbabwe:  “Is there a future for white people in black Africa?”  The women responded that whites seem to be welcome in Zimbabwe if they are willing to be Africans.  That is, get rid of their foreign passports, craving for foreign luxury items, foreign bank accounts, and the attitude that the white man knows best.  They denied that President Mugabe ever said he wanted all whites out of Zimbabwe.  He only wants whites out who are unwilling to accept black rule and black equality.  That’s an interesting contrast to the remarks I’ve heard from white English Rotarians and their friends in this country.

We got around to my feelings about servants.  I am somewhat negative about the black domestics I have run across in Zimbabwe.  Even though Zimbabwe is now a black-ruled country, the domestics still act like mealie-mouthed yes-men/yes-women without dignity.  Just like I experienced in South Africa, I am being called “Master” and am treated as if I am somehow superior.  How can I respect for people who act so condescending toward me?  Kay and Verity feel that the domestic servants are reflecting the attitudes of another generation that hasn’t yet been able to adapt to independence.  One of them had asked her servant to call her by her first name and the old woman refused saying, “Oh no, Madam.  That wouldn’t be right.”  They felt that this subservient attitude would disappear with the younger generation of blacks who now attend schools as equals with white kids.